Blown out skirts.

[SolidLeadSlug]

Keep in mind the sixty grain historic load for the .58 minie was intended for volley fire. It will certainly throw the ball as far as you want, but they never expected accuracy. We in this day and age just expect more, sometimes from a machine that was never designed or intended to perform that way.

Not true at all. A springfield rifle was expected to hold a 4 inch group at 100 yard.

 

[Daveboone]

The author of this thead was referring to three to four hundred yards. That is what I was referring to.

 

[APG]

The author of this thead was referring to three to four hundred yards. That is what I was referring to.

Funny how far from the original question some of these posts get.

 

[springfield art]

A lot depends on the mold you use. Some have thicker skirts than others. 60 grains of 2f won't damage the skirt. I don't have my copy of the Lyman Black Powder Handbook & Loading Manual anywhere handy but they have some great photos of skirts being blown out.

Wasn't that a scene from the Marilyn Monroe movie? The vent scene?

 

[APG]

The best blown out skirt was Marilyn Monroe in “7 year itch”

The best blown out skirt was Marilyn Monroe in “7 year itch”

Is this what your thinking about. From Palm Springs 2013. Me and my grandson. And of course I looked up.

 

[Woody Morgan]

To be honest, this is not the discussion I was expecting when I first read the thread title.

@springfield art, you beat me to it.

wm

 

[oldwood]

Back in the early 1970's , used a Lee target minnie , .580 , in a repro. Harpers Ferry rifle w/ a peep sight. Gave the minnie a slow start to protect the skirt using 80 gr. FG black powder. Rifle was very accurate giving a 3,5 in group at 100 meters. HOWEVER , the the trajectory had an 8 " rainbow in it. This was before range finders , so hunting with a rifle with a built in 8" rainbow was challenging. Shots at deer to 60 yds, were doable , but missed a fine buck not being able to figure the point of impact at further distances. That particular minnie was an instant killer . I shot a big doe face on at 25 yds. high in the chest. the ball passed through 17 " of chops and bone before it stalled.
Sold the rifle to a friend and he continued to kill deer w/ it until he became frustrated with the rainbow trajectory . Both of us graduated to long rifles and were more able to make longer shots in the deer woods. ......................oldwood

 

[BadDaditood]

I had a “no name” Italian Zouave that just wouldn’t group minis, it shot PRBs fine.
I was told minis require progressive rifling.
So I bought an 1862 Springfield, it was designed to shoot minis and it definitely does!
60 gn 1f up to 100 yds, 70 gn at 200.
80 gn accuracy starts falling off.
Still more work to do with a new acquisition: an Ideal hollow base “old style” mini mold

 

[SamTex1949]

I had a italian Zouave , bought out of shotgun news for $82.50, back i n1980. it had the 3 rifling barrel as is common. I had found some .577 lyman minies that were rated at 570gr. (see illustration) and substantial kick to them ! Late I got the numrich drip in barrel from Dixie G works (it had 5 lands/grooves) and started shooting the 350 gr SWC minie . I get accused of cheating hwen my targets had such neat holes punched but I reminded the scorers the rules didnt specify what "type" of minie bullet for X stick shooting at buffalo targets. Of course Im not smart enough to have kept that rifle !