.357 SWC in a 36 cal Muzzleloader?

[Boerrancher]

I’ve been wondering about this for a while, since I got my 36 cal Hawken done, would the Kieth style SWC with the deep lube groove 1, Stabilize out of a 1/48 twist, and 2 would there be enough lube in it say if it were a like lard or bear grease to not cause leading and fouling problems?

Thoughts? Pros and Cons?

[jdfoxinc]

Find a hollow base mold then yes.

[LAGS]

What about a .32 cal with paper patching.
You also have the option to Powder Coat slugs to reduce or prevent leading.
Not something I have done.
But just another option.

[BadgerShooter]

I tried hollow base wadcutters in my 36 underhammer - did not work well. Poor accuracy and difficult to load. YMMV Sure looks good on paper though!

[Gtrubicon]

I tried some powder coated Lee 158 rf bullets in my tc Cherokee. They were unsized after powder coating. They wouldn’t slide right down the barrel, I did have to use my ramrod to seat them, it took very little effort. They didn’t shoot horrible, but no where near as accurate as a round ball. I’ve never paper patched anything so I haven’t tried it. Shortly after trying the 158 bullets I found a Lyman 36 cal maxi bullet mold. I have them cast up and ready just haven’t tried them yet. I thought I’d give them the go before I got into paper patching bullets. The 158’s were loose enough in the barrel that I would not trust them to stay put after seated. I definitely wouldn’t walk around with them in the barrel for fear they would move around. That little rifle is so darned accurate with round ball I honestly have no real good explanation as to why I’m trying other projectiles, other than I love to experiment.

[gunther]

A long time ago, a friend who had guidance from a NSSA shooter tried 148 grain HBWC's in his TC Seneca. At 25 yards, he was well satisfied, and they loaded easily. Best I remember, that rifle should have had a 1in48 twist.

[Hellgate]

Keep in mind that the Lyman molds for smokeless shooting are cut to throw the designated diameter bullet with #2 alloy. Using pure lead and casting the same bullet would throw a .001-.002 smaller diameter bullet. The soft lead would be necessary to produce a better gas seal. The hollow base 148 WC cast of pure lead might work if it is not too small in diameter. The 148 HBWC appear to be of softr lead than the SWCs but I doubt they are pure lead, dead soft.

[dtknowles]

1/48 twist is not going to stabilize something much longer than a round ball. Almost certainly will not stabilize a bullet over 110 gr. A solid bullet that you can load will not pick up the rifling and get proper spin. It will need to be patched like a round ball. It will be hard to load as it has more bearing area than the round ball.

Something to consider, cutting most of the skirt away on a hollow base wadcutter. I don't know how short you can make them and still have a hollow base but if you cut them back to 110 gr. and still have a hollow base you could probably shoot them like a miny Minie and not have to patch them. Don't know if you could cut them with a tubing cutter, might work.
Tim

[Boerrancher]

I think I fill forget about the whole thing. If I could find a Lee REAL Mold or or a Lee or Lyman copy of the TC Maxi I would try that on. I know my 32 cal Crockett shoots the TC Maxis pretty well out to 50 yds. I use them for bigger critters like Coyotes, and Armadillos when Squirrel season is not open.

I was always told that the 1-48 twist was the designed to shoot both the PRB and the maxi. Most PRB only guns are 1-66. Time to start hunting molds. I hope Lee makes a 6 cavity like they do for the 32 cal.

[Good Cheer]

Good morning Boerrancher.
I didn't try it in a 48" twist but in a 9mm machine pistol barrel made into a flintlock.
First thing I tried was sizing down to bore diameter some soft lead boolits cast with the Lee 150 grain round nose mold. The boolits expanded to fill the grooves with no leading.

[Boerrancher]

Good morning Boerrancher.
I didn't try it in a 48" twist but in a 9mm machine pistol barrel made into a flintlock.
First thing I tried was sizing down to bore diameter some soft lead boolits cast with the Lee 150 grain round nose mold. The boolits expanded to fill the grooves with no leading.

I have a couple different styles of 9mm molds that are 124 gr. Let’s face it that is 2x the weight of a 36 cal round ball. Double the weight double the Kinetic energy. I’m just looking for something to deliver a bigger wallop to the brain pan of a feral hog.

[Good Cheer]

Just thinking out loud, if a .36 maxi will work in a 48" twist then there's probably a .38 mold that'll work. Reckon the question could be how far away you'd get sufficient accuracy for the job at hand.

On a side note, the maxiball design seems to have used that rearwards positioned drive band for stability the same way that lube grooves on a .58 caliber hollow base bullet added stability (they behaved like fletching on an arrow), more so than with a smooth sided hollow base. So why can't a SWC or RN benefit from the same effect?

[BadgerShooter]

I picked up a 36 maxi mold from this forum and it works pretty good in my underhammer. Its not quite as accurate as a patched ball but accurate enough for the Primitive Biathlon match I shoot and the speed of loading is a bonus. I make "speed loaders" out of empty 410 shells. I put the powder in the shell and put the lubed maxi in celophane and put it in the case with a twist of celophane sticking out the top. Its an easy matter to pull out the wrapped bullet, dump the powder down the bore and squeeze the bullet thru the celophane and ram it down. Crude but effective. That maxi hits hard for a 36

[Boerrancher]

I picked up a 36 maxi mold from this forum and it works pretty good in my underhammer. Its not quite as accurate as a patched ball but accurate enough for the Primitive Biathlon match I shoot and the speed of loading is a bonus. I make "speed loaders" out of empty 410 shells. I put the powder in the shell and put the lubed maxi in celophane and put it in the case with a twist of celophane sticking out the top. Its an easy matter to pull out the wrapped bullet, dump the powder down the bore and squeeze the bullet thru the celophane and ram it down. Crude but effective. That maxi hits hard for a 36

I’ve been hunting a 36 maxi mold. Haven’t found one yet.

[Nobade]

Something like this?
http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-120A

Just have him adjust the band diameters to whatever you need to fit your rifle.

[Boerrancher]

I did find a Lyman/Ideal mold to cast the 36 cal maxi. I should have it by the 21st and have some cast and ready to try on the 22nd. I am hoping I can get a 2” group at 50 yds.

[Nobade]

Good find! Hope it works well.

[Gtrubicon]

I did find a Lyman/Ideal mold to cast the 36 cal maxi. I should have it by the 21st and have some cast and ready to try on the 22nd. I am hoping I can get a 2” group at 50 yds.
I found the same mold about a month ago, I haven’t had any time for casting lately. I’m looking forward to your range report.

[BadgerShooter]

My underhammer shoots maybe slightly better than 2" at 50 when everything comes together. I tried felt wads under the bullet, but got wild fliers. I know others have had great luck with them.

[Boerrancher]

My underhammer shoots maybe slightly better than 2" at 50 when everything comes together. I tried felt wads under the bullet, but got wild fliers. I know others have had great luck with them.

I would think that a felt wad would provide just enough cushion to not allow uniform obturation of the base each time. I’m going to load them base on the powder, and lubed with hydrolyzed vegetable oil and hope the oil cuts down on the leading, and the hydrolization keeps the fouling soft. If it doesn’t I will go back to tallow and swab between shots.

[hatchet jack]

I have owned two 36 caliber BP rifles and I shot 148gr hollow base wad cutters out of both of them and they shot great. One was a TC Seneca and the other was a Traditions Pennsylvania I should have never sold. Both were more than accurate enough for 100 yard or less deer hunting. IIRC I mostly used Hornady wad cutter bullets but did try some Speer. Both worked just fine. I don't remember the powder charges but they weren't heavy charges.

[Boerrancher]

I have owned two 36 caliber BP rifles and I shot 148gr hollow base wad cutters out of both of them and they shot great. One was a TC Seneca and the other was a Traditions Pennsylvania I should have never sold. Both were more than accurate enough for 100 yard or less deer hunting. IIRC I mostly used Hornady wad cutter bullets but did try some Speer. Both worked just fine. I don't remember the powder charges but they weren't heavy charges.

Thanks I will see what I can find.