Double-Ball Loads (again)

[Leadslugga]

I posted a while back about double-ball loads, and I promised I would give them a try and post the results. However, I hit a bit of a speed bump and I would like some expert advice from anyone who has tried this before or knows anything helpful.

There are two possible loads I could try.

I could load two 000 BK pellets into a .38 or .357 case. Each ball weighs about 70 gr, so the total payload would be ~140 gr. The problem is, I can't seem to find just the right size pellet. Everything I see is about .350" diameter. This would certainly go bang, but I fear there would be nothing resembling accuracy and possibly some velocity loss. Thoughts?

The other possibility is two .44 round balls in a .44 mag case. Each ball is about 120 gr for a total of 240. The problem with this plan is that the best option I found so far is the Speer round ball for muzzleloaders, but this ball is listed as .433 diameter. This brings to mind two questions:
1. Is .433 too big to be used? Will it get stuck in the bore, or will the small bearing surface just flatten and it will work?
2. If I were to put the balls through a .430" bullet sizing die, would this create enough bearing surface for the balls to actually engage the rifling on it, or would it not have any effect or potentially make the balls oblong/not round enough to function.

I don't want anything stuck in my bore or any overpressures. I really want to try this, though, and I know it is something that used to be done fairly regularly. I read an article in Gun digest about it, but the author gave much too little information. It seemed like he was loading .457" balls in .45 colt, which would seem to indicate that the .433" balls would word in .44 mag, but I'm not ballsy enough to just try it.

 

[GIJeaux]

Hi Leadslugga

I don't know if this will help but, it might get you in the direction you want to go.

A long time ago I used to make a .357 load using 2 .36 round balls. I would size them in my Lubematic to .357 diameter. This would result in kind of a KEG shape projectile. I would then load 2 of them into a .357 Magnum casing. (Don't ask me the load, I don't remember)

A couple of issues occured doing this:

1. Both "balls" shot exactly through the same hole like a single bullet. I had hope for a tight "pattern".

2. If I loaded them above .38 Special ballistics they would lead the bore extensivley. (The pistol I had at the time seemed to lead easily with lead bullets too)

You could try using a Lee bullet sizing die to reduce the .433 balls to .429-430 and give it a try. Try to put some bullet lube between the two projectiles in the case to reduce leading.

Hope this helped. Good luck.
Al

 

[Leadslugga]

Hi Leadslugga
A long time ago I used to make a .357 load using 2 .36 round balls. I would size them in my Lubematic to .357 diameter. This would result in kind of a KEG shape projectile. I would then load 2 of them into a .357 Magnum casing. (Don't ask me the load, I don't remember)

A couple of issues occured doing this:

1. Both "balls" shot exactly through the same hole like a single bullet. I had hope for a tight "pattern".

2. If I loaded them above .38 Special ballistics they would lead the bore extensivley. (The pistol I had at the time seemed to lead easily with lead bullets too)

You could try using a Lee bullet sizing die to reduce the .433 balls to .429-430 and give it a try. Try to put some bullet lube between the two projectiles in the case to reduce leading.

Al

That's the sort of thing I was afraid of with sizing, that either the balls would be so misshapen that they would stick in the bore, or that they would just work like bullets.

 

[GIJeaux]

Yep, and I think that because of a thing called "Obturation" which causes the projectiles to change shape because of the pressure they are under, they probably just squash into each other and become a single projectile. Jacketed (plated) might act differently.

 

[Akajun]

Yep, and I think that because of a thing called "Obturation" which causes the projectiles to change shape because of the pressure they are under, they probably just squash into each other and become a single projectile. Jacketed (plated) might act differently.

Did you ever try a card wad between the two?

 

[GIJeaux]

I did. I even tried a copper gas check. No luck.

 

[sterno]

Have you thought about getting a mold for round fishing weights? I don't know much about fishing weights but if you could find one that was .357/.358 and used a bullet grade lead mix, you might be cooking with gas.

 

[Leadslugga]

I just need to know one thing most of all:

Will a .433 round ball fit through a .429 bore when fired, or will it get stuck?

All considerations about actual performance or balls sticking together is secondary to whether or not the .433 balls will actually work without sizing.

 

[Ben Segrest]

how would you seat, much less chamber, the round without sizing?

 

[Leadslugga]

Not sure! I don't have any .433 balls to check it out. I was just thinking that there was the possibility that the few extra thousandths of an inch wouldn't interfere with that and would fit in the case. If they definitely won't, that answers my question.

 

[GIJeaux]

Getting them into the case without having to resize them would be the first thing to overcome. If you forced them into the case and the finished loaded round fit into the chamber they would have sized down on their own and I would say that they would then not stick in your barrel.

 

[Leadslugga]

There is a surprising lack of information about this on the internet. How dare gun digest publish an article about this sort of thing without providing adequate detail? DON'T THEY KNOW THAT I CAN'T HELP MYSELF WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING RIDICULOUS THINGS?