Help me define some terms &

[DeadWood]

choose a mold.

Conical
Minnie
Maxi
did i miss any?(RB, but i figured that out ;))

I'm starting to look for moulds or molds? and really want to understand before i commit to buying one. I have both a T/C Hawkens .50cal ML and a CVA Wolf in line .50cal I would like to cast for hunting whitetails. I truly can't see shooting past 100yds with either ( i hunt both thick timber 50yds max shot and field edge 100yd +) but like to practice past that for accuracy. Plan on a different one/style for each. Still have to go back and re-read old posts, but seems like a RB for the Hawkens is fine for this??

Are WW fine for casting the .490 RB(+patch) for the Hawkens?

Thanks

[Ajax]

whats the rate of twist in the barrel
Andy

[mooman76]

Both Maxi and minie's are conicals. The minie named after the inventor and probublt spelled wrong but it's a hollow based bullet that expands from the hot gas when fired and the base grips the rifling. The advantage is it slides(should) down the barrel easy. The Maxi is driven in and that's how it engages the rifling. Your barrel twist needs to be tighter tan with a RB to shoot well.
WWs will work but soft lead is better. I used WWs for years because thats all I had. A Hawkins will usually have a 1-48 twist which in 50 cal is a good twist for both RB and conicals. Your CVA Wolf may not like conicals or RBs as well as the Hawkins because of the tight twist but that doesn't mean they won't work. That is something you will have to try and see. It will probably shoot them well enough for hunting loads out to 100. You just may not be able to push them as hard. Get a book on BP shooting and it will help explain allot.

[jimb16]

Claude Minie' created the minnie ball. It originally had a hard cone in the base that forced the hollow walls outward into the rifleing, but that was quickly discarded after they discovered the the pressure would accomplish the same thing. It should be cast of soft lead so that the base expands easily. A round ball can be made with WWs, but it doesn't expand well like a soft lead ball does. Its ok for target, but the soft RB is better for hunting. A RB will stabilize in a twist as low as 1-72. A conical needs around 1-48 to stabilize properly.

[Bob Krack]

R.E.A.L. (Rifling Engraved At Loading) from Lee.

I prefer Maxis and Conicals.

Bob

[DeadWood]

whats the rate of twist in the barrel
Andy

Doesn't say on the barrel, but from what info i gathered i to believe its 1-48 twist. Have never verified.

[DeadWood]

Is it possible to make WW softer and is that an option or should i just buy the correct lead for RB's?

[NickSS]

There are several different types of bullets available for a Muzzle loader. The Maxi Ball was invented by Thompson Center. It is designed to be fired in a rifle barrel with a 1 in 48 twist. It has three driving bands and only the front one is engraved on loading. It has deep wide lube grooves to carry lube. They work quite well in my 50 cal TC rifle. TC also makes a mold called the Maxi hunter. This looks more like a bullet with a slight hollow point. It was designed to expand better in deer type animals. I have a mold for this bullet for my 54 rifle. Again only the front band engraves on loading. These bullets must be cast from soft lead or they wont work. You can also buy a mold for a 50 cal minnie ball or a Lee REAL bullet. The minnie ball has a hollow base and does not require engraving to work. The real bullet has a flat base and engraves upon loading. All of these bullets require soft lead to work. Round balls can be cast from WW and they work fine for target shooting but do not work as well for hunting as they mostly do not expand when they hit an animal. So for a ML use soft lead as near pure as you can get. My favorite bullet is not either of the ones I cast for hunting. I use the Hornady Great plains bullet. It is a thick skirted minnie easy to load and quite accurate in my TC.

[Lead Fred]

WW are too hard, go for pure lead.

1:28 twist---------------------1:48--------------------------1:66
Conical------------------------either-----------------------Roundball

Rough chart. You get the idea.

We only shoot roundball here. Thats why I ordered a custom Rice 1:60 barrel

[mooman76]

If you pick out the stick on WWs rather than the clip on they are soft lead. You can also figure out you twist rat with your cleaning rod and a good tight patch. Put you cleaning ro with a good tight jag and patch into the barrel. Mark it and also mark it in the same place 2 foot down. Push it in the barrel and if it turns 1/2 way around you have a 1-48 twist.
Generally if you want to get soft lead and don't have any you can post here to swap. We are always getting people that want soft lead and only have WWs/hard lead and visa versa.

[Marvin S]

+1 on the LEE REAL boolit. It should work well in the T/C 1-48.

[Captain*Kirk]

+1 on the LEE REAL boolit. It should work well in the T/C 1-48.

+2 on the REAL boolit. I cast and use them in my Lyman Trade Rifle in .50 with a 1:48 twist and they are quite accurate, easy to load, and devastating on impact......320gr solid. I have fired 50 shots over 65gr Pyrodex RS at the range without cleaning the barrel.....even once......and encountered no difficulties with grouping or loading! They simply slide down the barrel, like they're supposed to.

[frontier gander]

real aint going to shoot for **** in the 1:28, been there done that.

[Maven]

"REAL ain't going to shoot for **** in the 1:28, been there done that." ---frontier gander

My experience as well as they were undersized for my bbl. Maxi-Balls, both Lyman and T/C were much more accurate, and a saboted RCBS 429-250K was better still.

[Odinbreaker]

I have mixed WW and lead half and half for RB. They are patched and under size you just may need a little thinner patch, as they will cast a couple thousands bigger.