Sizing a .72 cal cast bp projectile

[mekaerwin]

I've recently purchased a .72 cal black powder rifle and I am planning on casting the bullets for it but, as you might imagine, I'm finding it hard to find something to size the cast bullet with. This is my first go at casting my own. Any suggestions on how to go about sizing it would be appreciated. I've checked the manufacturers I can find and none seem to have anything that big. I'm not sure the lube-a-sizer opening would accept a die that big. I appreciate any help.

[ShooterAZ]

Buy a tapered design mold, and don't worry about sizing. Check out Accurate Molds website, they may have what you need.

[mdi]

Is your gun a muzzle loader? If so won't you be patching it?

[mekaerwin]

The gun is a muzzle loader but the bullets I'm looking to cast are minnie's. I suppose I could patch them. Like I said, this is my first go casting and I'm learning as I run, so I thought sizing was important. I guess it's unnecessary on bp bullets? The mold's listed size is right at .72 instead of .715 for the round ball.

[rwadley]

Minie bullets are typically not sized or patched. They are generally smaller in diameter and have a hollow base that obturates to the diameter needed when fired. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini%C3%A9_ball

[mekaerwin]

yes, they are supposed to be undersized, easy to push down and all, but the mold is listing a diameter that is the same as the bore. I haven't received either but I thought that the minnie would have to be slightly smaller than the bore like the round ball is. I may have to just wait and cast and see.

[runfiverun]

never mind what the mold say's measure what it does.

anyway your not gonna find a sizer for your lyman/rcbs/star the dies are only .750 on the outside at the biggest point anyway.
and even the LEE push through dies screw into a 7/8 hole.

I would look on a specialty site or go to the black powder section here and see what they are doing.
I'm sure some of them are sizing for effect.

[Cheshire Dave]

I don't think you will need to size them. They will be sized by the rifling as you load them will your short starter. My 54 Minnie sizes down as you start it into bore. Then the hollow skirt expands to fit groove diameter. Lee's REAL are called that for Rifling Engaged As Loaded. Or something like that. Have fun with your new gun.

[Nobade]

Just curious, you're not planning on shooting those in a Pedersoli double are you?

-Nobade

[mekaerwin]

Thanks for all the advice. I think, as someone else suggested, I was overthinking the problem. I've shot balls before, but never minnies and never cast them myself. I guess I just assumed it would be like casting for cartridge firearms. I always worry before I start something that I'll forget a part or start off wrong so I've been looking a little too hard at it I guess.

Nobade, yes, it's for a Safari Express, the .72 cal Kodiak that Pedersoli makes. And as I'm writing this I check your name, see a post you just made, and now wonder if I need to be switching to a ball mold. I guess it really is good I ask, even if it lead me to a totally different answer. What mold material would you recommend for a first timer, aluminum, iron...? How hard was it to regulate your loads. What kind of groups can you achieve. I've been trying for a while to find someone with one of these other than a salesman who had some info! Do you get better accuracy with your wheel weight or pure lead. I have seen many things that advise against any alloy other than pure lead.

[runfiverun]

you use the alloy to change the dimension of the boolit.
some use pure some use some tin and some go all the way to ww alloy, as you get bigger you get a better fit.
so once again it depends on your barrel and mold interplay.

as to the ball versus anything else the twist rate of the barrel is gonna have something to say about it, and your powder load [speed] is also going to influence the stability and point of impact.

[Nobade]

Nobade, yes, it's for a Safari Express, the .72 cal Kodiak that Pedersoli makes. And as I'm writing this I check your name, see a post you just made, and now wonder if I need to be switching to a ball mold. I guess it really is good I ask, even if it lead me to a totally different answer. What mold material would you recommend for a first timer, aluminum, iron...? How hard was it to regulate your loads. What kind of groups can you achieve. I've been trying for a while to find someone with one of these other than a salesman who had some info! Do you get better accuracy with your wheel weight or pure lead. I have seen many things that advise against any alloy other than pure lead.

I have been using an iron Lyman mould, .715" for mine. It works just fine, very easy to cast with. I am sure the aluminum ones would work well also, I just got this one since they are commonly available and fairly inexpensive. I got very lucky with this rifle, in that it was regulated well from the factory. I only use one of the two rear sights, each individual barrel will keep shots touching at 100 yards and the two barrels print within two inches of each other. This is with a 5 1/2 dram load of 2F powder. Much less than that and it doesn't regulate well and accuracy falls off. I use striped pillow ticking for patches, moistened with ballistol/water mix and that allows all the shooting I desire without having to wipe the bores. (had to swab between shots for bullets). Accuracy with wheelweights and lead is similar, with the edge going to the wheelweights. They don't deform as much when loading. They do weigh a bit less and don't hit to exactly the same point of aim but plenty close. As for different alloys, it all depends on size. If your ball/patch combo is right you can use extremely hard balls. If it's too tight you can't load it. Neat rifles, hope you enjoy yours. You may end up learning to make gunpowder though, they sure use a lot of it!

-Nobade

[mekaerwin]

Thanks for all the info. From what I've been able to find it seems like others are having to go with higher than the factory max recommended loads for these guns to get them to regulate well. Factory lists 120 grains as max and 5 1/2 drams (150 gr) is about what I've seen else where from users. Any pointers on where to go for good information about working up a regulated load?

[dondiego]

You are going to need to keep your lead and your mold HOT in order to cast good boolits. That is a big one! I usually find voids in the base cavity until everything is good and hot. You might get better results with a ladle.

[Nobade]

Thanks for all the info. From what I've been able to find it seems like others are having to go with higher than the factory max recommended loads for these guns to get them to regulate well. Factory lists 120 grains as max and 5 1/2 drams (150 gr) is about what I've seen else where from users. Any pointers on where to go for good information about working up a regulated load?


Just shoot it and see what works. It's built like a tank, you're not going to hurt it with any reasonable load

-Nobade