.58 sizing die

[Rockingkj]

Finally took my .58 out to shoot for the 1st time. I found the mini balls I cast were too tight. I can load em but it’s not the easy slide the bullet down it should be. Skirts measure.575-.580. Has anyone used a sizing die for their .58? I see there is several variants available. Not sure I want to spend $50+ for a die. Maybe just be another round ball gun. Thoughts?

[Nobade]

Yes, sizing your bullets is important for good accuracy and easy loading. Last I know, S&S made dies for whatever size your rifle needs. And yes, depending on who made your barrel and the rifling form it may work well with balls. Kind of defeats the purpose but it does work.

[greyhawk]

Yes, sizing your bullets is important for good accuracy and easy loading. Last I know, S&S made dies for whatever size your rifle needs. And yes, depending on who made your barrel and the rifling form it may work well with balls. Kind of defeats the purpose but it does work.

If its a slow twist (most repros are) round ball will be easy --minies frustrating - you might get lucky might not. The re enactor dudes will come out of the woodwork and say how dumb we are if we cant easily get a 72" or 78" twist barrel to shoot one hole groups with minies. Yeah heard it all before - dont alter the fact that a slow twist barrel is not ideal for shooting elongated projectiles - some of these gurus get away with it, either they got lucky, or they got a special deal and have a barrel with progressive depth rifling (parker hale did that when they copied the 3 band enfield), or they fooled around with minie designs until they found THE ONE that shoots ok despite the slow twist - if you got a repro with a 48" twist - life will be many times easier with minies

[barnabus]

most dont pin gauge the barrel so they shoot wrong size minnie.they will shoot cloverleafs in most cases with right sized bullet and load work up

[bedbugbilly]

Once you know the site you need ti see them to - check with Lodgewood Manufacturing - Dave normally stocks sizing dies for what you need for the N_SSA shooters. Once you get the correct size sizing die, your rifle will be a good shooter.

I don't remember if he sells Minies or not - if he does, you might be able to buy a few in a couple of sites - i.e. .574, .575, .576 etc,- take your barrel off and remove breech plug and lightly oil the bore - then try putting the various sizes down the bore to determine best size for your bore. When I was shooting N_SSA years ago - most preferred .001" under bore size. I had one original 1864 dated - 1861 Model Watertown contract rifle that had a tendency to foul up more than usual during relays so I set my cartridge box up with half the rounds that I normally shot in a relay with Minies .001" under bore size and half the rounds with Minies .002" under - then swabbed bore out between relays. The suave I shot not of the time was food with Minies .001" under bore size for the entire relay and a bore swabbing between relays.

Your rifle should have three groove rifled musket military rifling, so it can be hard to get a good measurement on a cast or a slugging. Pin gauges will probably give you the best measurement if you have access to any.

Don;t give up on it - you'll get it figured out and really enjoy that rifle!

[indian joe]

Once you know the site you need ti see them to - check with Lodgewood Manufacturing - Dave normally stocks sizing dies for what you need for the N_SSA shooters. Once you get the correct size sizing die, your rifle will be a good shooter.

I don't remember if he sells Minies or not - if he does, you might be able to buy a few in a couple of sites - i.e. .574, .575, .576 etc,- take your barrel off and remove breech plug and lightly oil the bore - then try putting the various sizes down the bore to determine best size for your bore. When I was shooting N_SSA years ago - most preferred .001" under bore size. I had one original 1864 dated - 1861 Model Watertown contract rifle that had a tendency to foul up more than usual during relays so I set my cartridge box up with half the rounds that I normally shot in a relay with Minies .001" under bore size and half the rounds with Minies .002" under - then swabbed bore out between relays. The suave I shot not of the time was food with Minies .001" under bore size for the entire relay and a bore swabbing between relays.

Your rifle should have three groove rifled musket military rifling, so it can be hard to get a good measurement on a cast or a slugging. Pin gauges will probably give you the best measurement if you have access to any.

Don;t give up on it - you'll get it figured out and really enjoy that rifle!

Early days guys with Parker Hales did ok -
bought a 3 band Italian for my son - we messed with it for several momths couldnt get that thing to work with the gear we had available - sent it down the road and got a 2 band Euroarms (48"twist) 25 years on he still has it - with a 525 grain minie (+90 grains FG) that thing will shoot spot on its sights right out to 600yards.

I know several other shooters been through the same frustration trying to get these italian made bayonet holders to work - couple blokes sold them - others resorted to round ball (which they do extra well) ---I have a Zoli Mississippi rifle in the rack waiting attention now - dont need another round ball rifle and yet to figure out the minie deal - maybe some of what I read here will help but its on the back burner for now.

It puzzles me why the geniuses of yesteryear went to all the trouble of progressive depth rifling to make their guns shoot when they could have just put a 48 twist in and they would have shot anything that was rammed down the bore ........................

[Rockingkj]

Thanks folks lots of good advice

[LAGS]

You can do what I did to get a size of the sizer I needed to fit certain barrels that I could not find the size die I needed.
I just took a Lee sizing die that was smaller than what I needed and polished it to the size I needed using an electric drill , wood dowel and wet and dry sandpaper with oil lube.
In most cases I took out dies from say .311 out to .316 for Mosin Nagants since I had the .311’s but couldn’t find .316 dies unless I spent more money and waited weeks to find them.

[Rockingkj]

You can do what I did to get a size of the sizer I needed to fit certain barrels that I could not find the size die I needed.
I just took a Lee sizing die that was smaller than what I needed and polished it to the size I needed using an electric drill , wood dowel and wet and dry sandpaper with oil lube.
In most cases I took out dies from say .311 out to .316 for Mosin Nagants since I had the .311’s but couldn’t find .316 dies unless I spent more money and waited weeks to find them.

Have considered something like that. Drill hole in chunk of steel and expand to dimensions as you suggested. Certainly there are those cringing at a homemade solution but then again only out my time and a piece of steel if it don’t work.

[LAGS]

I have made some sizers out of a piece of 3/4” steel plate and drilled holes in it plus polished the holes for use on guns that I didn’t use much,
Or to play with testing different sizes of sizing before I actually modified a Lee sizer that worked on my press.
Yes,
Spend a little of your Time and not all your Money playing with things.
You will be surprised on the progress you can make.

[indian joe]

I have made some sizers out of a piece of 3/4” steel plate and drilled holes in it plus polished the holes for use on guns that I didn’t use much,
Or to play with testing different sizes of sizing before I actually modified a Lee sizer that worked on my press.
Yes,
Spend a little of your Time and not all your Money playing with things.
You will be surprised on the progress you can make.

I used bright steel shafting salvaged out of an old (small) combine harvester we wrecked - that stuff turns nice in the lathe - needs polishing to finish like Lags does - I got an old simplex press out of a house fire and cleaned it up to fit my homemade size dies - if you careful can make any boolit sizing die you want in a small bench lathe.

[Rockingkj]

A lathe would be a handy thing. Just have not found the right deal to own one. Will see what can be done with a drill press and a will to succeed.

[LAGS]

I left my Lathe back in California almost 30 years ago .
I do my stuff with my drill press.

[Rockingkj]

Well I getting there. Inaugural run thru my sizing plate sized to .565. Baby steps can’t add material so going slow.

[LAGS]

I am so glad to see that others will play with doing things like you are trying now.
Even doing things so slow , will benefit you in the long run.

[Rockingkj]

Well I am going to try the plate as I presently have it. Sizing .573 bullet goes in muzzle easily but is snug. I can always open it up further in the future. Made a punch from 1/2” nylon rod to knock em thru the die.

[Rockingkj]

Went to the range. Bullets load easily even after 5 shots. 60gr of 2f. Target at 50yrds offhand not great but not horrible either.

[LAGS]

I would suggest that you play with the load a little bit using that size of boolit before you decide to open up the sizer.
I bet upping the load a little will tighten up your grip a bit.

[Rockingkj]

Well I should try with a rest. Offhand, hard trigger and poor old eyes not sure I can blame the load.

[greyhawk]

Well I am going to try the plate as I presently have it. Sizing .573 bullet goes in muzzle easily but is snug. I can always open it up further in the future. Made a punch from 1/2” nylon rod to knock em thru the die.

could I ask what mould that minie comes from - I like the look of it - and what weight (grains) ...................