My newest Lee Modern Minie Mold

  • 16K Views
  • Last Post 02 January 2015
onondaga posted this 18 March 2014

My newest Lee Modern Minie Mold

The package came today and I have inspected the mold for quality. This is mold 500-354-M, those numbers mean a specified diameter of .500” a cast weight with the recommended alloy at 354 grains and it is a Modern Minie design with micro lube grooves similar to tumble lube groove designs. The nose is a semi- wad-cutter design, SWC, and this bullet is designed for target shooting. I will use it for hunting if it shoots well, as I have wanted a 50 cal bullet with some weight that shoots with accuracy approaching my patched round ball accuracy in my Lyman Great Plains Muzzle Loader. So, I have a lot of hopes for this bullet. It will also fit my center-fire .500 S&W and I will try it there too.

Upon opening I immediately noticed the new design mold blocks with round cone alignment pins and cups, all steel, press fit into the blocks for alignment. The sprue plate was spotted in well at the factory and no light line is visible at all between the mold tops and the cutter plate and no light line is visible between the mold halves either”€a well done fit. Eyeball inspection shows no burrs anywhere and the auto aligning hollow base pin fits and aligns automatically and nicely. The mold opens and closes smoothly and appears to just need a wash and lube to be ready for use. I will further examine under magnification also.

Lee recommends using any solvent for cleaning manufacturing cutting oil off all the parts, they even mention gasoline or lighter fluid be used. Well, I will use some Zippo fluid and Q-Tips to dissolve the oil but follow with my usual and habitual Comet cleanser/hot water brushing and rinse that works so well for me to eliminate any petroleum that causes casting crater and wrinkle flaws. I disassemble for cleaning and then lube pivot parts, mold tops and cutter plate bottom with a high temp. clear Silicone Dielectric Grease from GE that has worked well for me in the past and doesn't migrate to the wrong areas of the mold.. I only use the tiniest amounts buffed to a shine with a Q-tip, so I get no excessive lube that causes casting flaws.

The self centering base pin does get more lube than a light shine. It fits into a race milled into the mold blocks for self centering when closing the mold. The race needs lube or it will bind /gaul quickly if you ignore that. This arrangement is similar to Lee self centering base pins for HB bullets, shotgun slugs and the traditional old design Minie from Lee. You will definitely battle with these base pins and ruin them and their fit permanently if you ignore lube.

I am pleased and satisfied with the Modern Minie 50 Cal. Mold. I will clean/ lube and cast with .999 pure lead for my first try with this mold and report back. http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/P3180054_zpsd653e5c6.jpg.html>http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/P3180056_zpsd106b78d.jpg.html>

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 18 March 2014

for the locating pins and swivel bolt on my new style lee 0.37 2 cav. mold i use a moly grease ... a little smear.

gently close the mold on the new type locators, an extra half second won't slow you down much.

my lee 0.37(8) gives the best match of 4 0.37 molds for our 38-55.

ken

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 18 March 2014

The nicest thoughtful addition to Lee's new instructions with this mold is directed at loaders that are familiar with Richard Lee's work on matching the ballistic pressure of your load in psi to the ultimate compressive strength of your bullet alloy in psi as part of finding the sweet spot of accuracy. Lee lists this chart in the mold instructions recommending alloy BHN for minimum and maximum load pressures:

                                       min             max Pure Lead       5 BHN      7200 psi      9600 psi 1-10 Tin/lead  11 BHN   15840 psi    21120 psi WheelWeight  12 BHN   17280 psi    23000 psi Lyman #2        15 BHN   21600 psi    28800 psi Linotype          22 BHN   32680 psi    42000 psi

Nice additional information for the loader/shooter.

Gary

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 19 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=40>Ken Campbell Iowa

Your moly grease will work fine as do a number of other lubes, it is the application that is most important. Lube that flows with working and / or heat will work its way into the mold cavity and cause bullet defects if the amount and placement of the lube is too much. Judging the amount and placement really needs to be sparse and judicious or bullet defects show right up and stay until mold is cleaned and re-lubed more judiciously.

Gary

Attached Files

curator posted this 19 March 2014

I have the old-style 500/354 Modern Minnie mould and have had very good results shooting the bullets in my CVA Wolf .50 rifle. I do add about 1/2% tin to the melt and keep the melt temperature about 750-800 degrees for good fill-out. As you probably know the #1 problem is voids inside the hollow base. Keep the mould and the melt hot and these don't form. I also lube the sprue plate and top of the Lee mould with synthetic 2-cycle engine oil, which prevents galling. Fill the cavities, cut the sprue then wipe the mould's top-surface and underside of sprue plate with a q-tip dipped in the 2-cycle oil. You won;t be sorry.

Sorry to hear of the Falls freezing over! BRRRRR. At least casting warms things up a bit! I took your tip about Alliant Black MZ and have very good results as did you--Thanks!

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 19 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=377>curator:

    I have had the old style Minie from Lee in 50 Cal for many years too. It casts fine for me in pure lead. When I began shooting the old style years ago, it was the first time I tried Lee Liquid Alox as a lube for MZ bullets. The old style mold of mine has always cast too much under bore size for my rifle and the best I could do with that loose one was over 3 inches at 50 yards with either a 1:32 or a 1:60 barrel.      The new Modern Minie specifies a .500” diameter with pure lead and that is .010” larger than the old mold does, so, I have higher hopes with the Modern Minie at .500". Both of my Lyman bores actually slug at .500” land to land so this modern minie should fit and shoot well for me in the 1:32 Barrel.

The Falls is a wonder this time of year. I like to visit 3 Sisters Island close to the Falls when the ice flow under the bridge is so dramatic you will get motion sickness. The continuous mass in action seems to warp time and it is hypnotizing. I love it there in March and there is lots of ice this year.

Glad you tried and liked the Alliant BMZ. I can't get anymore locally and will start using up 5 lbs of old 2F BP this year. I may special order more BMZ somewhere, but my dealer will no longer carry any Alliant products at all. He is very angry at Alliant.

Gary

Attached Files

tomme boy posted this 19 March 2014

Make sure to heat cycle it a few times. Some of these new molds from them the pins are moving around a little to seat into the mold. Some were getting off center bullets because of it.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 20 March 2014

Casting with the new Modern Minie was a challenge for me. Pure .999 Lead was used so I started with alloy at 750 degrees and my fastest casting cadence of 4 drops a minute and that would not yield filled out castings. That was frustrating but the classic cold appearance of the bullets convinced me to turn up the pot and get it settled at 775 degrees. I'd never go that hot with an alloy, but that is harmless to pure lead. I re-heated the mold and even heated the hollow base pin for a few seconds with my mini torch. That did it! After 5 casts the job settled well and I was able to cast at 3 drops a minute getting good fill out with just a tiny amount of frost here and there..

Pure lead is the trickiest to cast for many but I learned casting round balls with pure plumber's lead as a small boy and the temperature and rhythm came back like it always does with pure lead. Next time I cast these I will add 1% Tin. That won't appreciably harden the bullets but they will be much easier to cast and that is my recommendation to you if you try this hollow base Modern Minie in 50 Cal. From Lee.

I got decent fill out with pure lead when I adjusted. The bullets measured .499-,501 and were a tiny bit out of round. The bottom of the bullet's hollow base is a generous thickness and should handle load pressures easily without blow out of the skirts. You can also see my bullets did not come out light with .999 pure lead. Now I can't wait to shoot them. Here is some pictures: http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/P3200057_zps59759d33.jpg.html>http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/P3200058_zps46c6ed52.jpg.html>http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/P3200059_zps9ba06eb2.jpg.html>

Attached Files

delmarskid1 posted this 21 March 2014

Those look nice. I wish they made something like that for the .38. I've gone as high as 800 with plain lead but I don't like to do it. Good eye.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 21 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=348>delmarskid1:  Lee makes a terrific tumble lube wad cutter mold in .38.  Maybe you weren't familiar with it, the TL358-148-WC. Here it is:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/918675/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-tl358-148-wc-38-special-357-magnum-38-colt-new-police-38-s-and-w-358-diameter-148-grain-tumble-lube-wadcutter>http://www.midwayusa.com/product/918675/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-tl358-148-wc-38-special-357-magnum-38-colt-new-police-38-s-and-w-358-diameter-148-grain-tumble-lube-wadcutter

In stock 2 cavity mold is $19.99

The 6 cavity mold is in stock at $39,99:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/953713/lee-6-cavity-bullet-mold-tl358-148wc-38-special-357-magnum-38-colt-new-police-38-s-and-w-358-diameter-148-grain-tumble-lube-wadcutter

Gary

Attached Files

delmarskid1 posted this 22 March 2014

I was thinking that the hollow base bullet would be nice to fool with in a .38. I have a friend who loaded the Lee 45 improved round nose minnie in his 1911. I thought he was nuts but he claimed they were okay. He loaded pulled Swedish blank powder in them to boot. I suppose that after disarming boobie traps in Vietnam it seemed tame enough.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 28 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=348>delmarskid1

The 50 Cal Modern Minie does drop big enough for my .500 S&W rifle but I will only try low power loads as the hollow base skirt isn't likely to hold up well with Hodgdon LilGun loads in .500 S&W but light loads with H. TiteGroup will likely be fine for lobbing these big bullets at about 800-1000 fps.

Gary

Attached Files

jhalcott posted this 28 March 2014

I have this mold and wonder how it would work in a Knight model 93 rifle. I have shot a few in the gun at quite low powder charges. Accuracy at 50 yards was NOT one hole but not really bad either. About 2” but lower than I expected on the target as I was shooting off bags. This rifle shoots into 1 to 1 1/2” at 100 yards with Sabots and Pyrodex and .44 caliber bullets. 4x scope!

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 28 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=1251>jhalcott

All of the Minie design bullets depend very much on the charge expanding the hollow base skirt to seal the bore. Light charges with Minie bullets won't seal the skirts upon firing and terrible accuracy results. Pure Soft lead Minie bullets in 50 Cal.  will need an equivalent of about 60 grains 2F BP  or more to expand the skirt and seal the bullet in the bore. Harder alloy bullets will need an even higher charge just to expand the skirt and seal the bore.

All Minie bullets are designed for easy loading and under-bore size, so heavy charges are needed to seal the bore and light charges are not appropriate for this type bullet.

Oddly enough, the Lee R.E.A.L. bullets are designed to work with either light or heavy charges. The R.E.A.L. bullets are not under bore size at all, my 50 cal R.E.A.L. bullets mike at .514” in pure lead. They load fine and are acceptably accurate with light 40 gr charges but really also shoot better with 70+ grains.

Pyrodex pellet charges are not a good selection with Hollow Base Minie bullets. The Pellet powder charges prefer flat base bullets.

If you have been shooting any hollow base Minie with light charges, you are in for a surprise recoil when you load them correctly hot and they seal the bore. They really feel like a big bore rifle recoil when loaded correctly and will thump you smartly.

Your Knight rifle will probably like the Lee Modern Minie when you load to about 85- 95 grains Pyrodex 2F rifle powder or 75-85 grains 3F pistol Pyrodex. Over 100 grains will likely blow out skirts on pure lead Minie Bullets and ruin accuracy. Minie bullets definitely have a window of charges that they will like for accuracy. Your rifle will speak clearly to you on this subject.

Gary

Attached Files

Pigslayer posted this 30 March 2014

I wonder how they would work in my .50 cal flinter?

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 30 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6171>Pigslayer

"I wonder how they would work in my .50 cal flinter?

Pat, I will post as soon as I shoot these from my Lyman Great Plains Rifle. They have cast right up to size .499-.501” in .999 pure lead and will not be loose like the old traditional Lee Minie. I am betting I will have to soap and water swab between shots as this time I only have genuine Black Powder and am out of the Alliant BMZ that worked so well for me in last years Postal Matches.

The skirts on these Modern Minie bullets are nice and thick so I am betting they will need a substantial charge to expand and seal the bore. My first try will be with 75 gr. GOEX FFFG. I have a lot of that and it is all I have right now so I will use it. I know the 3F fouls more than the 2F does so I will take plenty of sweat cloth patches and Mean Green spray cleaner to the range. Of course, I'll take my Asthma inhaler too as I am very sensitive to the sulfur dioxide in the smoke from real BP. I am anxious to get shooting again!!!!

My plan is to fill the hollow base of the Modern Minie with Bore Butter to keep fouling soft. Additionally I have already tumble lubed these bullets with 45:45:10 commercial tumble lube from White Label Lube at:

 http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/order.html

Gary

Attached Files

jhalcott posted this 30 March 2014

I was shooting them with a North/South Skirmisher at the time using the same loads HE was using in HIS gun. I was concerned about the rate of twist and depth of rifling in my gun compared to his! His was an Enfield with a Green Mountain barrel. Set up specifically for N/S shoots. IF it ever stops raining and gets warm, I'll try some 60,70 and 80 grain charges to see how they work. I'd much rather shoot lead in a muzzle loader than Jacketed any way!

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 30 March 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=1251>jhalcott

My opinion is that 60 grains will be marginal with this Minie and may not expand the skirt to seal in the bore even if you are using pure lead. Let us know. It might do, you will feel it in the recoil and maybe the sound.  A sharp crack and a shoulder thump  means it sealed. I have actually heard a hiss boom and had very light recoil when firing old style Minie bullets with a light charge.

This Modern Minie has some weight at 355 grains of lead, when it seals, it is going to thump your shoulder much harder than a round ball does from your rifle.

Gary

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 02 April 2014

The 1:60 twist barrel for my Lyman Great Plains Rifle did not like these bullets with a 75 gr charge of GOEX FFF. I shot 2 targets with 5 shots each at 50 yards.  Results were dismal at 5 and 7 inch groups. The load had manageable recoil and every shot felt good and was aimed well from my rests. Walking up close to see the hits was a disappointment.

I will try my 1:32 twist barrel next with these 355 gr Modern Minie bullets. The faster twist is better matched to the bullet weight and bearing length of the Modern Minie. Hope the faster twist likes the Modern Minie bullets better.

The Modern Minie test shots were fired after 3 shots with patched round balls to see if my sights had moved since last fall. The round balls clover leafed on the target in a less than 1 inch group at 50 yards from my rests.

The 60+ degree break in the weather today was finally good enough to get to the range. There was a lot of melting deep snow and minor flooding.

Gary

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 04 April 2014

The good news is that I found a supplier for the Alliant BMZ substitute powder I like, it is in stock and I have ordered 3 pounds! Even with the Hazmat fee, it was cheaper than my local price check for a special order.

Gary

Attached Files

Bob 11B50 posted this 22 April 2014

Hello Gary, I have really enjoyed your posts for several years now.  I found a copy I'd printed out of your efforts casting pure lead bullets.  I tried your suggestion of “swirl” casting.  I'm not sure that I was doing it right. I used an RCBS dipper and swirled once around in 800* melt then placed the tip not in the sprue pour in hole and tipped it until I got a thin stream going in.  When the hole was filled I turned the mold upright and left a pea sized sprue I was not able to pour very fast this way.   When the sprue set up I then placed the sprue plate on a damp sponge for a count of 3.  The sprue  end pf the bullets came out fine, but I still had some cracks and blemishes on the bullet.   I noticed the melt produced a lot of oxcide or brown powder like dross.  Also lots of blueish to gold colored slag on the dipper. Question is how to get rid of the cracks and blemishes, the brown dust dross and the clumpy slag on the dipper?  I've really enjoyed your posts.  Thanks a lot. Bob 11B50

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 22 April 2014

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=857>Bob 11B50

Bob, you are trying to elegantly make fancy a simple thing.

You will need to practice to build speed. Dropping bullets from the mold 3 times a minute is needed to maintain mold temperature that will end cold wrinkles you are seeing in your bullets.

Your pot temperature for pure lead is good.

Hand pouring using a ladle, you can accomplish Swirl Casting but it takes very concise concentration and looking at what you are doing. Here is some tips:

Make sure your mold and ladle are hot by keeping the ladle in the pot. Just before your first cast warm the mold by closing it and dipping the far edge and cutter plate tip in the melt for 30 seconds. It should brush off easily and clean with a wire brush if it is hot enough. Then you are immediately ready to cast and should start.

Hold the mold with about a 5 degree tilt right or left. Take a ladle full of lead and position the ladle so your flow length from the ladle spout to the gate hole is ½ inch and immediately pour so the stream hits the high side of the slope of the sprue gate hole half way and the hole of the sprue gate halfway. You don't have to pour slowly or fast, it is the aim of the flow, the length of the flow, and the tilt of the mold that is important. Just pour at the speed that you can control the aim.

Keep pouring after the mold is full till you get as large of a sprue puddle as you can possibly balance on the top of the sprue plate. Stop pouring at that point and watch the sprue puddle.

As the metal begins to harden you will see it's texture change with a wave with maybe some crystallization. As this starts, count 5 seconds and then immediately open your sprue plate cutter. Wait another 5 seconds before opening the mold and dropping your bullets onto a dry towel.

Then cast again the same way without pause and keep going till you wish to stop and check bullets. I usually cast 100- 200 bullets before I stop and inspect anything. It is important to keep your rhythm going evenly and drop bullets 3 times a minute to maintain mold temperature.

There is no slag from pure lead. Dross is a grayish powder lead oxide. If you are getting crud other than the powdered oxide, your pot is not holding your metal at 800 degrees and is too low for pure lead. After fluxing and skimming the top of the melt will get a rainbow of very thin oxides, purple and gold are common. if you are getting clumps, turn up the heat and flux and skim again. I use pine sawdust for flux.

You need to find a way to dip your ladle deep into the melt in the pot, hold it there till hot, bring it up and pour off the top oxides in the ladle before pouring into your mold very quickly with clean lead.

These are not easy skills, practice and watch closely what you are doing and speed will gradually come. When you get his practiced and down pat, your bullets will be better than any you have ever seen or bought.

A crusty ladle can only be cleaned effectively when it is extremely hot. I tap the very hot ladle on a steel block and wire brush it very quickly. If the crud didn't come off, it wasn't hot enough.

There is an easy way for beginners to practice controlling the stream from a ladle. Fill the ladle in your pot and pour it back in. Note the angle you have to hold the ladle while pouring that will produce a stream from the ladle that is the same size diameter as the hole in your sprue plate gate hole. this is what you have been calling pouring speed incorrectly. Pour at the speed that accomplishes equal  diameter of flow to the gate hole size. When you get consistent at that you are ready to aim half of the flow into the hole and the other half of the flow onto the high side of the slope of the gate hole. This is what allows air to escape while pouring without gurgling impeding flow and the tilt of the mold begins the physical swirling of the molten metal into the mold. This is actually the essence of Swirl Casting.

Gary

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 22 April 2014

Bob,

more rambling:

You are likely at the point of wondering what the vent lines are for on mold blocks. Vent lines are a machinists invention to pacify casters with poor casting skill. Yes, if you only dump lead into the middle of the gate hole and gurgle it in, you need vent lines for air to escape while casting. However if you cast well using the Swirl Casting method, you will need no vent lines at all.

My first bullet castings as a very small boy were with a mold with no vent lines at all and the guidance of a true master gold caster showing me exactly what Swirl Casting is and how to get no gurgling of metal into the mold by tilting and pouring with a good aim into a sprue hole..

Gary

Attached Files

Bob 11B50 posted this 25 April 2014

Gary, I've been casting since 1958, started with Ideal 457125, still have it and use it. I've used several molds w/o vents with good luck. Guess I need to concentrate more on cleaning my lead and perfecting my pouring technique. I usually flux with pine tree pitch and/or wax candle pieces.

I sure appreciate your assistance!

Bob 11B50

Attached Files

gunrunner2305 posted this 05 December 2014

Gary, Have you ever tried Blackhorn 209 as a replacement for Alliant BMZ. It is not for Flintlock but works in cap guns. Les.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 05 December 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=2181>gunrunner2305

I've never had an inline ML that uses shotgun primers so I haven't used any propellants designed for that kind of ML.

Anyway I have studied about 209 and considered trying it and I think you have it backwards, BMZ to replace your 209 will be an upgrade for you. BMZ is the easiest to ignite substitute and recommended for any type of muzzle loader, even a flinter. BMZ is not sensitive to relative humidity effecting velocity at all and BMZ is completely non corrosive, so a ML can be left uncleaned. BMZ also has the lowest chronographed ES of any ML propellant ever.

BMZ also costs half as much as 209. I don't get BMZ for it's low price, I get it for how it actually performs. I believe that Alliant BMZ obsoletes all other ML propellants available.

Gary

Attached Files

Dirtybore posted this 02 January 2015

My Sharon Gun Barrel Hawken rifle with its 1 in 72 twist bore couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when using the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet. Minnie balls did quite well in my 1861 Colt Special Musket from Colt Black Powder Arms Co. That rifle has 1 in 72 gain twist grooves designed specificaly for the Minnie. The grooves are very wide and quit shallow. They are also deeper at the breech than at the muzzle. I'm using 70 gr a on 2Fg, GOEX under the RCBS 500 gr Minnie. That bullet has a thicker skirt than most of the Lyman Minnie balls.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 02 January 2015

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7944>Dirtybore

The R.E.A.L bullets are very oversize so your barrel will size them loading. If you can't get 1-2” groups at 50 yards even with these bullets your load is likely not powerful enough to obdurate the bullets or too powerful and you are getting gas jetting. Your slow 1:72"  round ball twist will work better with the lighter 250 gr R.E.A.L as this one is a lot closer to a round ball than the 320 grain R.E.A.L..

I get my best accuracy with a 1:60” twist in 50 cal with the lighter R.E.A.L and 70-80 grains powder. lighter or heavier loads don't shoot as accurately. I bet your 1:72” barrel will do about the same with the 250 grainer. After charging, I start 2-.060” fiber wads 1/8” in muzzle add lube in muzzle and load the bullet.

Don't wast your time using an alloy for R.E.A.L. bullets, use pure, soft lead. Harder is much more difficult to load and then they gas jet, wobble in the bore and shoot all over the place.

The heavier 320 gr 50 Cal R.E.A.L. is a very poor match to a 1-72” or 1:60” twist and poor accuracy should be expected regardless of load level.

Gary

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 02 January 2015

My new Flintlock has a smaller 50 Cal bore than my 2 percussion 50 Cal rifles. The Lee Modern Minnie  just drops into those rifles but it won't finger push into the flintlock so the fit is pretty snug. The Modern Minnie may shoot well from the Traditions Frontier Flintlock Kit rifle.

Gary

Attached Files

Longone posted this 02 January 2015

Gary,

I called Lee to find out about the top band dia. and they say it's supposed to be .517” on the mini. Mine was casting small also. When I increased the heat as they suggested the mold was not happy and soon would not close fully.

Needless to say at the smaller diameter shot poorly in my rifle also.

I just stick to the R.E.A.L. mold now when I'm not shooting balls.

Longone

Attached Files

Maven posted this 02 January 2015

"I called Lee to find out about the top band dia. and they say it's supposed to be .517” on the mini. Mine was casting small also. When I increased the heat as they suggested the mold was not happy and soon would not close fully.  Needless to say at the smaller diameter shot poorly in my rifle also.”  ...Longone

Longone, this is good to know as I was giving serious thought to ordering one of those molds.  Btw, my .50cal. Knight Bighorn was not at all happy with either REAL or Lee's traditional .50cal. Minie, (though it does just fine with a T/C Maxi-Ball). Although inconvenient, I found that I could cut group size in half @ 50 yd. if I paper patched both the heavier REAL and traditional Minie.  Just some food for thought....

Attached Files

Longone posted this 02 January 2015

Maven,

When I shoot the R.E.A.L. I use a felt wad over the powder and under the bullet. For me at least they seem to shoot very well out of my T/C 1-48". Longone

Attached Files

Maven posted this 02 January 2015

Longone, Years ago I owned a T/C .45cal. Hawken rifle with a 1:48 twist bbl.  The .45cal. Lee REAL was as accurate as the T/C Maxi-Ball in that bbl. and twist rate.  Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same about “naked” REAL's or Minie's in the Bighorn's 1:28 bbl. (Green Mt.).  Paper patching improved things as I mentioned in my earlier post, but neither the REAL nor the Minie could match the .50cal. T/C Maxi-Balls for consistency or accuracy.

Attached Files

Categories
Search
Popular Tags
This Weeks High Earners
Hot Topics
Close