.58 minnie and 20 gauge(.60)SB

[Auldgoat]

Any foreseeable problems shooting .58 minnie ball from a 20 gauge fowler? Well patched of course. Found a bunch from my younger days laying out in the forge and am too cheap to buy a RB mould 'til I really need one. How about reversing the ball?
Thx Will

 

[Rifleman1776]

If you put it in over powder it will come out when you shoot.
It will tumble and fly erratically. If you want to hit a barn with that load, go inside and close the doors. Even then, it might miss.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I asked a few weeks back.....
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/287923/

B.

 

[Auldgoat]

Thank you, Sirs. 'twas about as I expected. Time for a mould and to melt down all that useless lead.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Shooting a .575" Minie in a .600" to .620" bore, depending might not give you much in accuracy but can be done. You'd have a lot of windage to make up with that big a difference in sizes. Have shot Minies backward out of smoothbores, a big ole .699" in my old Potsdam musket but accuracy was slim to none...and Slim left town on the afternoon stage! :wink: Only time I ever used it was at a stake shoot...told my team, "If I actually hit the stake, shoot across from the hole I make! Ought'a be a good'un!" It was! :wink: :haha:

 

[old ugly]

I think I would bite the bullet :wink: and buy the mould, melt down those minis. aint no good in a smooth bore.
ou

 

[MSW]

I agree ... otherwise, you'll waste more in powder than you'll spend on a mold, and you'll just be frustrated and really upset...

free advice, and no doubt well worth the price...

 

[Grandpa Ron]

I would try it and expect the same accuracy as the old smoothbore shotgun slugs. Nothing to brag on but okay from a deer stand at 20 yards.

If you have a large number it might cheaper to buy a LEE mold and recast them.

At any rate, shoot a few offhand at 20 yards and let us know what happened. :hmm:

 

[Britsmoothy]

I do wonder if a minie could be improved in smoothbore by adding a flight of some description!

B.

 

[Auldgoat]

Yep, thought of that. Sorta like a badminton shuttlecock. Imagine the look on your huntin buddies when you launched that thing.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Rather my thoughts as well. Hard to imagine what sort of collapsing fins or folding tail would have to rotate out after it cleared the muzzle!

http://privat.bahnhof.se/wb907234/pics/efp11.gif

:wink: :haha:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hmmm. How about a wood dowl glued in the back!
A large leather washer screwed in the back ?

B.

 

[pargent]

What about the air space between powder and ball :hmm: What is the problem with shooting a .60 cal. projectile ?

 

[Britsmoothy]

What about the air space between powder and ball :hmm: What is the problem with shooting a .60 cal. projectile ?

nothing Sir...just wondering...the guy has lots of them so....

 

[pargent]

:wink:

 

[59sharps]

Its not useless you are taking the wrong approach.
go out and get yourself 58 cal musket. problem solved

 

[Grandpa Ron]

I think the original minis by design had a shuttlecock shape with a wooded plug in the end that would be rammed up and flair the shirt into the rifling. It was soon discovered that the plug was not needed because the combustion gas was sufficient to flare the end. With a smooth bore the riling issue is not a problem.

Depending on how much under bore size you are, you might want to try a standard cushion wad or simply wad up some newspaper paper to make a bore sized cushion wad and try it. The idea is to improve the bore gas seal and help flair the skirt.

Again it sound like a neat experiment but as always be very very careful, as you do not want want to create a bore blockage situation.

 

[Logan Fulcher]

Can I shot s 20ga slug for a 58 caliber musket

 

[Tumbledown]

With a smooth bore the riling issue is not a problem.

The lack of rifiling IS the problem.

The idea is to improve the bore gas seal and help flair the skirt.

Flaring the skirt in a smoothbore is pointless. There's nothing to impart spin and stability.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Can I shot s 20ga slug for a 58 caliber musket

Doubtful, as the 20 gauge slug is likely .600 or .610, and a .58 is smaller

LD