Molding material comprising a group of saponified ethylene-vinyl ester-based copolymer pellets and molding method using same

A method of molding a molded article comprising:

• feeding a molding material comprising a pellet group of at least 20 saponified ethylene-vinyl ester-based copolymer pellets an extruder wherein,
• the rotational speed of a screw in the extruder is 10 to 100 rpm,
• at least 95% of the pellets have a surface that is substantially a single closed surface;
• and
• when a maximum outer diameter of a pellet is taken as a long diameter and a minimum diameter in a cross section having the greatest area among cross sections perpendicular to the long diameter is taken as a short diameter, the average value of the long diameter/short diameter ratio of at least 20 pellets taken from the pellet group is 1.6 or less and the standard deviation of the long diameter/short diameter ratio of the at least 20 pellets is 0.13 or less, and
• the at least 95% of the pellets have an oval cross section perpendicular to the long diameter.