45 bullet

[K9_75]

In a not to distant future I will recieve a package containing a Pedersoli Mortimer in .45.

I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion for a good bullet/bullet mould to start loading development with?

//K9_75

 

[ohio ramrod]

IMHO round ball or hollow based mini's are the way to go both for "tradition" and ballastic performance in muzzle loaders.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

that's a caplock - right? you might try the Lee REAL slug.
they shoot good in my .50 cal cappers.

 

[rafterob]

Are you looking at serious competition shooting or just having fun? For fun stick with patched round balls. For competition there are lots of other options with some previous posts here in regard to long distance shooting. There are quite a few bullet variants other than round ball or minies that are "traditional" when we are talking about Percussion Target Rifles. Here is a good book on the subject, although maybe not readily available to you in Sweden.
The muzzle-loading cap lock rifle
by Roberts, Ned Henry, 1866-
Harrisburg, PA : Stackpole Books c1952

 

[BrownBear]

IMHO round ball or hollow based mini's are the way to go both for "tradition" and ballastic performance in muzzle loaders.

Read up on the Mortimer.

Learn.

 

[Klaus]

Hi K9

may you will check if it is the Mortimer Withworth or Vetterli.
The kind of Model depends if it will a 50 or 100 Meter Rifle .45 RB`s / Maxis or .451 Slugs 500 grs.

regards
Klaus

 

[Lorne Johnson]

While I believe that the Pedersoli Mortimer in 45 cal is a 1 in 21 inch twist "Whitworth, there may have been variations. It would be good to check, because the 45 whitworth is not a patched round ball gun.

Pedersoli's web site has a list of suggested starting loads for its guns, and since I own a Mortimer 45 cal Whitworth, I can tell you that Minies with 40 grains FFg and Pedersoli long 45 (500 grains) with 60 grains FFg are their recommended loads.

I've been using Minies from TOW and 45 gains FFg, which is a very pleasant load. But, I haven't gotten far enough to be certain of anything.

If it turns out we are shooting the same model, keep in touch!

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Tobias,

congrats to this rifle. :thumbsup: Will you have receive it until we come to visit you in mid august? Too bad you are not allowed to hunt with smokepoles there in SWE. I would recommend a conical, but I don't know wat ROT the rifle has.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[arquebus]

Something similar to the Lyman #457121PH bullet should work well in your Mortimer. The bullet weighs 475gn, & should be sized to a hair under bore size. For 100m try 60-70gns 2Fg with a wad (felt/cork/etc.) between the powder & bullet.

 

[Idaho Ron]

they look like this.

 

[grey8833]

K 75:
Pedersoli sells a bullet mold for a 535 grain 45 cal grease groove monster that measures .450+. Looks just like the one pictured in Idaho Ron's photo. The bullet is designed for the Pedersoli Gibbs and they have a sizer to take in down to .448. The bore on the Gibbs is actually .449 and these long grease groove bullets are intended to be undersized by .001, as they "upset" to the rifling when fired. You can get different sizers from Lee or other manufactures.

This "under sized bullet" concept works for Whitworth (octogon bore) and Gibbs (shallow progressive rifling). I am assuming the previous posts are correct and that the twist is 1-21 or faster. I am also assuming the rifling is either Whitworth or shallow cut > as standard patch and ball rifling (deep and even) not work. Oh yea, use hard lead - works better. An added advantage of the Pedersoli .45 mold is that it is fairly inexpensive, as these things go. The combination of a long heavy bullet, upset to the rifling, using hard lead, will get you accuracy at some really long ranges. Gibbs rifles shoot at 1000 yard targets in Creedmore Matches - and hit very regularly. I use a Rigby copy to shoot - same idea as a Gibbs, both are English target rifles and the last of the percussion designs before the Sharps and Remington Rolling blocks took over.

Mike F

 

[K9_75]

Thanks for your answers everyone!

Sorry for my late respons - I've had other matters to attend to. Well, thinking again I'm not sorry at all as our first child, a son, was born Saturday morning!! :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

If everything is as I hope it's the Withworth modell. The previous owner has used it with some kind of conical for 100 meters competition but also some other bullet for 50 meters competition.

A .451 caliber or a somewhat smaller bullet sounds plausible and I'll investigate what I can get around here. Lyman stuff is most likely available and there's a Pedersoli dealer just 200km from here!

Dirk

I hope to get it by the end of this week or maybe next week so it should be here!! Hunting with it would have been a blast but alas that is not possible here :youcrazy:. I'll go afield with something high tech wearing a moderator instead..... :redface:

Cheers
K9

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :applause: :applause: :applause:

 

[ResearchPress]

This "under sized bullet" concept works for Whitworth (octogon bore) and Gibbs (shallow progressive rifling). I am assuming the previous posts are correct and that the twist is 1-21 or faster. I am also assuming the rifling is either Whitworth or shallow cut...

The Mortimer Whitworth does not have the hexagonal Whitworth rifling. The 'Whitworth' tag used by Pedersoli here is reference to the MLAIC 100m free rifle match, named Whitworth, for which this rifle is suitable.

I use a Rigby copy to shoot - same idea as a Gibbs, both are English target rifles and the last of the percussion designs before the Sharps and Remington Rolling blocks took over.

Although the latter were used by US teams in the long range international matches at Creedmoor, Dollymount and Wimbledon, the rifles that took over from the British long range muzzle loading match rifles were mostly British such as: Deeley-Edge-Metford, Farquharson-Metford, Field, Fraser, Henry, Ingram, Rigby-Banks, Webley-Wiley.

American rifles did feature in some of the prize lists in the NRA(GB) rifle matches, but after the NRA(GB) banned cleaning between shots the American rifles faded from the prize lists.

David

 

[qtrhrs7]

Congratulations, K-9!! :hatsoff: I have three,all young men now.

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Tobias,

congrats to you, the mother and the new born son. I guess all are healthy. If all went well we'll meet each other in the second week of august.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[K9_75]

Thanks a lot guys! :hatsoff: It's a strange but wonderful thing becoming a father!!!!!!!

Dirk
You'll have an email by the end of the day if our new boss allows me the time.... :wink:

Cheers
K9