Best mold for a .50 cal 1/28 twist rifle?

[Link23]

i just bought my first B/P rifle and i was wondering what would be the best mold for the 1/28 twist? if i could i would like to go with lee, yes its a inline, its a traditions Yukon if that helps, im not looking to make it a F-Class rifle, i just want to have Min. of deer at 120 yards..
Thanks
Link23

[Larry Gibson]

I prefer the .50 cal Maxi Ball in my Blk Mtn Magnum (made for the 150 gr loads even though it has a traditional hammer) with 28" twist. I cast them of 16-1 lead - tin alloy and push them at 1585 fps over 90 gr(V) triple 7 FFG. Deadly on deer and elk and the alloy expands very well at that velocity. Phot is 6 shots at 100 yards with 1 in the barrel and 5 from the speed loaders without wiping or cleaning between shots. Maxi Ball is under the X ring. I use my own lube and only lube the bottom groove. Bore Butter 1000 works as well.

Larry Gibson

[frontier gander]

yeah the maxiball is around $63 + the handles but its going to be worth it. I;ve spent $50 on lee molds "minnie ball and now the 320 REAL" and just am not getting the results i want. The maxiballs did 1 1/2" today with 80gr blackhorn209 @ 100 yards in my CVA Optima.

[wgr]

+2 for the maxie ball. it will shoot good in about any twist from 1 in 48 down to 1in 20. my 1in 28 and 1in 20 twist rifles shoot 1 to 1/2in groups at 100 yd. with 90 grains of 2ff. and to be sure cast them from soft lead and they do not take a back seat to any thing

[Maven]

Link, I suppose BP rifles aren't so different than CF rifles when it comes to cast boolits, whether they are RB's or conicals. I.e., it's often a matter of bore dimensions and mold dimensions and whether there's a good fit between them. However, mold dimensions can vary enough to make shooting, shall we say "interesting"? I have a .50cal. 1:28 twist inline, but finding a Lee REAL or Maxi-Ball mold, which casts large enough to fit it well has been a chore. E.g., 2 Lee REAL's cast too small, 1 Lee Minie Ball mold was similarly challenged, and the 3 Maxi-Ball molds I had (2 Lymans, 1 T/C) dropped different sized CB's. Of those 3, the T/C and one Lyman cast large enough to give me good accuracy @ 50 yds. (well under 1.5") with 80gr. FFg. Btw, I suppose I should have "beagled" (check our archives or the Castpics site* for more info.) the undersized Lees, but I didn't. Btw, paper patching helped with the 320gr. REAL, but it wasn't nearly as accurate as the T/C Maxi-Ball. Lastly, some cast pistol bullets, e.g., Lyman #429421 and RCBS 429-250K + a MMP green high pressure sabot (80gr. FFg) have also been impressively accurate @ 50 yd.


*bottom of your screen

[quilbilly]

I will bet it will shoot a patched round ball so don't discount that possibility. Over the last 25 years I have learned to prefer round ball for deer at under 120 yards. Of course, there are no degrees of dead.

[frontier gander]

1:28 isn't the greatest for PRB accuracy BUT with .018 pillow tick and 60gr Blackhorn209 i can keep it into a 3" circle at 50 yards. Maybe better if i used a wad to protect the patch.

[idahoron]

Everyone knows my vote for the best mould. It is the Lee 500 S&W bullet. Paper Patched that is a hell of a bullet. Ron

[troy_mclure]

i just bought a box of maxiballs. they shoot great out of my knight wolverine.

[Fly]

Everyone knows my vote for the best mould. It is the Lee 500 S&W bullet. Paper Patched that is a hell of a bullet. Ron

How many grain bullet are we talking?Also I guess you are talking a S&W
pistol bullet.I looked some Lee molds up but I would think a PP bullet would need
a .492 dia for a .50cal mold.I'm confussed?
Fly:coffee:

[idahoron]

Yes the 500S&W pistol bullet. The Mould is a Lee C-501-440-RF and It casts a 460 gr bullet with soft lead. I wrap the bullet with two wraps of 9# onion skin and run it through a .501 sizer die. They fit very snug and go down well in a Green Mountain barrel. I have seen other guys shoot them in some inlines and they work well in them too.
They look like this.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Muzzleloaders/Paperpatch501.jpg


They shoot very well.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Muzzleloaders/500SW3-22-08small.jpg


I have seen several animals shot with this bullet and it hits like a sledge hammer. Ron

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202010/9-25-10Lsmall.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Antelope%202010/JohnsbuckA.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Deer%20hunting/2009buck08-A.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Deer%20hunting/Johndeer02-a.jpg

[Fly]

Wow that's impressive, may I ask what powder load you use?

Fly

[725]

Another one for the T/C Maxi-ball. Don't like the Maxi-hunter as I could never equal the accuracy of the maxi-ball with it. REAL's have worked well for me but I usually have to put a wonder-wad under it to make it accurate. Out of pure lead, they are like the movie Matrix -- just switches off the life force.

[idahoron]

Fly, My load is 80 gr of Pyrodex P with an over powder wad and the 460 gr Paper patched 500 S&W bullet. Ron

[jeepman133]

i just bought a box of maxiballs. they shoot great out of my knight wolverine.tRY A .460 gr no excuse, there tac drivers in my wolverine with 75 gr pyrodex.