anybody shoot lee bp boolits?

[XWrench3]

i have had my eye on a lee improved minie mold (500-360) for a while. i have only shot a few soft bullets out of my muzzle loader (hornady great plains). i usually shoot "j" sabots, for hunting, as i want the speed / flat shooting. the great plains bullets seem to shoot fine other than hitting several inches lower than what i have the scope set at. i have been wanting to shoot this more, but i do not want to buy projectiles, when i have everything to make them except the mold already. so i am wondering how well these shoot, and what you use for boolit lube? also, what do you think about using w.w. alloy for target practice?

[jhalcott]

The lower hitting MAY be from the higher velocity(getting out the muzzle before it rises as much as with slower bullets. In MY muzzle loaders I only use pure lead bullets that I cast. Either round balls or Minis. Most of the lube I use is made by a NSSA member that is composed of sheep fat and some thing else(?). He makes a big batch and sells what he thinks is over HIS needs. All I know is it works.

[Maven]

XW3, As with other CB designs, the results depend on how well the bullet fits your bbl., how fast you drive it and which lube you use. I acquired one of the Lee Improved Minie molds several years ago. Although it cast "pure" Pb very well, its droppings were a trifle too small for my bore (I was using Pyro. RS and Wano FFg at the time.), which made the first shot or two easy to load, but accuracy was only fair. Switching to WW's + 1% Sn made them more difficult to start and ram home, but no more accurate than their Pb brethren. Btw, since I was using BP and Pyrodex, I used one of the yellow BP lubes on the body. Filling the cavity with it changed the point of impact though. Although you didn't ask about other molds, I'd recommend the T/C Maxi-Ball mold(nominally 370gr.)*, as they cast large enough with Pb to fit most .50cal. bbls. and can be quite accurate.


*The Lyman Maxi-Ball molds are another option, but the one that I recently sold cast too small. Another one, which I borrowed, cast a bit larger (and heavier 379gr. v. 370gr.) projectiles.

[sqlbullet]

I recently acquired a Austing & Halleck inline in 50 caliber, and ordered a Lee 320 gr REAL mold. I have not yet had a chance to try it out. Maybe this Saturday.

[Harter66]

I like the Maxi-balls too. I've shot them with good result in 2 .50 Hawkens and .50 and .54 inlines.

I've used my variation of Darrs lube and the commercial Bore Butter, I don't normaly shoot over 10 shots with the MLs in a setting ,but I didn't see any major difference in the 2. I've shot both over 777 ,pyrodex,and some Black.

With the PRB I can't see too much issue with harder alloys , I saw in here someone talking zinc even,the maxi's could be tough to get down a bore if cast too hard dead soft or I think the last I cast was 1-20 which is about as soft are easy loading to maybe the 5th shot.I believe the BP manuals all say pure lead only.

[stubshaft]

I cast a bunch of them out of pure lead and shot them out of a CVA hawken. I used Bore Butter smeared on the outside for loob. They are accurate but you have to keep the velocity low. When driven too hard the skirt blows open. I have had better luck.accuracy with Maxi-hunters and REAL's.

[XWrench3]

When driven too hard the skirt blows open.
thanks, that is the kind of info i need. i can not be having that! i do not like the r.e.a.l. design, so i guess i will have to keep looking. is the maxi-ball a hollow base design? not that i am stuck on that, i just want something that will seal up well. preferably with w.w. alloy. (because it is my most plentiful source) for hunting, i will still be using the sabot j bullets. i am just looking for something to plink with.

[Maven]

XW3, Maxi-Balls have a flat base. Also, I tried casting (and shooting) some of WW's, hoping they'd fit my bore better. Improvement, if that's the correct term, was minimal at best, but they were harder to start and seat. Accuracy was also not as good as those cast from Pb from the same mold.

[frkelly74]

Yes I have a mold and have cast some of the improved mini but have not sent many down range yet. I am open to trading some of them if you want to try them. Pm me sometime.

[blaster]

I use the 320 REAL. It is about as accurate the powebelts I had been using. WW is out of the question for the REAL. With soft lead a starter is basically necessary and a mallet is nice for extended range sessions.

[songdog53]

Have used mini out of White Mountain Carbin back when was shooting deer with it. Lubed it with Bolit Butter and found them better for me than Sabot loads. Plus makes one rather nasty hole going in and worst coming out.