Cast boolit for .50 muzzleloader?

[mattri]

Running a CVA Wolf .50" 24" barrel, 1:28.

Shoots well with .44/.45 j-words and sabots.

Thinking about casting for it.

Other than a miniball, would cast .50 pistol boolits be an option?

[mooman76]

You could possibly paper patch them bullets. Look up Idahoron. He can help you there.

[Rick N Bama]

A Maxi Ball shoots fairly well in my CVA Optima.

[TCLouis]

How about the Lee REAL boolit or the Lyman Boolit.

Might want to get some to try before you spring for a mold for any of them.

[kens]

I been thinking about the Lee mold for .500 S&W.
Will that obturate and grab the rifling in a M/L??

[triggerhappy243]

ken, former member 54bore uses that bullet with incredible accuracy.

[charlie b]

Dead soft and depending on your rifle's bore and size of bullet when cast...yes, I think it could work. There was also a version made slightly smaller so it could be more easily paper patched (NEI I think).

I had good luck with Hornady Great Plains bullets after I sized them to my bore. Some have good luck as they come out of the box. I think Lyman made molds for similar bullets.

For my Lyman GPH I use PP bullets, 450 and 500gn. I don't cast so they are purchased from Buffalo Arms. You can find molds for slick side bullets from several places, including a few that have an adjustable base plug so you can cast whatever weight you want (within reason).

[Squeeze]

do you want fullbore, or .452/.458 in a sabot?

[Larry Gibson]

I have a TC Black Mtn Magnum .50 cal with a 28" twist also. While of traditional lock it is made for the heavy 150 gr loads. I cast my own MaxiBalls (350 gr) for it out of 16-1 alloy and push them at 1570 fps. I also cast both versions of the Lee REAL bullets cast of 40-1 alloy and use those. A Lee RB mould (pure lead) completes the bullet selection.

Target was at 100 yards; 6 shots loading from the speed loaders w/o cleaning or wiping between shots using 90 gr(V) 777 Fffg.

Attachment 209692

[idahoron]

I been thinking about the Lee mold for .500 S&W.
Will that obturate and grab the rifling in a M/L??

This is my 10th year shooting a Paper Patched Lee 500 S&W bullet. Over the years I have had very good luck and collected a lot of animals with them. Your not going to be able to shoot them as cast. They are small enough that they would likely fall out of the barrel when you tip it down.
I paper patch them and size them to .501 after they are wrapped I do that dry. I use 80 grains of pyrodex P with a .62" diameter wool wad. I harden the lead to .035 to .038 on my Cabine Tree tester. That is about 6 to 7 BHN. They tend to like lead that is a pinch harder than pure. Much harder than that and the paper will strip off when you size them.

[curator]

Idahoron:

Do you install gas checks on the lee boolit? What thickness paper? I have 9# airmail paper, will that work?

[kens]

I have a TC Black Mtn Magnum .50 cal with a 28" twist also. While of traditional lock it is made for the heavy 150 gr loads. I cast my own MaxiBalls (350 gr) for it out of 16-1 alloy and push them at 1570 fps. I also cast both versions of the Lee REAL bullets cast of 40-1 alloy and use those. A Lee RB mould (pure lead) completes the bullet selection.

Target was at 100 yards; 6 shots loading from the speed loaders w/o cleaning or wiping between shots using 90 gr(V) 777 Fffg.

Attachment 209692

Larry,
How does the RB group with the 1:28 barrel?

[white eagle]

I use a REAL from Tom @ Accurate in both my 50 and 54
both will shoot very very accurate
you can cast them all day beats buying any and they are better

[mattri]

Thanks for all the great replies. To answer a few questions-

Barrel is a 24" 1:28 have yet to slug it.

Have been using sabots and j-words so far.

Looking to use a full size cast boolit.

Here is what I am thinking for a mould:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/55...ter-360-grain#

Would this be a good choice?

In the meantime I was thinking of picking up something like this to try:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/96...ted-box-of-20#

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/20...lead-flat-nose

Thoughts so far?

[kens]

I also have a CVA Wolf, it shoots many things well.
The things that shoot good are Powerbelts, 45pistol bullets in sabot,
the cheap hollow point bullets in sabots, (comes in a bag of 50 bullets + sabots); and cast 45acp bullets in sabot
they all do good

[mooman76]

I didn't care for any or the Lee minnies is 50 cal. Not that they shoot bad but they drop too big unless they change what they cut the mould at and I don't think they have. Minnies should drop .001/2 under bore size. They dropped just over .50 for me so they don't drop down the bore like they should so I figured I might as well be using maxis. They did shoot well enough for minute of deer at 100y though. I guess to shoot right they would need to be sized and I just didn't think it was worth the effort.

[white eagle]

try this you wont be sorry
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=51-300A-D.png

[Blammer]

mattri, I'd choose the maxi hunter first, good bullet i've used several times for deer.


I'd get the Lee 50 cal real bullet works well too! get the 250 gr one, it works better in my guns.

[triggerhappy243]

In the meantime I was thinking of picking up something like this to try:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/96...ted-box-of-20#

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/20...lead-flat-nose

Thoughts so far?


that 50 cal. hard cast may be a booger to run down the bore, it is 6% antimony.

[idahoron]

Idahoron:

Do you install gas checks on the lee boolit? What thickness paper? I have 9# airmail paper, will that work?

No I don't add a Gas Check. Yes the 9# onion skin will work. The paper I have is 9# onion skin Air Mail paper. It should add right at .006 to the diameter of the bullet. I have some paper that is .001 and some that is .0015 You can also use paper from dress patterns but it is a bit thinner. Just play with it a little and see what it likes. Sizing to .499 or .500 might be better for some rifles. Mine likes the .501 finish size.
These bullets really like the lead to have a little hardness but not a lot.