What's the best way with a .54?

Hello all! New here and trying to learn. I did search around a bit and didn't find exactly what I was looking for.

Working with a .54 Lyman Great Plains Hunter. I am wanting to start casting and would like to be able to properly size my conicals as well.

My question is...What is the best way to measure the bore of a traditional muzzleloader since I can't push a slug all the way through? Can I mic it?

Also, once I have that measurement what is the rule of thumb for conical sizing? Is it .001 under or over bore size (or maybe groove size :veryconfu)?

Thanks a ton for any and all help!!

Pin Gauges to measure bore. Go to a machine shop

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Originally Posted by carbine

Pin Gauges to measure bore. Go to a machine shop

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What's the recommended conical size after I know that number?

Minies are best at .001/2 under bore size. The maxie conical is over sized so when you force it in, it forms to the bore. Paper patched bullets are a whole nother animal. I don't know for them.

A true Minie bullet has a hollow base which will expand into the rifling when fired. A Maxi bullet and some others are oversized to begin with, and are engraved into the rifling when you load them. Your Hunter has fast twist rifling, as I recall, so bullets are the best bet, although patched round balls can be used at low velocity. Don’t overthink this, and go make some smoke.

What ever you shoot make sure to use pure lead and an over powder wad and for a 54 cal use/punch a 56-58 cal wad .Disregard wad for hollow based conicals /Ed

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Welcome to the board ! !

Alternately, the fast twist in your barrel also means you can use any size cast .458" boolit in a .54cal plastic sabot.

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/category/categoryId/3403

Thanks everyone! Think ima going to order a mold from accurate molds and get after it!

Attachment 274016You might look into this bullet. I size to bore size.

If you have a range rod and a screw bullet puller you can load a clean oiled bore and the pull the bullet with your range rod . You can even drill a pilot hole in the bullet to help the screw start.
I always used a screw with a brass collar so it had to center on the ball or bullet. Bring a friend to help :)

That's actually the exact one I was planning to get!

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Originally Posted by onelight

If you have a range rod and a screw bullet puller you can load a clean oiled bore and the pull the bullet with your range rod . You can even drill a pilot hole in the bullet to help the screw start.
I always used a screw with a brass collar so it had to center on the ball or bullet. Bring a friend to help :)

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I might give that a go if I can't find someone locally with pin gauges. Thank you!

Or get a brass rod or steel wrapped with tape that will go down the bore. Something with a little weight. Put it in and then drive in a lead slug. Use the weight of the rod to force it back out.

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Originally Posted by ArkBark36

Hello all! New here and trying to learn. I did search around a bit and didn't find exactly what I was looking for.

Working with a .54 Lyman Great Plains Hunter. I am wanting to start casting and would like to be able to properly size my conicals as well.

My question is...What is the best way to measure the bore of a traditional muzzleloader since I can't push a slug all the way through? Can I mic it?

Also, once I have that measurement what is the rule of thumb for conical sizing? Is it .001 under or over bore size (or maybe groove size :veryconfu)?

Thanks a ton for any and all help!!

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mykeal posted how the best way to measure a bore is to use the "chamber casting alloy" now sold by Rotometals that used to be known as Cerrosafe and sold by Brownells.
The chamber casting alloy melts at 158 - 190 degrees F and provides a perfect cast of the bore within the published times listed on its product page.
The alloy costs $9 per pound: --->>> https://www.rotometals.com/chamber-c...-low-158-190f/

Here's the procedure:

"Brownell's sells a product name Cerrosafe. It melts at 160 degrees f, so put some water in a saucepan and bring it to a low boil; cut off some Cerrosafe with a hacksaw and put it in another pot, set that pot in the boiling water and let it melt. While it's melting, wad up some paper towel to make a plug for the bore; pierce the plug with a long piece of stiff wire and put a 'J' hook on the end. Pull the wire back through so that the hook is pulled back into the plug. Put the plug in the barrel, pushing it down about 4 inches. When the Cerrosafe is melted, pour it in the bore; about two or two and a half inches is all you need. Let it cool. Cerrosafe will expand to fill the bore as a liquid, and then shrink when cooling to allow you to pull the plug from the barrel; after 60 minutes it expands back to exactly the bore dimensions so you can easily measure it. It's resusable, so a half pound brick lasts forever.

Thousands of people have been using Cerrosafe for many years in determining muzzleloader bore dimensions. It's safe, easy and cheap. And no need to pull the breech plug."

Not saying this is the best way but an egg sinking with the hole enlarged for a bolt or threated round works well. Depending on the egg sinker size you can tap it in and pull it back out or you can use the egg sinker between two nuts and squeeze it up.

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Originally Posted by mooman76

Or get a brass rod or steel wrapped with tape that will go down the bore. Something with a little weight. Put it in and then drive in a lead slug. Use the weight of the rod to force it back out.

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This would probably work quite well with a soft lead slug. When I have slugged rifles I noticed that it is quite easy to push a soft lead slug out with a cleaning rod. So that brass rod would pop the slug out easily with a 24" or so run to gain inertia when you invert the muzzle.

To the OP,
The gun you have will/should shoot well with the following molds from Lee, I have used them both in the Lyman GPH fast twist and a Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken .54 rifle with slow twist, in the Pedersoli the R.E.A.L. shot very well if a lubed fiber wad was used under the bullet (28 gauge wad was used), in the Lyman both shot well but again best results came from R.E.A.L. with a wad and the improved (Lee's words) Minie shot well with mid level loads (2" at 100 yds), 3F GOEX OE powder was used and 3F Swiss (peppy), bullets lubed with 50/50 mix of bees wax and lard. No need to chase your tail over molds, Lee are not expensive.
Lee MOLD 540-415-M and Lee MOLD D C 54CAL-300