.58 cal

[bbuck]

thanks for the info i'll start another data sheet and start with 60 gr of ffg, because i've been using 65-70 gr of fffg for RB and doing quite well.

Looks like i'll pay more attion to the minnie's, this means i'll have to dig up my bi-fokles.

thanks again guys :redthumb:

 

[smokeblower]

I get good results from the same gun with the REALs, but they are not period correct for your case. I have dug several Civil War bullets that were from a wet environment and the boxwood plugs are still there after all those years. My general question is would the boxwood plug aid in uniform expansion of the skirt??? I have not shot a .58 mini with a wood plug. Why was the boxwood plug placed in the base?

 

[tcsmokepole]

The wooden plug was put in because it was thought to promote expansion of the skirt.

 

[jim gray]

I'm not 100% certain of this; so please correcvt me if I'm wrong, but didn't the original minie have an iron plug.

 

[musketman]

I'm not 100% certain of this; so please correcvt me if I'm wrong, but didn't the original minie have an iron plug.

Maybe you are thinking of the Williams Cleaner Bullet, it has a cleaning disk that scrapes the bore when fired...

Here (below) is the 1855 Iron Base Enfield bullet 69 Caliber...

 

[ResearchPress]

didn't the original minie have an iron plug.

Iron, boxwood and later burnt clay have all been used as base plugs.

The following might be of interest: Enfield Paper Cartrigdes - www.researchpress.co.uk/firearms/britain/enfield/enfieldcartridge.htm

David

 

[smokeblower]

I have some dug .58 and .69 cal Gardner bullets that have a steel liner in the base. I was told that that was to hold the powder paper in place. I assume it also aided in exapnsion as the fired examples are driven deeper into the lead and the wax ring is almost gone.All are machine pressed with steel liners. One exception is a rare deep base .69 Gardner with no steel liner. Also have several 'rare as hens teeth' .69 Mississippi rifle bullets that look like Musketmans Enfields with two slight rings at the base. These still have the boxwood plugs in them as well. I only find the boxwood plugs in bullets from my River sites. Dry land finds never have the plugs intact. I have never dug an example from West Tennessee with iron in the base.

Digging and shooting in West Tennessee,
Smokeblower