Lee improved mini ball

[54bore]

Anyone have experience with these in .54 cal or any other? I added this mold to my collection as something new to play around with, I shot some this morning out of my renegade using ox yoke wonder wads over the powder, 100 grains of goex 2f, I wasn't none impressed with them at least thus far, the TC maxi balls are dead ringers with the same load as above minus the wonder wads. Is there a trick to making them work? With the TC maxi balls and Maxi hunters I have plenty of good bullet options that shoot good so I'm worried if they won't shoot, only out 25 bucks for the Lee 2 cavity mold, just something else to play around with.

[mooman76]

Not in the 54 but I have tried them in a couple 50s. Not impressed either. They don't go down easy after the first shot so I might as well be shooting a maxi. They did shoot good enough for minute of deer though. It's my understanding the gun needs to have rifling done for a mini like shallow grooves.

[idahoron]

I bought one to test. It throws out at .533 my idea was to wrap it twice with 9# onion skin paper and shoot them, but I never got the chance. I sold the gun the mould and the paper all in one shot. If you have the .533 I can see why they didn't do well for you.

[koehlerrk]

Have the 50 cal mold... don't care for it, but the Lee Real... now that's a nice bullet in my Hawken, but the old lady much prefers a PRB. I can get a five round three inch group at 100 yards with the original iron sights... and I suck with irons. The gun is likely capable of much better, but I refuse to drill her for a scope.

[mooman76]

They make scope mounts that clamp on the flats rather than drilling if you can find them.

[54bore]

I bought one to test. It throws out at .533 my idea was to wrap it twice with 9# onion skin paper and shoot them, but I never got the chance. I sold the gun the mould and the paper all in one shot. If you have the .533 I can see why they didn't do well for you.

Mine is the 540-415, I did some reading before I bought the mold and decided against the .533 and went with the larger of the 2, maybe I was having an off day? My shots felt really good tho, 55 yards to be exact with my range finder, first shot was 3-4 inches to the left, next shot was roughly the same 3-4 inches but directly under the bull, 3rd shot was an inch or so from the second so I loaded up again in hopes the 4th would follow the 2nd and 3rd but it ended up to the right of the bull a few inches. Basically all over the board

[curator]

Minie bullets are designed to work well with very shallow rifling--like .003-.004 deep. T/C barrels have deeper rifling that works well with patched round ball or "maxi" bullets that engrave on their top band. Maxi bullets usually need a wad of some kind underneath them to reduce gas leakage when fired. Minie bullets are expected to have the hollow base expand and seal the rifling. Wads loaded under a minie bullet will jam into the base and negatively affect accuracy. I have had moderate success using the Lee modern minie bullet in several rifles with relatively deep rifling by loading a "half-measure" of cream of wheat on top of the charge. (i.e.: 40 grains of COW with an 80 grain charge) Upon firing, the COW compacts and seals off the bore while jamming into the hollow base and forcing expansion. While some of the COW does stay with the bullet on its flight downrange, it does not damage accuracy like a stuck wad. To get top accuracy you do need to work up a load varying both powder charge and COW filler amounts. If you read some of my other posts, I sound like a Cream of Wheat sales rep. I am surprised that more black powder/muzzle loader shooters don't know of or take advantage of this very useful and inexpensive ballistic filler.

[54bore]

Minie bullets are designed to work well with very shallow rifling--like .003-.004 deep. T/C barrels have deeper rifling that works well with patched round ball or "maxi" bullets that engrave on their top band. Maxi bullets usually need a wad of some kind underneath them to reduce gas leakage when fired. Minie bullets are expected to have the hollow base expand and seal the rifling. Wads loaded under a minie bullet will jam into the base and negatively affect accuracy. I have had moderate success using the Lee modern minie bullet in several rifles with relatively deep rifling by loading a "half-measure" of cream of wheat on top of the charge. (i.e.: 40 grains of COW with an 80 grain charge) Upon firing, the COW compacts and seals off the bore while jamming into the hollow base and forcing expansion. While some of the COW does stay with the bullet on its flight downrange, it does not damage accuracy like a stuck wad. To get top accuracy you do need to work up a load varying both powder charge and COW filler amounts. If you read some of my other posts, I sound like a Cream of Wheat sales rep. I am surprised that more black powder/muzzle loader shooters don't know of or take advantage of this very useful and inexpensive ballistic filler.

The cream of wheat is interesting! I am just about to start patterning a 12 gauge muzzleloader, one of the articles I read that made good sense uses corn meal muffin mix in the lead shot to cushion it, it's not like I don't already have enough gear to carry around, might as well add some muffin mix and cream of wheat! If there's one thing I've learned in my very short experience with muzzleloaders is they take a substantial amount of gear, I might should look in to a good stout wheel barrow

[Newtire]

I had about same accuracy as other Minie moulds give in .58 Zouave replica. I'm thinking 100 grains is too much for a Minie? Anything over 80 gr. volume MZ black and accuracy went away.

80 gr. MZ black is about like 60 gr. real black, alot less enrgetic-just about opposite of the way you think of 777 and real black.

[Geezer in NH]

I would drop the wads over the powder. A HB Minnie is supposed to expand from the powder gas. The wads will screw that up and possibly stick to the cavity screwing up accuracy.

[Newtire]

I would drop the wads over the powder. A HB Minnie is supposed to expand from the powder gas. The wads will screw that up and possibly stick to the cavity screwing up accuracy.

+1 on what Geezer says. Didn't see that part about using a wad. Don't think that is going to work either. One thing for sure, it won't shoot unless it fits. I Beagled mine & got it to work in my .58 Zouave.

[Newtire]

Latest improvement in fit was brought about using powder coat on the Minie ball.

I still put lube on the outside of the boolit but it did improve the fit to the bore and accuracy was pretty good if you ask me. To my way of thinking, 2" @ 50 yards with one of the Zouaves is nothing to cry about.

[Nobade]

I tried the Lee minie' in my rifled muskets and it was pretty bad. Not sure why, they look fine and fit is good. But they don't shoot. The Lyman old style and the RCBS and lately the NOE Pritchett bullets are all accurate and work very well. I gave up on the Lee.

-Nobade

[True.grit]

Your using way to much powder for a minni. I found descent accuracy with 50 grains 2f black powder. After that forget it is more of a shotgun pattern. The skirt I think starts to deteriorate with more than 50 grains. I keep one for a follow up shot when hunting. Very quick to load and you don't need a wad.

[jjarrell]

Ive tried them out of my .50. They gave me about 4"groups at 50 yds w/90gr Goex. I didn't play with them much though. I might have been able to tighten it up some. I am partial to round balls and always go with them. Only time I went with conicals I didn't pull the trigger while I was out. Now Im superstitious.

[Fastleo]

Lots of good info here