Which .54 Sharps percussion mold?

[texassako]

I picked up a Garrett Arms replica 1863 Sharps carbine yesterday. .522/.542" barrel measurements. My research shows a number of mold makers catering to the reenactors, none of which I am familiar with having only dealt with Accurate, NOE, and the big commercial brands. Moose Moulds has a couple of nice ones, but not many recent opinions on them. Anybody recommend one? I could always have Tom at Accurate make something as well. I want to try paper cartridge, but going to start with loose fill.

[Bent Ramrod]

Mine is a NEI dual cavity aluminum version of the Ideal 557489. It has the rebated groove and flange at the back for tying or gluing on the rolled paper for the cartridge. NEI is now out of business, of course, and I think Rapine (the other likely maker of the time period) is too. The only current makers that I know advertise the design are Pedersoli and Moose Moulds.

The NSSA Forums would have the bulk of the data on moulds and there may be some info on the Shiloh 1863 Forum as well. Competitors use the wad cutter version to get the full diameter hole in a target, but I prefer the traditional pointy design, for no reason other than historical coolness. Few people try to shoot any of the versions beyond 100 yards and nobody I know of has published any data beyond 200.

It may be that the lack of discussion on these moulds stems from the fact that many owners of these rifles and carbines don’t shoot boolits out of them, just blank charges in re-enactments.

[Nobade]

I have the Moose Guy France mold, and like it a lot in my Shiloh. It doesn't have a rebated tail so I can't tie cartridges on but I just load it naked and put a powder cartridge in behind it. Very accurate and the mold is great quality, bullets fill out well and fall out when it's opened.

[varsity07840]

I had a Moose xmas tree .544 that shot well out of my Pedersoli .520/.540 sporter. I now use a two cavity Lee xmas ring tail .545 that shoots even better! Combined with Charlie Hahn's tubes, it's a winner.