Finally found minies my 1861 Springfield likes.

[Steve499]

Here's a target I shot today, 25 shots at 75 yards. The bullets were improved .58 caliber minies from a Lee mould, lubed with beeswax/olive oil ahead of 67 grains of Goex FFG. I forgot my cleaning rod, left it home, so I fired this target without any cleaning of any kind. I had already shot 8 or 10 shots out of the rifle before I started this group so I fired about 35 shots total. All bullets rammed easily except for the last inch or so after 15 or 20 shots. They all seated fully but the last 15 or so required bouncing the ram rod, I couldn't just push hard enough on that sharp steel end to do the job.

I have been trying to cast various styles of minie balls with only mediocre success. I keep having air pockets in the bullets. These improved minies (I think they look like garbage cans) were cast before I figured out a way to minimize those defects and varied in weight due to internal voids and still did pretty good. I am hopeful that when I cast some more with better quality control, they will shoot a little better.

Steve

 

[MCgunner]

That's danged decent! I shoot .50 cal and the gun has a really tight 1:24 twist. It's really for sabots I think, but I have found a really heavy 385 grain Hornady Minie works well. However, I do have to scrub the bore a lot. Wondering what twist rate your rifle is? My bud has a 1:48 twist Hawkin. His shoots round ball or light conicals fine and he doesn't have to scrub his bore nearly so often. I run the brush through mine about every other shot to keep it grouping well. I clean it with some dish soap and water and use a bronze brush on it.:banghead: PITA, but it's what I gotta do to keep it hitting the bull. I'm thinking the fast rifling might need more attention, but I don't have a lot of BP rifle experience, so I'm sorta shootin' in the dark there, LOL.

I got a lighter weight Lee REAL bullet to try. No go. It's 255 grains, I think, something like that. It ain't accurate for squat. I'm going to get the 360 grain Lee improved minie to try next. Hoping I can find something I can cast that works.

BTW, nice group!

 

[Duncaninfrance]

Good Group

Don't think he would get up and run away from that lot Steve!! Well done.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

LEE MOLD Mini balls....

I have been usin the Lee mold with 500gr mini's for quite a spell now. Good to 200-300 yds. on animal size steel silouettes. Pack some loose powder/beeswax in the back above the bullets skirt...instant Civil War Tracers HeHe! Works well and looks cool. I shoot an 1853 Rem Zouave and it's a blast.
It also got me a couple trophies in metalic silouette competition, Along with a couple 90 yd squirels...

 

[Steve499]

Mcgunner, I don't know offhand exactly what the pitch is in an 1861 Springfield but I do know it's slow, like 1 in 70 or something. I lubed the minies with that home-made beeswax/olive oil mixture, just rubbed a stick on the outside of the bullet to fill up the lube rings. The improved minies have very shallow rings and consequently don't hold a lot of lubricant. While I had no problems with the loading, it seemed the fouling wasn't as sludgy as it is when I shoot traditional minies with those deep lube rings.

Smokin, I'll have to try your tracers! That sounds like a great idea.

Steve