I know this is not the best place to post this question but going to try. I am making buckshot 00 and #4 buckshot and was wondering how to get these smooth without the little knobs on them. Is it my kind of mold or can you tumble them or something. Looks like to me this would mess with the flight of these suppose to be round balls. Any help would be great. Thanks, Gene

Only way I know of is to get yourself one of these:

Shot Tower

Planning and Zoning may take issue, though . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Have you ever looked closely at factory buckshot pellets? I assume you are using the Lee moulds. I can guarantee what you cast is much rounder that what is loaded in commercial ammunition.

What are you expecting, match accuracy with all pellets in a single hole at 25 yards? Shotguns are supposed to scatter shot in a pattern, irregularities in shot simply promote dispersion!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

To make shot that large in practical quantities, you need a swage kit.

Corbin Round Ball Swage Set

I dont know about buckshot, I never messed with any shot that large...but, I have a shot machine and with the smaller bird shot like I make the way to get it to look like factory stuff is to put it in a vibratory tumbler, like for cleaning brass cases, and add some graphite and turn it on. It will give it that dark color and also give it that shine. I don't know if it flies any better, as I understand it the factory does this to help it meter through the loading machine/reloader.
I do not tumble my home made shot in graphite, I just load it and go shooting...it seems to meter and fly just fine, or at least I cant shoot good enough to tell either way. I think lee makes buckshot molds that have a little thin lead "string" made into the mold...keeps all the buckshot together for a tighter pattern. Haven't tried this mold, but if I had the need to shoot buckshot I think that is how I would go!!! At least it sounds good anyways.

The larger 'buck' shot are swaged in forming dies from soft lead wire. They don't show any sprue cutoff of course and are perfectly round or as perfect as the swage die is.
Commercially manf round ball for muzzle loaders is made the same way.

Some of the smaller size/dia buckshot may be formed by tower drop like bird shot but I'm really not sure. Nor would I hazzard a guess at a cut off point betw drop 'buck shot' and swage formed.

Any cast shot will show the sprue cut-off, just the mechanics of the production equipment involved.
But many see it as an advantage as it may cause the shot to scatter a bit more even at the shot range the loads are intended for.

Years ago we took some 00 Buck and drilled small holes through the centers.....Laced them together with 50 lb. mono fishing line. Then coiled them into the shell before crimping......UNBELIEVABLE patterns at 50-60 yards.......Up close they patterned in a "palm" size group.

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S&W Accumulator

well I didn't know how these would shoot but got a chance to try the #4 BS on a wild pig. About 25 yards dropped her like a rock. Very impressed. I was thinking that they wouldn't bother the pattern that much but didn't know. Hit her with 5 pellets. She made some good sausage.

I shot a small coyote at 12 yards using a 20 gauge and #4 buck. The yote could not have weighed over 20 pounds. It stopped the girl but 5 of the pellets failed to exit on a broadside shot. I was far from impressed.

I'd pattern them before fretting over the sprue lump. Probably work just fine.

If anyone has ever seen the "Lead Free" 00 Buck made by Remington, the balls have essentially what looks like a band around them - sort of looks like the planet Saturn. They shoot groups as well as lead 00 Buck. I doubt if the sprue nub has any material effect on the patterning performance.