.530 bore/.540 groove; 48 twist; Kodiak SxS - what boolit?

[RWE]

What cast boolit should I be looking for in the aforementioned gun?

Not sure what they were regulated for back in the day (gun is 20+ years old), but I am getting crossfire with PRB's at about 30 yards, so common accepted practice indicates I should go heavy and slow to open the spread a little, which I'm fine with because I got a bunch of lead in the shack.

[Nobade]

I would not recommend using bullets in double rifles. The first shot will dislodge the second bullet and cause air space between it and the powder. As for crossing, those rifles weren't really regulated at all. Just somewhat sighted in with a laser and put together. Some of them are spot on and some are various amounts of not. That is why they come with two rear sights that are independently adjustable for windage.

-Nobade

[RWE]

Hate to think its unsafe for bullets in SxS ML's, even the folks at Pedersoli have a conical they recommend for current production 24 twists, but current productions aren't as tight in the bore as this old timer.

[451 Pete]

I have a .58 in the same double rifle. Nobade is correct that the bullet can move off the powder after the first shot so be careful and always check the second barrel for this after firing off the first one, I have had that happen a couple of times with mine. I may have gotten lucky with this gun but it prints side by side at 50 yds. so I use one sight leaf set at 50 and the other for 100, which is as far a shot as I will take with a muzzle loader in hunting.

Pete

[RWE]

I was aware of the issue when I used to shoot SxS ML shotguns, but had no prior experience, till last Friday, in SxS rifles.

Is it an issue regardless of payload, i.e. PRB or bullets?

[RWE]

I'd just as soon stay away from sabots, if possible.

Had a "coming of age-midlife gun crisis" a while back and am contenting myself to shoot what I got (with the caveat of getting a lead chunker which I did last Friday) and due to the parting of my uncle, I have a couple hundred pounds of lead I would like to cast for the purpose.

Ultimately, if I can get the gun to regulate at a respectable distance, I wouldn't mind shooting a nice hollow base bullet it one barrel and PRB in the other, if I can minimize any safety issues.

[HARRYMPOPE]

the Lyman Plains bullet engraves the front band on the way down,it should stay put.I sold the mold here as in my .54 Hawken recoil was just too brutal above 70g.I had a 58 SxS Kodiak about 20 years ago and never could get it to regulate.I was shooting patched ball only at the time.

[longbow]

Sounds like a good candidate for a Maxi, Lyman Plains bullet or Lee REAL. All should be an engrave fit to bore and be a snug.

Another option might be a paper patched Minie or solid. If it drags a little on the way down it should stay put.

Idahoron did a write up on shooting paper patched bullets here:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?71134-part-1-paper-patching-the-ML

I used to have a nice Pedersoli 12 ga. SXS I wish I still had. I used to worry about shot charges dislodging with heavy loads but when I checked, I never found any movement. I quit worrying. Wanted a SXS rifle like the Kodiak but never got one.

Longbow

[RWE]

The first time I slugged the gun, I put a wax plug down and poured lead over the plug to get the 1st results. Last night, I actually took a 0.6" slug and whacked her down, than popped it back out with a slide hammer and got 0.532/0.542.

The Lee REAL advertises as an overall 0.577 diameter. What's the minimum diameter on those? Will they still fit?

Also, RCBS has a North South Skirmish bullet, at both 0.52 and 0.54 but I hear mixed reviews on the mould, because they are adjustable, but it does have a hollow base application.

Finding a 54 cal maxi mould these days is like finding hen's teeth.

[fouronesix]

Good luck in getting the thing to regulate. Never saw one that did but always hear stories about one that did.

That .557 REAL ( I assume you meant .557 not 577) will for sure require a big mallet and strong short starter for loading into a .532 bore :(. Plus, it may or may not shoot well.

I'd be tempted to find a small quantity of the "suspected candidates" of conicals/minies and try them before plunking down $$$ for an RCBS or Lyman mold.

I have good luck with the Lyman 533476 minie in 54 cal MLs but finding that mold will be harder than finding a 54 cal Maxi mold.

I shoot the N-S style minies in all manner of 577/58 cal muskets but no experience with the adjustable N-S .54 cal minie.

I've never had any success with the swaged or cast, solid base "Plains" type conicals in my MLs so gave up long ago on that design.

In the end it may boil down to finding the most accurate patched roundball combination and going with that for both barrels ??

[RWE]

you guys are correct, i meant 557. (It's hard working with numbers all day)

appreciate the intended good wishes on regulation. Not my first attempt at such, but the other two times I had the luxury of those being projects, and I simply fixed the barrels where they needed to be based on the load.

Lee makes a 533 hollow base mini, I may move on that just to see what happens.

As it stands, the Kodiak appears regulated like a DGR, i.e. .530 PRB's are crossing at 30 yards, and I suspect if I can go heavier and slow, I may get a little better spread, hoping to move that number out to 50 or even 75. We'll see.