NOE Pritchett bullets worked great!

[Nobade]

In addition to the inline rifle, I got to shoot my little Enfield "musketoon" today with the NOE Pritchett bullets. Cast out of stick on wheelweights, patched with 9# onionskin paper, and dip lubed in Gatofeo#1 (thanks RFD!). Loaded over 70gr. homemade powder, they put 5 into one hole at 50 yards and held about 3 inches at 100. I could get 10 shots in before I had to wipe the bore, about like grooved minie's. But much more accurate than anything I had tried previously. Plus it's fun to have the correct bullet for this rifle.

-Nobade

[DeadWoodDan]

Nobade,
can you post any pics of that booli?

[Nobade]

Sure, at some point. I'll see about doing that next time I get out to the shop. In the meantime, here's a link to NOE's drawing of it. I have the .566 one, but they look the same.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/N_O_E__Mold_550-Enfield_Pritchet_HB_536_gr_Sketch.jpg

-Nobade

[dromia]

I am pleased that they delivered the promise I'd hoped for, for you.

[johnson1942]

man you are in a good groove, keep it up.

[Good Cheer]

All right!
Man, I gotta time for that musketoon.

[Nobade]

I am pleased that they delivered the promise I'd hoped for, for you.

Yep, they work great. I need to make up some cartridges at some point to learn how to do that, but the bullets themselves are everything I had hoped they'd be. I appreciate your ramrodding that project and getting Al to make those moulds, it wouldn't have happened without you!

-Nobade

[HPT]

Yep, they work great. I need to make up some cartridges at some point to learn how to do that, but the bullets themselves are everything I had hoped they'd be. I appreciate your ramrodding that project and getting Al to make those moulds, it wouldn't have happened without you!

-Nobade

Look up "britishmuzzleloaders" on Youtube lots of videos

[dromia]

Yep, they work great. I need to make up some cartridges at some point to learn how to do that,

-Nobade

This is my take on making Pritchett cartridges;

http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22251

[LIMPINGJ]

I have a P&H Musketoon also and looked on the NOE site about this boolit. They show two sizes .566 and .550 with only the .550 in stock. Why the two sizes for the Enfields?

[dromia]

Because there were two sizes of Pritchett bullets used in the Enfields, initially they used 0.568" then latterly they moved over to a 0.550".

[LIMPINGJ]

Thanks for explaining the reason for the two diameters. Because they went to the smaller diameter would I be wrong in thinking that they found it more accurate? Since NOE only has the smaller diameter in stock I guess I will just have to go with it. Any suggestions as to what paper will get me to the correct diameter?
Thanks again.

[dromia]

They went to the smaller bullet because it was at least as accurate, if not more accurate.

The bullet does however benefit from using the plug.

I'm not sure what you are asking in relation to paper and the correct diameter.

I use the same tracing vellum that I use with 0.566" and 0.564" Pritchetts, these cartridges were designed to be well under bore diameter for ease of loading in fouled bores, they are more cartridges than conventional paper patched bullets so wrapping them to bore size for example completely defeats the point of sub calibre bullet.

However if you wish to paper patch to bore size then you will need to measure the bore size of your gun and take it from there.

[LIMPINGJ]

I was thinking you were making the paper cartridge close to bore diameter like a paper patch boolit. About what diameter is your finisher paper cartridge? I will include the base plug mold along with my order for the mold. I will also read your link on how you make your paper cartridges.

[Good Cheer]

With 0.550" diameter, does anyone know the patched diameter that was used?
I would presume the bores were the standardized .577". Was wondering how much less in diameter the patched diameter was.

[dromia]

As far as I know the paper thickness was not changed over the life of the cartridge's development.

So if the original bullet was 0.568" and the final bullet was 0.550" and the original paper thickness remained the same the the latter cartridge would 0.018" smaller than the original.

[Good Cheer]

To borrow a saying from an old friend, that just blows my mind.
Having a hollow based bullet expand that much to seal off and still come close to anything other than the bayonet... wow!

[RhodeHunter]

Ha. I'm guessing you don't need a scale on your ramrod to seat those puppies.

[Newtire]

If it's such a loose fit, how does nose not point down without paper patching up to fit the bore? Gotta be something I'm missing here...

[dromia]

It may do, but it seems to set itself up OK upon firing.

The progressive depth rifling that these rounds were fired from could also help in getting good barrel/bullet alignment.

[HPT]

Anyone consider a 3/8" tapered oak plug (available at hardware stores) as a base plug? I was thinking of Modifying a smaller Lee minie mold into a PP pritchet mold. I'll pick up some plugs & measure them guessing they'll be larger than 3/8" at larger end

Waiting for a "new to me" Parker Hale P53 (England) - supposedly in very good plus condition - paid $595 Canadian

[dromia]

I have never found off the shelf plugs that fit any of my Pritchet cavities well.

If you can make a suitable base plug for them then no reason why they should not provided the skirt isn't too thin.

[Good Cheer]

Is there a curable substance that can be poured into the base cavity to make a workable "plug"?
Some GE silicone potting compound from the 1960's comes to mind...

[dromia]

I use Milliput with the NOE Plug Mould.

The plug should be a little proud of the base so that as it moves forward under pressure it widens the base of the skirt, I have had skirt separation with plugs flush or inside the base.

The Plugs should also be free to move so anything poured into the cavity should not adhere to the sides.

[fgd135]

Is there a curable substance that can be poured into the base cavity to make a workable "plug"?
Some GE silicone potting compound from the 1960's comes to mind...

I'm using "Sculpey" bakeable modeling clay in my NOE plug mold. Very cheap and easy--roll out the clay into the mold with an old rolling pin, use a soft scraper to scrape away excess, then bake the mold in a 275 degree oven for 15 minutes. The finished plugs pop right out after a couple of minutes of cooling. And they are very hard-- I pounded on some with a hammer, no shattering, chipping, or compression failures. Use them with my .566 NOE Pritchetts, which are wrapped with 9# paper to .574".
A pound of Sculpey clay makes many hundreds of plugs.

[LIMPINGJ]

I used NOE's recent discount code to order the .550 Pritchet, Al was out of yet base plug mold for this one. Does anyone have some of the base plugs they could send me so I can try to come up with some way to make them till Al gets the base plug mold back in stock? PM me your address so I can pay you for them. Thanks.

[LIMPINGJ]

Today I got to try my .550 mold, it was still somewhat cool after the storms and tornadoes on Saturday and the wife was gone so a perfect day to cast. I had taken the mold apart for a thorough cleaning and had it heating on the hot plate while waiting for the pot of roof flashing to melt. With my NOE hollow base mold for my 50-70 it started casting perfect boolits after just a few cast. I do not know if it is the deeper hollow base or trying to use pure lead but I didn't get a single good boolit. I tried increasing the temp even adding a little tin, nothing worked. It was difficult to get the boolits to release from the pins and when they did they went back in the pot because of flaws. I think I will disassemble the mold again for another cleaning and may try to polish the pins. If the pure lead will not cast good I will try the 30-1 I have for BPCR use. Anyone got any ideas for other things to try?
Thanks

[Nobade]

Might try smoking the pin after you polish it. Sometimes that works. Also keeping the pour going for a while after the cavity is full sometimes helps as well.

-Nobade

[LIMPINGJ]

I'll try the smoked pin next time. I ladle pour and did try keeping the pour going, even tried pouring the whole Rowell #2 ladle in each cavity but no help. One side of the cast looked good but there would be a flaw on the other side, happened on every one.

[enfield]

I also had problems getting the bullet off the pins. It helped a lot by spinning the pin in a drill and using crocus cloth to polish them. Has anyone found that pure lead releases better that wheel weight or was that a coincidence.