Conicals in a revolver
- Thread starter PreglerD
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Blizzard of '93
Cannon
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2006
- Messages
- 7,237
- Reaction score
- 14
You are using PRB's in a revolver? What sort of revolver uses those? :hmm: I sometimes shoot plain lead RB's in mine, usually I shoot conicals - harder hitting.
Blizzard of '93
Cannon
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2006
- Messages
- 7,237
- Reaction score
- 14
'P'-patched, 'R'-round, 'B'-ball = PRB patched round ball.
Conicals for revolvers are made by at least 2 makers. I cast mine for Ruger Old Army and my '58 Remingtom using Lee mould.
Conicals for revolvers are made by at least 2 makers. I cast mine for Ruger Old Army and my '58 Remingtom using Lee mould.
there are lead bullets from buffalo bullet company- very accurate. You can cast a good conical from the Lee mould . Its about 200 grains and nominally .451" They actually run a bit larger and fit the replicas well. dixie has Iron scissor moulds that can be bobbed for traditional conical bullets. There is no sprue cutter so you end up having to do some final filing on the base but the can be very accurate.
One trick to the thing is to make sure the seating ram conforms to the shae of the bullets. Lee and buffalo bullets generally fit fine but with various traditional conicals you might need to sculpt them with a dremel tool.
bullets were in regular use when the revovlers were modern and this makes it interesting to mess with them. Actually, I don't believe they will do anything that a round ball wouldn't do as well. You can find loads for them in the Lyman Blackpowder manuals or here:[url] http://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...2748?_encoding=UTF8http://www.yahoo.com/?rs=1[/url]
they hit higher than balls.
One trick to the thing is to make sure the seating ram conforms to the shae of the bullets. Lee and buffalo bullets generally fit fine but with various traditional conicals you might need to sculpt them with a dremel tool.
bullets were in regular use when the revovlers were modern and this makes it interesting to mess with them. Actually, I don't believe they will do anything that a round ball wouldn't do as well. You can find loads for them in the Lyman Blackpowder manuals or here:[url] http://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...2748?_encoding=UTF8http://www.yahoo.com/?rs=1[/url]
they hit higher than balls.
Last edited by a moderator:
Blizzard of '93
Cannon
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2006
- Messages
- 7,237
- Reaction score
- 14
I have found a lighter charge is more accurate with a ball. Conicals shoot a heavy charge as well as a light charge. I use a felt overpowder wad, I make my own. I use a .38 special case full of 3f for target shooting with round ball and a 7.62x39 (AK-47) caseful with conicals in my '58. The conical load is hot, it is what I use for blasting steel plates and hunting. I brained a wild pig with that load, dropped on the spot. Blew completely through.
In my youth had an 1860 Colt replica that shot very well with .451 bullets from a mold casting a light bullet for .45ACP.
Used bullets as cast and think mold cast about 160 or 180 grains.
Another option anyway.
Just my one cent worth.
Used bullets as cast and think mold cast about 160 or 180 grains.
Another option anyway.
Just my one cent worth.
Kirrmeister - As with others on this post, I too use conicals moulded in a Lee mould. I shoot these out of a Remington 1858 made by Pietta.
I do not use wads, but I am very careful to make sure I have plenty of lube in the two lube channels in the bullet to help prevent chainfires. I accomplish this by melting some bore butter or similar lube in a double boiler on the stove then use an oral syringe to put the correct amount into the lube channels. By the time I am finished with a batch they are cooled enough to put in my bullet holder.
I typically shoot 25 grains of FFF Pyrodex for target loads and 30 grains for plinking/hunting loads. I have never actually measured my groups, but it will shoot comparably to my .45 Sig, and .357 groups at the same distance.
If you are going to cast your own, be certain to use pure lead (which in the US is hard to get). If you use lead that is melted down from range collections or scrap lead it might have too high an alloy content and be tough to ram home. With the Remingtons I am careful not to stress the loading lever too much. I think the Colt 1860's have a more durable design that can stand up to the pressures better over time. The link in the Rems could wear quicker with harder bullets.
Hope this helps.
I do not use wads, but I am very careful to make sure I have plenty of lube in the two lube channels in the bullet to help prevent chainfires. I accomplish this by melting some bore butter or similar lube in a double boiler on the stove then use an oral syringe to put the correct amount into the lube channels. By the time I am finished with a batch they are cooled enough to put in my bullet holder.
I typically shoot 25 grains of FFF Pyrodex for target loads and 30 grains for plinking/hunting loads. I have never actually measured my groups, but it will shoot comparably to my .45 Sig, and .357 groups at the same distance.
If you are going to cast your own, be certain to use pure lead (which in the US is hard to get). If you use lead that is melted down from range collections or scrap lead it might have too high an alloy content and be tough to ram home. With the Remingtons I am careful not to stress the loading lever too much. I think the Colt 1860's have a more durable design that can stand up to the pressures better over time. The link in the Rems could wear quicker with harder bullets.
Hope this helps.
If you use conicals be sure to go with the buffalo bullet style. The original conicals were more tapered without any bearing bands to engage the rifling and they tended to twist out of line as they were being seated. The originals had a rebated collar at the base for afixing a combustible cartridge case. The goal with the combustible cartridges was fast reloading more than accuracy.
Blizzard of '93
Cannon
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2006
- Messages
- 7,237
- Reaction score
- 14
Crockett - The conical that is cast from Lee mold does have a 'rebated' heel, it is near chamber size. The driving bands are over chamber size in order to shave a ring of lead off when being pressed into place. My '58 Rem and ROA both shoot them noticeably better then a ball, particularly past 25-30 ft. You are correct about the original slugs that had a nitrated paper pouch full of powder affixed to them-but I've never shot any of the originals. Someone here posted instructions about affixing a paper powder pouch to a Lee conical using ciggarette papers, but I've never tryed it. I carry powder for a fast reload in brass hulls with a cork stopper in the mouth.And pre-lubed slugs in cut-down .458 mag. cases.
Never tryed Buffalo ball-ets but someone posted that he had good luck with them. Lee conicals have more rifling engagement area than a ball, that maybe reason why they shoot some better. Definitely have more 'punch' when they hit. :thumbsup:
Never tryed Buffalo ball-ets but someone posted that he had good luck with them. Lee conicals have more rifling engagement area than a ball, that maybe reason why they shoot some better. Definitely have more 'punch' when they hit. :thumbsup:
You can get a Lee conical mould from Midsouth Shooters Supply for only $13.89 + shipping the catalog # is: 006-90381 for a single cavity or you can get a double cavity for $17.37 + shipping # is: 006-90382 These are for the 1858 Remington
Lee Precision. Scroll down towards the bottom.[url] http://www.leeprecision.com/c...6150832.1928=/html/catalog/blackpow.html[/url]
Last edited by a moderator:
for decades, dixie has sold iron scissor moulds that are bobbed at the coustomer's order. they have a lot of round ball options as well as some conicals. I have 100 grain .36 and 180 grain .44 moulds. They are patterned after original bullets and the moulds have no sprue plate. This makes production slow as you have to file away the nub on the bullet base. they are conical with a rebated heal to aid in seating. I conned my revolver's seating ram to fit the profile of the bullet and am able to seat them in a straight line. This group was fired one handed at 28 yards
and I got similar results with a Uberti 60 army.
Loads:..........velocity fps .... spread fps
28 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P ....896......74
28 Grains Goex FFFg .....712......45
28 Gr/vol. Swiss FFFg,....962......68
I shot a couple of bench groups from 25 yards with a 61 Navy by uberti. Five shots into 3.5 inches. ..........Velocity....spread
22 Grains Goex FFFg..831....38
22 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P.995....46
and I got similar results with a Uberti 60 army.
Loads:..........velocity fps .... spread fps
28 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P ....896......74
28 Grains Goex FFFg .....712......45
28 Gr/vol. Swiss FFFg,....962......68
I shot a couple of bench groups from 25 yards with a 61 Navy by uberti. Five shots into 3.5 inches. ..........Velocity....spread
22 Grains Goex FFFg..831....38
22 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P.995....46
Mec: those are the bullets that I am talking about. You can see that if the cone on the ramroad doesn't fit the tip of the bullet, the bullet can be seated out of line- at least that was my experience.
Another point- the Navy 51 Colt doesn't have a large cut out and if you want to use combustible cartidges, you must use the traditional shaped bullets, the wadcutter buffalo ballet types won't fit if a paper case is attached in back- at least that was my experience.
Another point- the Navy 51 Colt doesn't have a large cut out and if you want to use combustible cartidges, you must use the traditional shaped bullets, the wadcutter buffalo ballet types won't fit if a paper case is attached in back- at least that was my experience.
that's true. the 61 navy will admit some bullets that won't get under the ram on a 51. I coned the seating stem on my revovlers so that they fit the pointed bullets closely. this allows them to seat straight and get good accuracy in a lot of cases
early colts had deep coned seating stems as bullets were commonly used in the percussion era.
early colts had deep coned seating stems as bullets were commonly used in the percussion era.
