What is the best best Minie' ball mold for live firing of Pedersoli 1861 Springfield?

[mrappe]

I just got a new Pedersoli 1861 Springfield and while I do reenacting also ,my primary hobby for the past 23 years is Cowboy Action Shooting which is using live ammo. I do reloading and have cast round balls for my cap and ball pistols. I have never shot a musket with live ammo so if I buy any gun even for reenacting I would also like to shoot it at the shooting range with authentic type Minie' balls. I was wondering which bullet molds and sizers would be best for this particular manufacturer's barrel .
Thank you,
Mike

[bedbugbilly]

I've never shot a Pedersoli 1861 but have shot many 58 caliber rifled muskets - both originals and reproductions.

There are a variety of molds out there. IMHO, you you are looking for "authentic", then I'd suggest a Lyman/Ideal 575-213 OS (old style). There are two styles of the 575-213 mold - the old style and the new style which IIRC throws a 505 grain (new style). Both will shoot equally as well out of a rifled musket with a load of 60 grains of 2F BP. You don't need to grease the grooves - just smear a finger of crisco in the base - that method of lubing them has been used for years and I've shot tens of thousands of 'em that way.

I don't know what your bore will measure but my 575-213 molds drop right at .575. The minie ball needs to glide down the barrel - mine have are about .002 undersize of the bore - and the expansion of the skirt when the musket is fired will grip the rifling. If you end up needing a sizer - check with Lodgewood Mfg.

Service load for a .58 rifled musket was 60 grains 2F at the beginning of the war and 65 grains at the end of the war. There are also a number of smaller grain weight semi-wad cutters - Lyman/Ideal, RCBS, Ohaus - same thing, smear crisco in the base but use a lighter charge with them. I normally use about 40 grains of 2F with those.

A new Lyman 575-213 Minie Ball mold will cost you around $75 or so from most suppliers. Used ones can be purchased for less than that if you keep your eyes open on flea-bay. Lee makes a mold which will be cheaper. I much prefer the steel molds like Lyman/Ideal as when once heated up, the base pin forming the hollow base retains temperature if you get your molding cadence going. But, that's just my preference as I've been using that mold for 55 years. Others may prefer an aluminum mold such as a Lee.

Enjoy and have fun - the 1861 pattern rifled musket has always been my favorite - just so graceful looking!

[Eddie Southgate]

I've never shot a Pedersoli 1861 but have shot many 58 caliber rifled muskets - both originals and reproductions.

There are a variety of molds out there. IMHO, you you are looking for "authentic", then I'd suggest a Lyman/Ideal 575-213 OS (old style). There are two styles of the 575-213 mold - the old style and the new style which IIRC throws a 505 grain (new style). Both will shoot equally as well out of a rifled musket with a load of 60 grains of 2F BP. You don't need to grease the grooves - just smear a finger of crisco in the base - that method of lubing them has been used for years and I've shot tens of thousands of 'em that way.

I don't know what your bore will measure but my 575-213 molds drop right at .575. The minie ball needs to glide down the barrel - mine have are about .002 undersize of the bore - and the expansion of the skirt when the musket is fired will grip the rifling. If you end up needing a sizer - check with Lodgewood Mfg.

Service load for a .58 rifled musket was 60 grains 2F at the beginning of the war and 65 grains at the end of the war. There are also a number of smaller grain weight semi-wad cutters - Lyman/Ideal, RCBS, Ohaus - same thing, smear crisco in the base but use a lighter charge with them. I normally use about 40 grains of 2F with those.

A new Lyman 575-213 Minie Ball mold will cost you around $75 or so from most suppliers. Used ones can be purchased for less than that if you keep your eyes open on flea-bay. Lee makes a mold which will be cheaper. I much prefer the steel molds like Lyman/Ideal as when once heated up, the base pin forming the hollow base retains temperature if you get your molding cadence going. But, that's just my preference as I've been using that mold for 55 years. Others may prefer an aluminum mold such as a Lee.

Enjoy and have fun - the 1861 pattern rifled musket has always been my favorite - just so graceful looking!

100 % correct . I have a Zoli Zouave from the early 60's . This info is good for it and has worked for others I have shot . Bedbugbilly knows his muskets .

Eddie

[mrappe]

Thanks for the info.
Mike

[TNsailorman]

I have a Zoi Zouave also and I have not bought a mold for it as yet. Been using swaged round ball so far. I may have to buy it a Lee mold.

[firebyprolong]

I have both the Lee and the Lyman. If you want a few to play with let me know and I'll send you a few the next time I cast.

[john.k]

i found the heavier minies seem to be the best accuracy.i have the wadcutter type 315gn,and have never got accuracy from them.I dont have a Lee 577 mold,mine predate Lee.But I find the Lyman style hollow base plug gets red hot after a couple of dozen casts and even burns fingers thru heavy gloves.Its also a bit of a nuisance making sure its engaged in the mold.But,i wont be buying any new molds.........Shooting minies sucessfully depends entirely on lube and plenty of it.....Right lube and you shoot all day.....Bad or too little,and you wont get 10shots before brushing,or swabbing.

[stubshaft]

MEASURE YOUR BORE! Do not assume it is .575" I have 3 Zoli Zouaves that measure .574" .580" and .583". The most accurate minie is one that is 1 to 2 thousandths under your bore size. THEN, you can try different types of Minies like Lymans, Rapines and both types of RCBS. My J. P. Murray will shoot into two inches at a hundred with anything that measures .576" (Bobby Hoyt reline). But the RCBS Hogdons sized to .575" in a North East push thru and lubed with MCM lube does under an inch.

[Green Frog]

A lot of us in the N-SSA shoot the 419 grain “Hodgdon” from RCBS. It’s a sort of semi-wad utter version of the true Minie Ball. The hollow base-making plug is captive on the mould assembly so casting is faster and easier, while recoil is lighter than on the full sized Minie version. If you prefer, there is also a regular shaped Minie from RCBS that goes about 500 grains and uses the same captive plug arrangement. I much prefer this set up to the loose knob and plug Lyman uses, even though I normally choose Lyman for most of my “standard” moulds.

Froggie

[mrappe]

I just got a Lyman 1-Cavity Minie Ball Bullet Mold #575213-OS 58 Caliber (575 Diameter) 460 Grain Old Style Mold and will cast some to try out but I haven't measured my bore yet.
I have done a lot of loading over the years but most of my cast bullets have been for cowboy action shooting and were cast by someone else. I have not been able to measure the bore since I cannot slug it (musket). I have never seen or used a sizer. What kind of sizer would you you use for a Minie? Do sizers come with the ability to do different diameters? can you also size the bullets larger?

Thanks
Mike

[Good Cheer]

mrappe,
If you have the occasion to pick up a few older Lyman minie molds there's an added bouns.
The base plugs are often inter-changeable though of different lengths and base hollow geometry.
So you can find two old molds for a low price and in effect have four different boolits to mold and develop loads for.

[rmark]

You may not need a sizer, I have and reproduction 1858 Enfield that I use as cast .580 minies in (my rifles bore runs a bit large). Northeast Trading? sells push thru sizers similar to what Lee makes but in larger sizes.

[BrassMagnet]

In searching, I found this:

http://www.lodgewood.com/Precision-S...er_p_1605.html

Lodgewood Mfg. Inc. makes 7/8x14 boolit sizing dies in: .452, .515, .574, .575, .576, .577, & .578.

[Green Frog]

If I am going to push a big chunk of lead through a sizing die I like to lube it (I like pan lubing with Emmert’s) first, then use a big screw-in die in a bench press, not one of those hammer-through types. I bought one for my Zouave, custom cut by Tom Crone, who is a popular vendor for N-SSA, and who will make exactly what you need. Unlike some posters, I figure the grease grooves on the bullet are there to put grease in! Lube in the base cavity may help succeeding shots load more easily but since it is behind the bullet, it can’t do but so much good to the shot you put it in.

Froggie

PS. For N-SSA shooting at both paper and reactive (breaking) targets, I can get by with a whole lot less than those service loads of 60 grains or more... when you are shooting 50-100 rounds in a weekend, recoil fatigue becomes a factor, and it doesn’t take but so much velocity for 400 grains of lead to break a clay pigeon or ceramic tile, or even to punch through a piece of paper.

[mrappe]

I just cast my first Minies today with and I tried the fit to my gun and they are slightly too large to drop in. They should be able to drop in right?
If so I will need to size them down some I think. Also the bullets came out pretty well shaped but the smooth surfaces have a little waviness in them. I used a hot setting on my Lee bottom pour pot. I am wondering if the mold was running too cool.
Mike

[Green Frog]

In a cold, clean barrel, a Minie ball should drop right down with little to no resistance. If not, subsequent rounds will be very difficult to load. The whole idea of the hollow base is to expand when the powder goes off, filling the lands and grooves. For this reason, a little undersized is better than exact fit, at least IMHO.

Froggie

[Good Cheer]

I just cast my first Minies today with and I tried the fit to my gun and they are slightly too large to drop in. They should be able to drop in right?
If so I will need to size them down some I think. Also the bullets came out pretty well shaped but the smooth surfaces have a little waviness in them. I used a hot setting on my Lee bottom pour pot. I am wondering if the mold was running too cool.
Mike

A bottom pour can make you crazy casting minies.
Big ladles often work better.
10ring off of Jones Road is liable to have one on the shelf if you ever get over by that way.
That outfit is something I miss about Houston.

[newrib]

I Agree with Good Cheer ladle pouring big bullets is the way to go. Whatever bullet you choose always cast them hot and always use pure lead. I have found that anything other than pure lead will give poor results in a musket.

[JDBraddy]

I'm new to all this, just bought a used 1858 two band Enfield from a club member, and a lee .575" mini-ball mold was included as part of the sale. Cast about 70 miniballs and went to the range. Went to load the first one, it rattled down the bore to the powder, turned the gun over, and it rattled back out into my hand. No rod required! I loaded and fired about ten anyway. Group size was about a foot at 25yds, about 1in5 keyholed and went through the backer sideways. I slugged the barrel, and it measures .585" noticed the rifling was 5 groove, then noticed it has a barrel liner installed. Don't know the history there, but still want to participate in club skirmishes, so need to find a mold that will work for it.

[barnabus]

buy some pin gauges from amazon to find your barrel size first.your going about this all wrong the pin gauge will tell u what size tom crone sizer to order