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Thread: So, I cast up some Minie balls

  1. #1
    Boolit Master armoredman's Avatar
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    So, I cast up some Minie balls

    The 533-410M (533 Diameter) 410 Grain one, to be specific. The boy and I wanna try them out in our 54 caliber rifles...BUT...we know nothing about Minie balls. Do they load without a patch? What powder charge for a 410 grain bullet? Any special tricks, tips, ideas? Just curious.
    B TW, that is one BIG heavy boolit, cast today by me of soft lead, wonder what kind of evil mess it could make hunting.
    Oddly enough, the mold dropped easily hot or cold, but it took a while to heat up. Once it did, it worked great, never got stuck. I couldn't find my casting gloves, first time I've cast since the move and divorce...so I used my Mechanix gloves. Important safety tip - don't do that. Mechanix gloves have plastic in them, apparently. Oops. Off to Walmart for another pair next week.
    Last edited by armoredman; 11-18-2022 at 11:44 PM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    You should not use a patch.
    I have only shot Minie's out of smoothbores that I use to have.
    I can't remember what powder charge I used.
    But like all other Boolits , start at 50 gr of 2or 3 f.
    Then you will see if that heavier Boolit causes more Kick.
    Then work your powder charge up by 10 grains per shot.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master armoredman's Avatar
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    Thank you, that's awesome.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master



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    Lube them up good, no patch. 60-80 grains, 2/3 f
    Anymore you will start to blow the skirts. YMMV

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Ithaca Gunner's Avatar
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    You'll want them sized about .001'' smaller than bore, (land) diameter and lubed with a black powder lube like bee's wax and Crisco or SPG. Avoid any petrol base lube. The bullet should slide down the bore with light finger pressure on the rod and seat firmly atop the powder. Start your powder charge at 40gr. and work up 5gr. at a time, I would say to stop around 70gr. depending on the skirt thickness. You didn't mention what you're shooting them out of, rifles designed for a Burton, (minie) bullet had a rifling depth of around .015'' at the breech and .005'' near the muzzle with fairly slow twist rates, 1:48-1:78.

    As far as damage to a live target, look at the casualty's they caused 1861-1865. They behave very much like a soft point .30 from my experience, as the wound channel is almost identical, they shatter bone and do considerable tissue destruction. This is why amputation was so common during the war when a soldier was hit in a limb. A Mississippi soldier wounded in the forearm at Gettysburg related the sensation of being hit with a .58 bullet as like holding one end of a fence rail in one hand and having someone drop the other end on a rock, he lost his forearm.
    Liberalism is a cult divorced from reality.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by armoredman View Post
    The 533-410M (533 Diameter) 410 Grain one, to be specific. The boy and I wanna try them out in our 54 caliber rifles...BUT...we know nothing about Minie balls. Do they load without a patch? What powder charge for a 410 grain bullet? Any special tricks, tips, ideas? Just curious.
    B TW, that is one BIG heavy boolit, cast today by me of soft lead, wonder what kind of evil mess it could make hunting.
    Oddly enough, the mold dropped easily hot or cold, but it took a while to heat up. Once it did, it worked great, never got stuck. I couldn't find my casting gloves, first time I've cast since the move and divorce...so I used my Mechanix gloves. Important safety tip - don't do that. Mechanix gloves have plastic in them, apparently. Oops. Off to Walmart for another pair next week.
    Are you shooting them in a Thompson Center Hawkins?

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    With a rifled bore, I like to have a little resistance when loading them.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master armoredman's Avatar
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    Mine is a TC Renegade, his is highly customized Kit Carson left hand. I have Bore Butter

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Ithaca Gunner's Avatar
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    All you can do is try it. I don't know the twist rate in a Renegade, maybe 1:28? Nor the depth of the rifling, so try it and report the results.
    Liberalism is a cult divorced from reality.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    That Renagade is 1:48.
    Which should be fast enough for that heavier Boolit.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by armoredman View Post
    Mine is a TC Renegade, his is highly customized Kit Carson left hand. I have Bore Butter
    The only problem I had in my TC was that the bullet wasn't a tight fit, was afraid it would slide out if the muzzle was pointed down toward ground.So I paper patched a few and it worked great.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check