But No Hollow Base...

[Good Cheer]

Anybody tried minies with an alternative mold plug to give a plain base?
Thinking about trying it with some available designs in .54 and .58 rifles with 48" twist. Thought I'd ask.

[Nobade]

Other than making a really heavy bullet that needs a lot more powder to work, it should be fine. If you drill them for a big hollow point they should fly even better. Ought to give some fairly memorable recoil as well!

-Nobade

[fouronesix]

Never tried it but seems like it might work about like slightly undersized REALs or Maxis.

[drhall762]

Actually, according to Tim Busby, the plain base is just fine and the hollow point is a big help. Nobade nailed it.

[Sergeant Earthworm]

Seems like accuracy might suffer owing to the base not expanding into the rifling. Also seems like a hollow base Minie should provide enough energy for just about any purpose.

[Good Cheer]

Got to thinking about this when looking at the available minie molds that are a little small for .58 barrels. The minies are just rather large bullets that used a hollow base for the reduced charges that were wanted for military service. Shooters reduced the plug sizes to allow the use of heavier charges and mold makers followed suit. So, why not reduce the plug even more to stretch out the trajectory and wrap them in paper to avoid leading? Been doing pretty much the same in one form or the other since figuring out I could put cigarette paper around a boolit and .58 would just be a matter of scale. Don't have a fast enough twist barrel longer than 28" (the GM drop-ins are too slow a twist) but reckon it could be some fun to see how it works.
Would like to try it out in .54 but available components will be a bit more of a challenge due to diameters.

[johnson1942]

good advice good cheer

[mikeym1a]

When I was shooting with the N-SSA, our team used P-H Enfields. Those guns used a kind of Minie-ball, only the hollow skirt was more shallow than the Springfield type, and seemed to have more lead. That's an option, although I don't know if it is of any help.:)

[Nobade]

So, why not reduce the plug even more to stretch out the trajectory and wrap them in paper to avoid leading?
Would like to try it out in .54 but available components will be a bit more of a challenge due to diameters.

I have been thinking about making a mould to do just what you describe. A 500 or so grain slick with a great big hollow point in an aluminum push-out design, for paper patching.(Let the hollow point pin push it out the top) - I am sure a slick will work a lot better than a grooved minie' in this application, as well as have a way better b.c. Make it .568" for patching up to .576" with the paper I have. (different paper will require different size boolits) I just need a round tuit to get started!

-Nobade