Starting Lee REAL bullets well

[John McCorkle]

Hi all

Spent some time working up a load for ML season in Louisiana coming up Oct 21!!!

Settled on using the 50 Cal Lee REAL -320 grain out of a 1:28 twist

Durofelt wad
95 grains Pyrex RS
Bore butter on the bullet bands
1" at 50 yards...super happy with the load

I did notice that starting these puppies requires some umph. Noticed it buggering up the tip of the metplat as I use the starter and ramrod to drive in on top of the powder stack.

Didn't seem to effect accuracy (seems plenty accurate enough) but wondering if there is anything I am doing wrong or that I should try differently? Just using a standard ball seater...don't know if there is a different seater I should try.

Anyone seen accuracy difference caused by touch points of the starter/ramrod on the bullet metplat?

All in all I'm happy with the load and it is alot of fun! New to ML...tried light loads behind round ball (those are fun but not Stout enough for hunting at 20-40 grains) also tried the 'trashcan' 354 grain Minnie ball mold....came out accurate too at 50 grains but again not likely Stout enough or could be better for hunting whitetail.

ML is fun and addicting, thing kicks like a mule...these weren't even barn burner loads but an afternoon of 30-35 rounds of the 320 REALs and I was about done for the day!

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

[country gent]

You might try a custom ( home made ball starter) with the tips made to fit the bullet nose closely. You would need a wood ball a dowel 6"-8" long. 2 pieces of brass round stock or aftermarket jag/ ram rod ends. Drill the ends to close to the bullets nose and lapp it to the nose or fill with epoxy and let harden. Drill 2 holes in the ball 90" apart for the dowel Of your using replacement ends then a thread insert for the sort end to screw in to.

I suspect most of the nose damage is coming from the short end since its doing most of the work engraving the bullet and starting it.

[megasupermagnum]

I too found mine to booger up a little, although they never shot well enough to tell if it hurt anything. I would lay money it makes no difference. An easy fix is to use a bullet starter and seating jag for seating a sabot bullet. It is hollow in the tip, and meant to touch the ogive of the bullet. This leaves a light ring on the front of the bullet, but does not touch the meplat. 1" at 50 yards is fantastic, I wouldn't change a thing. I never got mine to shooting anything but shotgun groups. Even cast of 40:1 and a beagled mold cast hot. Once started, they can be rammed down the bore with my pinky. I must have a slightly loose bore.

While not a barn burner, it's getting up there. A simple trick I learned years ago, as I was always into shotguns, use a recoil pad. I'm talking the kind you can strap on your shoulder. I never could get a lead sled to work well. Fighting the thing usually makes groups worse, and you can't get into a shooting position around it. I use a PAST magnum (maybe mag plus?), it takes all of the pain out of your shoulder, you can shoot all day.

[Jniedbalski]

I like shooting a lot of rounds out of my ml but at the end of the day my shoulder sure does hurt. I haven’t shot a deer with a light loads but think you could kill a dear very easily with a lighter than normal load. I remember reading years ago about a story about union officers observing at 700 to 800 yards that the Calvarys horses where being hit in the chest with mine balls and the bullets would completely pass through front to back. Hit in the chest and out the rear. I wondered also about how much I could load down a 50 cal using a 500 grain bullet in my side lock. I know this is not scientific but I shot a old 50s round door fridge very thick sheet metal at 50 yards. I loaded less and less powder until it didint pass completely through. At ten grains of black powder it went through the front door and put a big dent in the back wall stretching the metal out about 3 in. I could not believe the power of a 500 gr bullet with only 10 gr. A 44 mag my friend had would only put a decent size dent in the front door and not pass through. It was factory ammo lead bullets is what I remember. We where both shocked the 44 mag wouldn’t go through.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

i wouldnt worry about the face of the bullet, it happens even with a patched round ball.

[Jniedbalski]

Forgot to add I noticed also with the same bullet my starter would leave the same circle on the tip. My accuracy was real decent at 100 yards 3 in or so . I never really worried about it that much. If I could shoot 5 shots in 3 in or less I thought that was great.

[brewer12345]

I have been shooting a bunch of 380 grain 54 REALs out of a lighter rifle. With a hefty hunting powder charge, they definitely kick a good bit. A bigger deal is that they are pretty tough to get started when loading. I know I must have messed the heck out of the noses of them, yet they still shot better than I had a right to expect. I would not sweat a bit of nose deformation.