Fifty Molds

[Good Cheer]

These are fifty caliber molds casting right at an inch long.
Anyone used one of these? How fast did you get it going? What twist did you have?

[Good Cheer]

Punching the numbers into different twist formula calculators was interesting. Been doing a little research on the fifty caliber cartridges of the late 19th Century to give background as to what results were developed with various bullet weights, twists, barrel lengths, powder charges. It would appear that such heavy bullet designs as these could best be served by a faster twist than the near universally supplied 48". Guess I'll have to try them out in a New Englander and see have far they'll sail before tipping.

[BLAHUT]

I shoot similar in my .50, 500 gr, I shoot everything on the slower side, at about 1200 GPS, I get real good accuracy at this speed with pure lead,
I believe the twist is 1/28 ??? In a CVA wolf magnum.

[Good Cheer]

Hmmm, if I was to try to get as much RPM's on them as I could in a TC Renegade or New Englander, could maybe need one of those plastic stocks, JB Weld, sorbothane pad...

[charlie b]

Depends on rifle twist. If on the faster side they will do OK. I shoot the Lee S&W .500 bullet in my 1-32 twist Lyman (also the Hornady Great Plains bullet).

I size to the bore so the bullets are a slip fit down the bore. That means the powder charge has to be large enough to upset the bullet into the lands. It is better if the bullets are cast from a very soft alloy or pure lead. I use 80-100gn equivalent charges. It will also help to use a card wad and/or a lubed felt wad. It helps seal the barrel until the bullet is upset.

You can also paper patch them. It helps to size them down a little, apply the patch and then size to bore dia.

[GregLaROCHE]

What was the gun originally designed for?

[Good Cheer]

Charlie, how does that butt plate treat you?

My left hand percussion Great Plains has a .40 x 16" twist barrel. And a drop-in .54 Great Plains 32" twist barrel that I picked up to offhand target shoot with thin skirted minies. Don't think I'd bother shooting the .54 barrel with heavy boolits and heavy charges.

[charlie b]

I'd like that .40 barrel Mine is also a left hand but .50. Got it cheap because of that. One of these days I'll send mine off to Hoyt for a liner in .45 with a ~22" twist.

If I don't wear a shoulder pad the butt plate will cut through a shirt and t-shirt enough to draw blood. That was after I took a file to it and rounded it just a bit. I have a PAST magnum recoil pad from a long time ago that I use when shooting anything that recoils a bit.