Nickel-******* with .31-caliber cap lock revolvers

[Naphtali]

Where I grew up, "nickel-*******" meant an ill considered use of effort, or, more crudely, silly or frivolous use of time and effort. I personally enjoy the sound of nickel-*******, though.

Nevertheless, excluding round balls, what are the shortest cast bullets or molds for such cast bullets between .313 and .320 inch that weigh more than 70 grains nominal? As near as I can figure, regardless of weight, length-for-length at any weight the bullet must be a cylinder??? And if it's a cylinder, that means some wadcutter - I think.

I have found several wadcutters that are close, between 95 and 105 grains. I'm seeking shorter to test. Will such bullet(s) remain stable at 25 yards? How will such bullet(s) penetrate compared with, say, single-ought (0) Buck at .320 inch nominal? How will reproduction Colt 1849 compare with the much smaller Remington .31-caliber at these things? . . . Nickel-*******, but fun.

[Tatume]

Whether or not they remain stable at any distance will depend upon the velocity and rifling rate. At 25 yards 38 wadcutters from typical revolvers are stable if muzzle velocity was 850 fps. I have shot them at 50 yards with good results. At 100 yards they tumbled.

[runfiverun]

a 165gr rnfp will stabilize in a 45 colt.
it's pretty square, shorter than a round ball but with more bearing length.
this could easily be cut to 313 and would add like a whole grain of weight.


http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=30-060C-D.png

[Naphtali]

a 165gr rnfp will stabilize in a 45 colt.
it's pretty square, shorter than a round ball but with more bearing length.
this could easily be cut to 313 and would add like a whole grain of weight.


http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=30-060C-D.png

It is unlikely that a 60-grain bullet can be reshaped to more than 70 grains.

If you refer to cutting a 45-caliber bullet and reshaping it, I'll pass on that.

[Naphtali]

Some things I should have entered at the beginning of my query. Relative to a sphere of a given diameter, a cylinder of the same height and diameter has 1.5 times the weight of [that] material. For example, if a .31-caliber round ball weighs 50 grains, a cylinder of that same diameter and height will weigh 75 grains. Lube grooves and, perhaps, beveling of top or bottom would reduce a cylinder's weight. Nevertheless, a 75-grain wadcutter would be pretty doggone short. And any stability problem should stem from reduced velocity rather than from requiring quicker rate of twist than a round ball.

[runfiverun]

I was relating my experience with a 165 gr 45 cal boolit.

I'm either not understanding what you want or you didn't understand my statements.
the mold I linked is a 60gr pre-designed mold of what I thought you were asking about.