1861 Springfield

[Mark Daiute]

I'm looking for loads for my 1861 Springfield. I just had it relined by Bobby Hoyt and it's just come home. I have lubed up some minnieballs with black gold using my lubrisizer. 70 grains FFg seemed pretty hot and did not group well 650 grains worked pretty nicely and showed promise. I'm looking to the experienced Rifled musket shooters for advice.

Thanks,

Mark

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Many competitive shooters in the N-SSA. org shoot 2 or 3 F charges in the 35 to 50 grain range with the standard minies or some of the modern target style minies. BvT

[opentop]

The original charge during the Civil war was 65 Grains of black powder. Now, some others here will be able to tell you waht current powder offerings are the closest to 1861 powder.

[59sharps]

hodgens minnie w/ 38 of 3fffg swiss or 42 of 3fffg goex. works best for mine

[oldhickory]

I've tried a lot of boolits, new and old in rifle muskets over the years and always find the Lyman 575213OS, (pure lead) to be my old stand-by. Sized to .001" under bore dia. and lubed with nothing but good old bees wax and crisco mix. Between 45-55gr. of FFFg will net me around 1-1.5" groups off the bench at 100yds. from just about any rifle musket I care to shoot that day.


The off hand shooting is a matter of practice! Good luck!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Those "others" that tell you that 65 grains was the charge are right. Except that during the whole war the Union quartermasters fought with suppliers over the crummy powder of widely varying strength and quality the various contractors loaded into the issue musket cartridges. So it was really "65 grains of what"? BvT

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Another aspect of the Cival War charge is that there was not a concern for absolute best accuracy but to fire at a mass of men standing in rows two at a max range of about 100 yards. One shot would complete penetrate one man and seriously injure the fellow standing behind. But yes the powder of that day was not what we take for granted today.
You just have to shoot the rifle and find out what load is more accurate. I found with my Zuoave a patched RB at 85 grains 2Fwas the MOST accurate of all.