Think I'll try Maxi Ball in my 1:28 twist

[ghh3rd]

I received a 50 Cal TC Maxi Mold on the PIF forum (thanks) and am going to try some of of these in my CVA muzzle loader. I've only been shooting .44 and .45's with sabots so far. My rifle has a 1:28 twist which I hope will work Ok with this boolit.

I haven't made any 16:1 yet, but just tried the mold out with my WW alloy (just testing), and they dropped at 355 gr, and just squeezed throught the TC pre luber tool that I picked up.

Do most folks lube all of the lube grooves on these boolits? I don't imagine that they require sizing, do they?

I'm going to do the Olive Oil/Beeswax lube and see how it goes.

Randy

[Gtek]

I just picked up a Lyman, FINALLY found "the load" for my Omega with sabots two years ago and want to try these sluggers. One thing I am going to do first is slug bore one more time to confirm, then proceed from there. I will approach the same as any other, low and slow working up till it falls off then backing up one and start the tweaks. It appears you have read Mr. Gibson, always solid! But his gun and his touch. I have heard tales of projectiles coming off charge, boolit fit will be my first concern with many bore sizes out there. The trick appears to be not to hard, not to soft, not to loose, not to tight, clear as mud. I am going to start with 50/50 Bee and Wonder in both and some in 1-20 and 1-16 and see. Starting at 70 and shooting for 90ish of 777. Then play with card or felt for changes if feeling the need. Can always fall back on the red tip red sabot but this I must try to appease the Galena Gods, since the Omega showed up the sidelocks ain't been getting much love.

[tazman]

You need to cast these from pure lead otherwise you will have problems getting them in the barrel of your muzzle loader. The rifling engraves on the front band of the boolit and the rest is supposed to be soft enough that the powder upsets the rear driving bands into the rifling when fired.
No sizing needed as a rule. I always lubed every band on boolit when I used them.
Normally very accurate and should work with your twist rate.

[ghh3rd]

Thanks for the reply tazman... I like the idea of using pure lead in a muzzleloader. From what I understand, pure lead will work well up to 1000 fps, but after that a tougher boolit is preferable to withstand the extra pressure. I've also read that the additional speed will help stabilize this large boolit. I've seen 16:1 mentioned in more than one place (yes, including Larry). I think I will try some and see how easy/difficult they are to get down my barrel. Hopefully I will be fortunate and not have too much trouble.

[HARRYMPOPE]

Made of pure lead i have shot them in a 1-32 Lyman GP Hunter.They did OK but when driven with 80-100g of powder recoil was too heavy for me.
I use the Olive Oil/Beeswax for my cap and ball and conicals(minie's also) and really like it.

[tazman]

Thanks for the reply tazman... I like the idea of using pure lead in a muzzleloader. From what I understand, pure lead will work well up to 1000 fps, but after that a tougher boolit is preferable to withstand the extra pressure. I've also read that the additional speed will help stabilize this large boolit. I've seen 16:1 mentioned in more than one place (yes, including Larry). I think I will try some and see how easy/difficult they are to get down my barrel. Hopefully I will be fortunate and not have too much trouble.

Keep us posted on your results. Anytime I can find something new that works is a good thing. I am interested in how this works for you.

[rsrocket1]

Take a look here. (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?234864-Lee-REAL-bullets-and-Alliant-BlackMZ-test&p=2688507&viewfull=1#post2688507)
You can see how I lubed the bullets. All bands covered. The 50/50 beeswax/vaseline is solid, but has the consistency of chapstick and molds easily into the bands.

I did a second test working up from 55-80 grains of BlackMZ and have settled on 70g, not that it's the "best" (I think BH209 is the best), but it's the best bang for the buck. At $0.23 per shot, it's a fun load. That compares to $0.69/shot with sabots/BH209.
100602

[rr2241tx]

I'm pretty sure that T/C Maxi mold is the same as the Lyman Maxi that shot as accurately as any cartridge load in my T/C Hawken 50 caliber that also has a 1:28 twist. 80-100 grains of Goex 2F made a dandy hunting load. Recoil was substantial. I made some pure and some 30:1, could not see any advantage to the (slightly) harder and more expensive alloy bullets although they were easier to cast. I made a luber/short starter from a section of half inch CPVC and a piece of hardwood dowel and lubed both grooves with Lubriplate straight out of the tube. No lube on the base of the bullet, so I seated it directly on the powder column. The bullet fit tight enough that there was no worry about coming off the powder.

[Lever-man]

I know from experience that casting boolits for a muzzle loader with WW lead is not a good idea. I pounded the first one down a clean barrel, but the second one would only go about 1/2 way! Then I had the problem of trying to get it back out. I'll never cast muzzle loader boolits with anything but pure lead from now on. I have the Lyman Maxi 370 gr mold as well as the Lee REAL 250 gr in 50 cal both of these shoot really well in my Traditions in-line that has a 1:32 twist and my T/C Hawken with a 1:48 twist. My hunting load is 80 gr of Triple 777.

[tomme boy]

I only lube the rear band and always use a lubed hard felt disc between the powder and slug. The felt disc shrunk my groups in half. And using 70-90 grs of 3f real black. Had way too many hangfires with the other fake stuff. Even on inlines. The 250 gr Lee REALS are by far the most accurate for me. You just can't push them hard. These were shot in a CVA Hawken and 2 T/C New Englanders. The 350 Lee shoot almost as good as the 250's. If I was going to hunt I would use the T/C mini ball. It shoots just as good as the 350 Lee.

Here is how T/C shoots at 50 yds

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/tommeboy/IMG_1174.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/tommeboy/media/IMG_1174.jpg.html)

Here is 100 yds with the T/C shooting the T/C mini ball

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/tommeboy/muzzleloader.png (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/tommeboy/media/muzzleloader.png.html)

[tomme boy]

Oh ya, T/C bore butter as lube

[Gtek]

Anyone Hollow point this monster (375 Maxi) or heard of anyone with results?

[scattershot]

That boolit is all I used to hunt with when I hunted with black powder. It was very accurate and easy to use. I lubed all the grooves, and IIRC, I used 70 grains of FFg in the .50. The Maxi is designed to be shot as cast, since the front band is engraved by the rifling as you load it. Pure lead, of course, and I had good results with TC Bore Butter.

TC also made a Maxi Hunter, which had a small hollow point (more of a dimple) in the nose.

[PapaG]

They were originally designed to be shot as cast, from pure lead. Front band is oversize, actually original design was a reverse taper from smallest bottom to oversize top. This was long ago, before the "accurizing muzzle" was even thought of. I got good results in twists from 48" to 66" in both shallow groove (TC) and deep groove (Douglas XX). My .54 Renegade would group ten shots, alternating between round balls and maxis in 3" at fifty yards. I just got a CVA Optima and am going to try a few along with a few REALs to see what I can do. (I have about ten different things to try but a long time til next deer season.)

[WheelgunConvert]

If your barrel doesn’t have a “fake muzzle “ you will need to make a mushroom starter with a short stem to get the top band started.
Pure lead and 70-90 equivalent grains of BP substitutes in my 28 twist TC. Lube it with bacon or sausage grease and your stomach will start to growl.

[Tom W.]

While mine is a .45 Cal T/C Hawken I have the T/C molds for both the maxi ball and the round ball. I lubed both grooves with plain old Crisco. I tried mixing some bees wax with it and failed miserably.

You can shoot coww cast for a round ball, as the patch is what contacts the barrel. I used to use Butler Creek's poly patch and loved those, but I don't think they are being made anymore.