58 Cal mini ball cavity

[mcshot]

Newb here that is thrilled with site and resources. have a question that cannot find answer for. I have a Lyman IDEAL 575213 single cavity that is missing the hollow base tool. Since i haven't made contact with Lyman yet I'm wondering if I can drill out the hollow base close to standard dimensions. Will this work for my Zoli 1863 or do I need to track down the base tool?
Thanks,
Mc:killingpc

[Buckshot]

Newb here that is thrilled with site and resources. have a question that cannot find answer for. I have a Lyman IDEAL 575213 single cavity that is missing the hollow base tool. Since i haven't made contact with Lyman yet I'm wondering if I can drill out the hollow base close to standard dimensions. Will this work for my Zoli 1863 or do I need to track down the base tool?
Thanks,
Mc:killingpc

..............I hate to disuade anyone who feels confident enough to give something a try, but in this case since you mention a drill I have to assume you don't have a lathe? Even if you had a really, really, REALLY good drill press the drill will defeat you regardless how much time you spend centering the mould blocks up to be co-incident with the DP's spindle axis. A 2 fluted drill simply will not drill a true round hole. A reamer would be the better option, given the above good drillpress.

A drill bit will make holes round enough for lots of things, but probably not in this case. Your best bet is to contact Lyman and see if you can buy a replacement. It is possible they may want you to send them the blocks, but maybe not. As to if the mould have have will work in your Zouave, the answer is 'It should', depending upon your definition of 'work'. Best accuracy with a Minie' happens when the Minie' drops from the mould so as to fit very closely the bore of your barrel. IF this mould drops them like that and they're carefully cast and then scaled, or at least ruthlessly culled during a visual inspection they should shoot close to the potential of your Zouave after working up a load and lube.

............Buckshot

[tonyb]

You will have to send them the mould, the cost will be $35. But that was last year price.

[mooman76]

Lee had a minie mould for less than $20. The one I am using id a copy of an original from the era.

[59sharps]

Newb here that is thrilled with site and resources. have a question that cannot find answer for. I have a Lyman IDEAL 575213 single cavity that is missing the hollow base tool. Since i haven't made contact with Lyman yet I'm wondering if I can drill out the hollow base close to standard dimensions. Will this work for my Zoli 1863 or do I need to track down the base tool?
Thanks,
Mc:killingpc
send it to lyman. you may also find one on the NSSA Board one of the sutlers may also have one or make one. Jerry Stone or Notheast trader come to mind. I know northest makes custom cores for RCBS minnie molds Mybe able to fit one to the Lyman. Last core I bought was about $10.
:castmine:

[missionary5155]

Greetings & WELCOME mcshot !
I bought my Zouve some time ago and discoved AFTER I bought a mini mold, my rifle shot round ball far better. My ZOLI rifle has about a 1-65 twist. Mini's shoot midiocre. RB (.570 + 85 grains Pyrodex) will shoot cloverleafs all day long at 50 yards from my crosssticks. At 100 yds it is a boring 2.5 inches off cross sticks. The mini's (I tried thin & thick skirts) shot over 5 " at 50 yards & terrible at 100. Tried loads of 50-90 grains 2F & Pryrodex. Tried pure lead, 1-30, 1-20, 50/50 (WW-lead) and WW.
You can buy 2 lee molds for the price of the base plug and cast enough RB in 20 minutes to last a month. Casting Hollow Base 58 mini's can get real testy and just may make ya wonder why until everything gets REAL hot and the first one drops loose, clean & filled out.
Now if your rifle has FAST twist (1-35 or so) the mini's will probably shoot... but RB still will.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

The RCBS and Lyman Hollow base plug are greatly different mechanically for the minie ball. They are so far apart as to think otherwise would not be fruitful. Send the lyman for a fix, watch an auction house for a 575213 bargain (it happens), or buy the RCBS. Practice drillin' or makin' on sonething else. BvT

[cwskirmisher]

Greetings & WELCOME mcshot !
I bought my Zouve some time ago and discoved AFTER I bought a mini mold, my rifle shot round ball far better. My ZOLI rifle has about a 1-65 twist. Mini's shoot midiocre. RB (.570 + 85 grains Pyrodex) will shoot cloverleafs all day long at 50 yards from my crosssticks. At 100 yds it is a boring 2.5 inches off cross sticks. The mini's (I tried thin & thick skirts) shot over 5 " at 50 yards & terrible at 100. Tried loads of 50-90 grains 2F & Pryrodex. Tried pure lead, 1-30, 1-20, 50/50 (WW-lead) and WW.
You can buy 2 lee molds for the price of the base plug and cast enough RB in 20 minutes to last a month. Casting Hollow Base 58 mini's can get real testy and just may make ya wonder why until everything gets REAL hot and the first one drops loose, clean & filled out.
Now if your rifle has FAST twist (1-35 or so) the mini's will probably shoot... but RB still will.

To get any 'target' accuracy from a minie, the size should be .001-.002 under bore (lands) diameter, and only pure lead (BHN 5-6). Harder alloys will not obturate properly. If the minie drops out of the mould at .574-.575 and your barrel lands diameter is .580-ish, then of course you will get 5" or bigger groups. N-SSA shooters are getting great accuracy out of the Zoli at both 50 and 100 yards with the minie - as long as the size is proper for the barrel. The Zoli Zouave is still a favorite, accurate rifle-musket of the skirmishers. Loads with the Lyman new and old style minie 575213 of 40-45 grains of 3F, or 45-50 grains of 2F is all you need. If you try shooting 80+ grains with a minie, you risk a skirt blowout which will ruin any accuracy. 50 grains of 3F is more than plenty for hunting and will go straight through and through a whitetail at 100+ yrds. Larger (than .575) diameter minies for the bigger bores are available from Lee, RCBS, Rapine and others.
If you need to speed load for a follow on 2nd shot, there is no beating a minie. You can reload and fire within 15 seconds or less with a little practice. You will never get a follow-on 2nd shot with a patched roundball.

[bonza]

Now if your rifle has FAST twist (1-35 or so) the mini's will probably shoot...

I'm sorry, but this is bad advice. Rifle-Muskets were designed to shoot Minie balls, & all the original rifle-muskets had rifling twist rates of 1:48" thru 1:72". The reason the Minie shoots well (when sized correctly) is that the hollow base design moves most of the bullets weight forward & in fact behaves more like a roundball, when compared to a regular flat base conical of similar length which has its center of gravity further back & does require a much slower twist rate.
The problem with a lot of the Minie molds is that they cast a bullet too small in diameter for most of the rifle-muskets out there, especially the Springfields & Zouaves which run much closer +/- to .58 caliber whereas Enfields tend to run closer to +/- .577".

[TAWILDCATT]

there are a couple good machinists here that could make the pin far cheaper than lyman.lathsmith and bullshot.

[Buckshot]

.........Well, shows mcshot was last aboard 12-10 and there had been 5 replies to his question before that, and he's not responded so I suppose he got it taken care of or forgot about it :-)

..............Buckshot

[NickSS]

My favorite mini ball shooter is a Parker Hale musketoon. The interesting thing about this little rifle is that it shoots round ball with 50 gr of FFFG and a Rapine original Mini sized to .577" with 50 gi of FFFG to the same point of aim at 50 and 100 yards. I use this rifle for round ball rendezvous a lot but when they have a steak shoot or fort shoot I cheat a little and use mini balls as they load faster and speed is what counts.