Want to try Lee 54 cal R.E.A.L. in 1x66 flintlock

I have arthritis problems in my shoulders that make loading a tight patched round ball in my 54 cal 1x66 flintlock very painful. A friend suggested that I should try the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet, either the 300gr or 380gr, for deer hunting as a substitute. He says that they load with less resistance and still deliver good accuracy.

I'm looking for input from other longrifle shooters who have tried these bullets in the slow twist barrels. Is it possible to stabilize these bullets enough for decent hunting accuracy on 100 yd targets?

If the answer to this is "yes" I'd appreciate a link to a source for cast bullets (molds and handles are readily available, but my casting days are over - a little too shakey at 78 to handle molten lead!)

Thanks
Bruce

Check Track of the Wolf in there Ammunition section.
I do my own casting.
So I am not sure they sell the Lee REAL slugs.
But I get other slugs from them for rifles I do not have molds for.
That slow twist will shoot out to 100 yards accurately.
But you will have to try different loads of powder and maybe overpowder wads to see what works best in your rifle.
Also
It your loading of a Ball is too hard.
Maybe try a smaller diameter ball in your rifle , or a thinner patch.
I have a friend that his son likes an easier loading ball in a .54 I built for him.
He likes a .520 ball for easier loading , and he is very accurate with it.

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Originally Posted by LAGS

Check Track of the Wolf in there Ammunition section.
I do my own casting.
So I am not sure they sell the Lee REAL slugs.
But I get other slugs from them for rifles I do not have molds for.

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I had the same thought, but TOW only sells the molds.

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Originally Posted by Bruce in WV

I have arthritis problems in my shoulders that make loading a tight patched round ball in my 54 cal 1x66 flintlock very painful. A friend suggested that I should try the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet, either the 300gr or 380gr, for deer hunting as a substitute. He says that they load with less resistance and still deliver good accuracy.

I'm looking for input from other longrifle shooters who have tried these bullets in the slow twist barrels. Is it possible to stabilize these bullets enough for decent hunting accuracy on 100 yd targets?

If the answer to this is "yes" I'd appreciate a link to a source for cast bullets (molds and handles are readily available, but my casting days are over - a little too shakey at 78 to handle molten lead!)

Thanks
Bruce

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Don't think that will help your shoulder or your flinter ,lot more recoil and wear on your vent hole . There's a reason they call the twist in those barrels RB . Want to try conicals get a TC Renegade 1-48 and way more weight in the stock and shot gun butt plate , had a Kibler woods runner (54) sold it cause I own or did own a bunch of Renegades . Still own one Renegade 50 but that too is headed down the road , got into smokeless muzzys and that's way more fun and got a bunch of powder to burn before I head down the road (too)/Ed

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Originally Posted by Edward

Don't think that will help your shoulder or your flinter ,lot more recoil and wear on your vent hole . There's a reason they call the twist in those barrels RB . Want to try conicals get a TC Renegade 1-48 and way more weight in the stock and shot gun butt plate , had a Kibler woods runner (54) sold it cause I own or did own a bunch of Renegades . Still own one Renegade 50 but that too is headed down the road , got into smokeless muzzys and that's way more fun and got a bunch of powder to burn before I head down the road (too)/Ed

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Ed, Thank you for your comments.
I have an Investarms percussion 50 Hawken for general muzzleloader season, but the flinter has a special place in the rack for WV Mountaineer Season in early January (primitive rifles and longbows for combined deer/bear/turkey). More importantly, it is a 'tribute' rifle I had built after my father passed 20 years ago. He was a dedicated flintlock collector for decades and got me hooked. If I can't find a way to continue to shoot it, I'll set it up for long term storage, along with the accoutrements, and put it away for my son and grandson.

This attempt to shoot it with the R.E.A.L. bullets is an exploration of what's possible. Your comment about wear on the vent hole is very interesting. I hadn't considered that, and I don't want to damage this rifle: can you explain it a little more, please.

If your rifle has just a Drilled Vent hole and it gets worn over the years.
You can always drill and tap the barrel for a flash hole screw in replacement from TOW.
I have done that on a couple flinters that had bad holes.
But shooting heavier slugs can in some cases cause back pressure that burns out the steel barrel flash hole easier.
But only shooting a slug occasionally will last a good while.
But the screw in Stainless Steel flash hole liners last a lot longer.

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Originally Posted by Bruce in WV

I have arthritis problems in my shoulders that make loading a tight patched round ball in my 54 cal 1x66 flintlock very painful. A friend suggested that I should try the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet, either the 300gr or 380gr, for deer hunting as a substitute. He says that they load with less resistance and still deliver good accuracy.

I'm looking for input from other longrifle shooters who have tried these bullets in the slow twist barrels. Is it possible to stabilize these bullets enough for decent hunting accuracy on 100 yd targets?

If the answer to this is "yes" I'd appreciate a link to a source for cast bullets (molds and handles are readily available, but my casting days are over - a little too shakey at 78 to handle molten lead!)

Thanks
Bruce

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why not go to a thinner patch?
if it blows out bad enough to reduce accuracy try an overpowder wad under the patched ball
I shot 120 grain loads in a 54 CVA for years - 530 ball on a calico patch I used a 1" calico patch on the powder then loaded the patched ball ---worked good but the dry backer patch is a fire hazard in the bush - so suggesting a wad like juice box or simlar ????

If you are dodgy in the shoulders hero loads ( 380 grain R E A L boolit and enough powder to steer it straight in a 66" twist ) are not likely to help

There is something else that I have used in my .54’s
I bought some plastic sabots that shoot a .451 slug.
They load fairly easily.
I have shot .45 Colt 255 gr lead slugs sized to .451 and .45-230 gr HP for my Colt ACP
They are very accurate at 100 yards and they are not a super heavy slug.
Some of my .54 Renegades are bored to a slow twist like yours too.
Plus I just turned 70 last year, so I too like easier loading rifles most of the time.

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Originally Posted by LAGS

There is something else that I have used in my .54’s
I bought some plastic sabots that shoot a .451 slug.
They load fairly easily.
I have shot .45 Colt 255 gr lead slugs sized to .451 and .45-230 gr HP for my Colt ACP
They are very accurate at 100 yards and they are not a super heavy slug.
Some of my .54 Renegades are bored to a slow twist like yours too.
Plus I just turned 70 last year, so I too like easier loading rifles most of the time.

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LAGS,
Thanks for the suggestion about the sabots. I use .451 260gr RNFP slugs in 50 cal ribbed sabots in my 1x48 Hawken, and they are great. What brand sabots do you use?

I have a .526 round ball mold , loads easy in my 54. Haven't noticed any loss in accuracy. I can send you some to try.

I use Harvester ribbed in all my muzzys cause I like choices and cheaper (like pistol caliber) with less recoil/Ed

I actually have some TC Mag Sabots
PM me your address and I can send you some to try.

I'm with the thinner patch/smaller ball crowd. If you need a short starter, your load is probably tighter than necessary for hunting accuracy.

I'll be experimenting with the smaller round balls and .451 RNFPs in the 54 sabots. I'll share my results here.
Thank you all for your suggestions.

I shoot the 50 cal Real bullet and it can be difficult to seat unless you use extremely soft lead and even then it can still take some effort. The first bands slide right in with thumb pressure but the top band is oversized and needs a good whack to engrave the rifling.

Measure the thickness of your patches with a micrometer then take it to a fabric shop or goodwill and look for some cotton cloth slightly thinner. You should be able to buy a lifetime supply of patches for a few dollars.

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Originally Posted by Delkal

I shoot the 50 cal Real bullet and it can be difficult to seat unless you use extremely soft lead and even then it can still take some effort. The first bands slide right in with thumb pressure but the top band is oversized and needs a good whack to engrave the rifling.

Measure the thickness of your patches with a micrometer then take it to a fabric shop or goodwill and look for some cotton cloth slightly thinner. You should be able to buy a lifetime supply of patches for a few dollars.

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If you can find it, cotton japara is the best thin material, tight weave and tough, pocket material (like jeans pockets is purt near same thickness but not as strong) calico is next thicker, then drill, then pillow ticking seems to come in two weights , one about same thick as drill , next quite a bit heavier. Some fellers use denium - I rather drop to a larger ball and thinner patch material. For the bit of money it costs buy NEW cloth (100%cotton on the roll it comes from) - second hand clothing aint worth the save - it weakens as it ages and variable thickness depending on where you cut it - keep used rag for the workshop or as cleaning patches .

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Originally Posted by Delkal

I shoot the 50 cal Real bullet and it can be difficult to seat unless you use extremely soft lead and even then it can still take some effort. The first bands slide right in with thumb pressure but the top band is oversized and needs a good whack to engrave the rifling.

Measure the thickness of your patches with a micrometer then take it to a fabric shop or goodwill and look for some cotton cloth slightly thinner. You should be able to buy a lifetime supply of patches for a few dollars.

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Your input on using the REAL bullet is very helpful. Thank you.

On a couple of rifles that I built that I intended on using only lead slugs, I took a piece of the tip of the barrel about 1 1/2” long and made a die out of it to Pre-Rifle the slugs to match the barrel up perfectly.
I would lube up the slug , and pound it thru the die.
Then I would load it in the barrel.
The slug then was rifles and sized to fit that barrel .
When used at the range or hunting, I would pre form lots of slugs so I could shoot repeatedly with out having to size the slugs every time I shot.
On one rifle I made the die to fit on the end of the barrel to size and start the slug in a single operation.
That worked , but was not much different than just starting the load directly in the barrel.
But both set ups made it way easier to load the barrel. Especially with harder cast slugs or tight diameter slugs that got rifled all the way down the slug and not just one ring like on the REAL slugs.

I'm also with the smaller ball or thinner patch crowd. When I learned from an old timer that I didn't need a tight load to shoot well, I went from shooting 3 inch groups at 50 yards with my 50 cal, to cutting bullet holes. That success led me to purchasing a 32 cal to squirrel hunt with. Then later a 36 cal for the same. Both loads start with just thumb pressure, and seat very easily even after 10-15 rounds with out swabbing. The 32 will cut bullet holes at 30 yards, and the 36 will do the same at 40 yds. With a 1:66 twist, it is very unlikely will be able to stabilize any conical. All of my rifles are 1:48, and out of the 4, only one will stabilize a conical well enough that I consider it accurate enough to hunt with.

Update: The end of turkey season got rained out, so I had a chance to do some testing (under a roofed shooting line).

The sabots and .451/255 gr RNFPs didn't stabilize in the 1x66 twist; not a group - more a pattern (like a shotgun). Some had predicted that result: they were correct.

The smaller .526 roundball with the thinner patch material loaded easier enough for me to handle with my sore shoulders, but maintained a usable group at 50 yards, so that's the way I'll go for the primitive Mountaineer season next January.

Thanks to the gents who generously donated the test sabots and smaller round balls and patching samples.
As always, I'm impressed by the folks here!

Stay safe and be well.

Glad it worked out for you.

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Originally Posted by badwolf

Glad it worked out for you.

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I greatly appreciate your help by providing samples of smaller round balls and a variety of patch materials. I couldn't have found the workable solution as easily without your input.