Playing with my own cast Minies

[MCgunner]

I pulled out the Cabela's Hawken Hunter Carbine today. It's a sort of nasty day, but I wanted to try my Lee 360 grain Minies cast of recently acquired pure lead. Now, I had some pure lead when I got this mold, but used it up. I recall my CVA Wolf shooting this projectile pretty well when cast of pure lead, but I couldn't recall being happy with it in the Hawken. Today, I set up on my back yard 100 yard rifle range and fired it from 40 yards on my pistol range.

At 40 yards, it is dead on, one ragged hole. At 100 yards, it'd throw the windage 8" left or 8" right, elevation was consistent, but not windage and it wasn't ME, either. Hmmm. At first, I thought it was the fact that I'd misplaced my beeswax and was shooting pure bore butter for lube, but now I don't think so. Thinking it over, I just think 360 grains is too light for a 1:24 twist barrel. 385 grain Hornady Great Plains Minies still shoot dead to rights at 100 yards, heavier/longer bullet. My CVA Wolf has a 1:32 twist, shoots the Great Plains well, but was as good with the 360 grain Lee Minies last time I shot 'em. I quit early before breaking out the Wolf, got to drizzling and it's in the low 50s out there. I decided to try another day, but I'm pretty confident the Wolf will shoot these pills.

For a long time, I didn't have any pure lead, so I just didn't mess with the Lee mold, shot the store bought stuff. I ordered this lead from Amazon, first pure lead I've had in years. I'm sure the slower twist CVA will like 'em. I also have a 1:48 twist Hawken, but I bought that for round ball stuff.

Anyway, further experimentation is warranted before I go casting a big mess of those Minies.

 

[dave951]

Try a heavier minie if you have the mold.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, my theory is shot on the CVA Wolf. It didn't shoot worth a toot with the 360 grain bullet, all over the backstop. Loaded a 385 grain Great Plains and, as always, and it being sighted in for that bullet, it drilled the bull at 100 yards. Good 'nuf, don't change what ain't broke. I was just wanting that mold to work.

Well, I haven't tried it in my 1:48 twist rifle. I'll keep that on the agenda, try 'em in the Plainsman.

 

[dave951]

Let's throw another fly into the ointment. I shoot North South Skirmish with minies in a couple guns, 1862 Spr Contract, 1858 Enfield, 1853 Enfield, all will stack boolits into one ragged hole at 50yds. Best accuracy is when the minie is sized to .001 under bore size and properly lubed. Have you checked bore size (it's often no what's stamped on the gun). And have you checked the minie size?

 

[MCgunner]

Let's throw another fly into the ointment. I shoot North South Skirmish with minies in a couple guns, 1862 Spr Contract, 1858 Enfield, 1853 Enfield, all will stack boolits into one ragged hole at 50yds. Best accuracy is when the minie is sized to .001 under bore size and properly lubed. Have you checked bore size (it's often no what's stamped on the gun). And have you checked the minie size?

Well, no, but I can say the cast bullet appears to be slightly smaller than the Hornady Great Plains bullet. It loads slightly easier.

The cast bullet shoots GREAT at 50 yards from my Hawken. I'll just use it at short range for plinking and keep buying the Great Plains bullet for hunting. Nothing wrong with the Great Plains bullet, works fantastic in both guns. I sometimes have a hard time finding it, though, but that's what the internet is for.

I made an order from Midway a while back and put a few boxes of the Great Plains bullets on the order, came up "seasonal, out of stock". I don't get that, but I'm sure I can find the bullet from Amazon or somewhere and, hell, I have to order the pure lead to cast, so what's the difference? The Hornady Minies are quite affordable, too, compared to sabots or Powerbelts and the fact that they work well in both my hunting rifles is a good thing.