Solved enfield 2 band accuracy issues

[jonk]

Hi all,

So in my "exhaustive minie/lube tests" thread, I reported that my Euroarms .58 Enfield just wasn't shooting like it should- using a powder/bullet combo that in the past had worked fine.

So I took it back out yesterday. I had 2 bullets- a wadcutter that measures .577 and the previously problematic Lyman 575.

The wadcutter shot great at 50 yards, using 60 gr of FFG and bore butter as lube. The conical minie however kept doing poorly. Finally, after hearing the conical hiss a few times, I got the idea that it might not be obdurating properly.

I then tried 55 gr of FFFG that I usually use in my .45 flintlock.

Guess what, problem solved! No more strange hissing as the bullet traveled down the barrel, accuracy returned to about 3" at 50 yards.

I think that what happened is that the 2FG load that worked fine in the 95 degree August heat just wasn't igniting fast enough to expand the minie in the freezing cold 30 degree November air, not with the .575 diameter conical- but it DID ignite fast enough to seal the .577 wadcutter. Whereas the FFFG DID ignite fast enough to seal the conical to the bore.

Whatever. It's fine with me. I have plenty of FFFG on hand so I'll shoot that while hunting. Suffice to say, with that bullet, lube didn't matter, but powder granulation did.

[Rattus58]

Just curious... when you lubed your bullets, did you lube the base of the minie as well?

Aloha... :cool:

[jonk]

Yeah, I lubed the minie base and rubbed a film on the sides to ease going down the bore.

[Rattus58]

Personally I think that helps a lot in spreading them skirts.... :grin:

Aloha.. :cool:

[Freightman]

I have a Zouave 58 and have a Lyman HB 500g boolit and found that a mixture 50/50 of lard and bees wax fill up the cavity and just wiped my fingers off on sides give me the best accuracy.

[shooter575]

Minnes for best accuracy need to be .001-.002 under bore size.I have not seen a rifled musket that will not shoot a ashcan pretty good @ 50 yd if it fits. The Lee or Rapine model.But they do not do as well @ 100. You can use fff insted of ff.Typicaly fff - 10% should be about same point of impact as ff. Most C/W muskets made of late seem to have bore sizes of around .578-.582. Your mould selection get real slim over .578 Rapine makes the bigest selection of the OS ones.But they are getting pricey... @ a C note.

[charger 1]

Heres three at 60. I'm not very happy with the paper the young girl used at the print shop this time. It doesnt punch, it tears. But anyway thats the PH musketoon and lymans 577611 with that concoction lube I made and 82 grains of goex. I black out the centers with marker so as to do a 6 oclock hold. Mirage up here is wild with two feet of white.So if I dont black it out the 89 black ring dances all over the paper
http://usera.imagecave.com/chargerdive/HPIM1038.JPG

[shooter575]

Charger! You need to use a cardboard backer on that paper.Then use a contrasting color backer for pics.
Here is a group with my 1855 rifle. 7 land,Harmon barrel .576 bore shooting a RCBS Hodgen minne 478 gr using 43 gr fff Goex @ 50 yd. I was just working up a load for this minne when I took the pic a few years ago.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/shooter575/MVC-007F.jpg

[charger 1]

Charger! You need to use a cardboard backer on that paper.

]

No I just gotta get some made from the paper she uses normally. Its like a thin cardboard and punches like a cookie cutter hit it....Oh well. hard to get mad at a kid trying

[Ljutic SS]

Minnes for best accuracy need to be .001-.002 under bore size.I have not seen a rifled musket that will not shoot a ashcan pretty good @ 50 yd if it fits. The Lee or Rapine model.But they do not do as well @ 100. You can use fff insted of ff.Typicaly fff - 10% should be about same point of impact as ff. Most C/W muskets made of late seem to have bore sizes of around .578-.582. Your mould selection get real slim over .578 Rapine makes the bigest selection of the OS ones.But they are getting pricey... @ a C note.

I think you might be a little off on the price of a Rapine mold at a C note. I was told today by another shooter that he is getting $140 now.

[shooter575]

Ouch.Yah it figures.Darn I will need to adjust my estate numbers now!I do know that some of his popular solid base mold are now two cavity and jumped to that century price.That was as of May when I saw him last.