Walker boolit design

[HWooldridge]

I picked up a Walker-Uberti replica at a good price - previous owner got tired of lugging it. I plan to hang it on a saddle horn so no big deal there.

Figured I’d start with a round ball but I want to develop a load using a boolit closer to a 45 Colt, so am thinking 225 to 250 gr pill, and wondering whether I should consider a heeled design or just use one for a conventional 45 Colt @ .457-.458 diameter. What do those of you with either a Walker or Dragoon tend to use?

[Harter66]

The correct conical design is called a Pickett . I load a reworked 429421 that drops at .448 it's just snug in both the Dragoon and 44 Rem Army with .447 chambers into a .426×.440 barrels . I haven't shot a bunch of them but enough to know that as is often said they are more accurate with a RB than a conical . I also tried the 45-200 RCBS. Same deal . A 200 gr RN or RNFP would be better probably I suspect the closer you get to a WC around .460 length the better it's going to get .

[HWooldridge]

The traditional “picket” bullet has almost no bearing surface. I can see why they were less accurate - too easy to get it off center when loading.

Accurate Molds has several heeled designs that look interesting - might try something in the 220 gr range.

[cwtebay]

Wholeheartedly agree with Harter66. The PICKETT bullet is correct. As far as bearing surface - slugging your barrel prior to making that assertion would be wise. I have 1 original and 1 reproduction Walker - both love the original Pickett design.

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[Good Cheer]

In the 70's I started using pistol molds and partially sizing the castings in a Lyman lubrisizer so that the rear end of the bullets slipped into the chambers and the front half sheared on the chamber mouths like round ball. It's not a perfect solution but it gives me lots of choices for bullet designs.

https://i.imgur.com/YI8EZiB.jpg

[HWooldridge]

In the 70's I started using pistol molds and partially sizing the castings in a Lyman lubrisizer so that the rear end of the bullets slipped into the chambers and the front half sheared on the chamber mouths like round ball. It's not a perfect solution but it gives me lots of choices for bullet designs.

https://i.imgur.com/YI8EZiB.jpg

Good Cheer,

THAT is a good thought - and easy to do. Many thanks for the idea.

I don’t believe the initial picket bullet was ever a good idea, which is why they basically abandoned it later. I have an original mold for an 1860 Colt Army; it throws a round ball and a so-called picket design, but the pointed bullet has a cylindrical portion which is about half the entire length. That mold isn’t in good condition but I may dig it out and see if I can make a few slugs and see how those shoot. I could send that example to a mold maker and have it duplicated.

Thanks for the responses.

[Bent Ramrod]

There’s a place called Eras Gone that makes moulds for all the Civil War and earlier design guns. I would think the best bet for a pointy boolit would be on the order of the Ideal 429185, scaled up so the shank is a slip fit in the cylinder and the main body diameter is big enough to seal the chamber mouths.

My C&B boolit shooting has been with the Ideal 450229 hollow base. It never seemed to be as accurate as a round ball, but the grease grooves let me skip the smearing of lube over the chambers after loading.

[Drydock]

You want the Era's Gone Bullet Moulds "Dragoon" bullet.

[HWooldridge]

319372

Round ball and 55 grs of my homemade 2F using grapevine charcoal.

[45workhorse]

I have a Lee double cavity, don't have a number. But it throws a .457/8 at the widest and I believe .450 at the base. It slips into my Walker cylinder, easily till it hits the last ring.

Was playing with paper cartridges. Shot 6 out of my ROA. What a PIA! My paper was nitrated but it still left a ring in my cylinder.


Has anyone shot the Era gone boolet. Have thought about trying some boolets before I get a mold!

[Hellgate]

I read where the picket bullet was hard to load so sometimes the soldiers would load them backwards when in a hurry. Any significant misalignment of the chamber to barrel could burst the gun when fired.
I'd go with the partially sized 45 bullets or the LEE 44 conical. Stick to soft lead.

[Good Cheer]

A pretty cool design gotten off of ebay.

https://i.imgur.com/a0eVZQQ.jpg