Loading for a Zoli 1863 replica rifle

[Ithaca Gunner]

I believe the P58 to be the pinnacle of the muzzle loading military rifle!

Here's mine, a fine condition 1861, (Royal Marine Artillery short rifle version).

[dave951]

[QUOTE=indian joe;5330551]

All I can say is, they did well enough with the 1:72 twist in the Springfields and the Brits did pretty well indeed with the 1:78 twist in their Enfields. The Royal Navy DID teach us all a few things with their P58 with the 1:48 twist, so much so the Royal Army adopted it in 1860/1861 for their short rifles. The P58 Naval rifle was so good in fact, every one of them bought by the Confederacy went to their sharp-shooters. They were starting to figure it out, but still the standard infantry weapons were still slow twist...and still, my Fayetteville with the 1:72 twist turns in good scores at 100yds. Good as any P58 I ever shot. The P58 will do much better at longer ranges, but up to 2-300yds. I doubt there's much real difference.

So at least you not gonna tell me my preference for the 48 twist p58 is wrong ?

I wouldn't say that the preference for the P58 is wrong. I shoot a P58 in competition BUT there are differences. Just because another rifle has a slower twist, when shooting minies doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a handicap at ranges out to 100yd. When looking at a P58 v 1863 Contract aka "Zouave", there are ergonomic differences. P58- sight radius is shorter, rear sight is closer to muzzle, stock shape is "odd" from what most Americans are used to. I have a 1862 Colt contract that is the 2 band version of the Springfield. Both it and my P58 shoot equally well in competition. Both shoot one hole groups at 50yd. So why do I prefer the P58? Simple, it has post and notch sights whereas my Springfield has a peep. In N-SSA competition, it's entirely possible that the range will be obscured by smoke making sighting challenging with a post and notch and nearly impossible with a peep. So I put up with the weird stock shape to keep sights clear.

[Ithaca Gunner]

For my aging eyes the sight on the P58 seems a benefit rather than a handicap. I always fit right into the Enfield stock until I injured my shoulder last year, now just trying to shoulder one is painful. My favorite shooter from my N-SSA days is a Windsor Enfield with a Hoyt 1:60 liner, that gun never disappointed me. Another is a 1862 Fayetteville I swapped a rolling block for, ''Lewie'' on 2nd VA. Inf made it with a Whitacre 1:72 barrel. Both shoot great with 55gr. FFFg under a Lyman 575213OS. Behind me right now is an 1863 Springfield with a 1:48 Hoyt liner that needs a trigger job and possibly the barrel bedded. I only shot it once so far and it didn't perform up to standards. A P-H Musketoon 1:48 finishes out my collection.

The only one I've shot out to 300yds. was the Windsor, and it did very well. Claud E. Fuller's book, ''The Rifled Musket'' holds a treasure, about 1/3 of the book is a copy of targets shot with various long arms used in the Civil War, shot by soldiers using issue ammunition at ranges out to 500yds. Some targets shot by squad on command, others shot by what seems the best individual shot. Over-all, these guns were good as were the men who shot them. They knew what they were doing, better guns hadn't been developed yet. It's easy for us to look back and nit-pick, imagine what was good and bad, but the men who used them didn't have that advantage, they made them work.

[Rifledude]

Hellgate: yes it is a three groove barrel, and you're correct that it is a booger to try to measure, and I don't have pin gauges that large. I have a couple of mini molds coming, and made up some .575 round balls today that fit snugly into the bore nestled in their lubed patch. So as the man said: "We'll soon see".

[Ithaca Gunner]

Call around to machine shops in your area and ask if they will measure it with pin gauges for you, if they have them. I have a collection of sizing dies from .574-.580 and just use sized boolits to measure them, but I have multiple guns to justify the expense.

[Rifledude]

smithnframe, It appears to be 1-60".