exasperated!!!

[Trooper]

Hello Guys and Gals,
Up here in Alberta, Canada, there seems to be a huge absence of bullet molds and casting equipment. Is this happening south of the 49th as well?
I've been attempting and following you tube videos to learn how to paper patch my Minnie balls for my .54 cal renegade Hawken. I'm guessing that the mold needs to be under .540 in order to use the paper patch technique, but there are no molds to be had anywhere up here. Failing finding a mold undersized for a .54 caliber, is there a device that I can use to reduce a .54 cal minie or maxi ball down to where I can paper patch?
Any advice you folks can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers and thank you

 

[LawrenceA]

HI Trooper
Pardon my ignorance but why do you want to paper patch your minies?
Are you trying for a pritchett type setup or something?
The reason I ask is that basically the Minie is not really designed nor needs to be paper patched.

This aside yes your bullet needs to be less than the barrel inside diameter.
Now a minie should be a coupla thou under bore. So a 546 bore would use a 544 minie. I don't know the nominal bore size for a 54 sorry.
Now you need to allow for the paper patch which will be 4 thicknesses of paper you use so subtract that and you have the bullet diameter.
You will probably need to size your bullets to the proper diameter unless you get a custom mold.
I dont think there is a supply problem with custom molds but don't quote me on that

 

[Trooper]

I've been watching you tube for information about putting together an accurate bullet for my .54 Hawken.
A fellow by the name of Idaho Lewis seems to have a set up that allows him to shoot 500 meters. My intention is to try to emulate his shooting. As far as sizing, what can I use to size those bullets down? Is there a commercial sizing die that I can pick up? I'm a newbe at this, I played with a .50 Hawken about 15 years ago, but I didn't get that heavily involved.

 

[Mulebrain]

I have had a .610 mold on back order for four months, and counting

 

[Trooper]

HI Trooper
Pardon my ignorance but why do you want to paper patch your minies?
Are you trying for a pritchett type setup or something?
The reason I ask is that basically the Minie is not really designed nor needs to be paper patched.

This aside yes your bullet needs to be less than the barrel inside diameter.
Now a minie should be a coupla thou under bore. So a 546 bore would use a 544 minie. I don't know the nominal bore size for a 54 sorry.
Now you need to allow for the paper patch which will be 4 thicknesses of paper you use so subtract that and you have the bullet diameter.
You will probably need to size your bullets to the proper diameter unless you get a custom mold.
I dont think there is a supply problem with custom molds but don't quote me on that

23 minutes ago

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I've been watching you tube for information about putting together an accurate bullet for my .54 Hawken.
A fellow by the name of Idaho Lewis seems to have a set up that allows him to shoot 500 meters. My intention is to try to emulate his shooting. As far as sizing, what can I use to size those bullets down? Is there a commercial sizing die that I can pick up? I'm a newbe at this, I played with a .50 Hawken about 15 years ago, but I didn't get that heavily involved.

 

[Trooper]

I have had a .610 mold on back order for four months, and counting

Where are you located? I wonder why there seems to be a drought of bullet casting equipment. Lyman and Lee precision seem to be dry. I've checked numerous suppliers that would normally stock these types of items and have drawn a big blank. What is going on?

 

[mooman76]

Anything guns, there is a shortage here. It started with the Covid 19 panic and then when It looked like Biden might get elected, more panic buying on top of that. Manufacturers can't keep up.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Trooper,
If you visit our sister site, Modern Muzzleloader, you’ll find that Lewis hangs out there far more frequently that here. Within that site there is much talk and advice from him on bullet casting and the molds he uses. Spend time snooping through there and you’ll have all your answers on how to replicate his doings, as well as Idaho Ron’s. Both play at long range. Search up “Hot rod hawken” and you’ll be surprised (on this site as well).
Walk

 

[renegadehunter]

Here is a post to a thread on paper patching at Modern Muzzleloading that Idaholewis put together.
Paper Patching for Muzzleloaders (Video) | Modern Muzzleloader

I believe IdahoRon could help you out as well, he frequents here quite often.

 

[deermanok]

The gun works/muzzleloading emporium has .54 caliber molds in stock. I don't know if they ship to Canada.

 

[Walkingeagle]

The gun works/muzzleloading emporium has .54 caliber molds in stock. I don't know if they ship to Canada.

Ya, they do.
Walk

 

[kh54]

I've used push-through sizing dies for my .577 and .58 caliber rifle muskets. Try Dixie Gun Works, Lodgewood, etc. for sizing dies for your .54.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Everything is in short supply down here, but if you search around enough you can usually find what your looking for, warning though it can sometimes be a bit costly. Try e-bay might be able to find something there.

 

[Trooper]

Everything is in short supply down here, but if you search around enough you can usually find what your looking for, warning though it can sometimes be a bit costly. Try e-bay might be able to find something there.

Ebay is a good source but most times, they dont have what I'm looking for but theres always new gear on there every day. I keep checking.

 

[bang]

I've been watching you tube for information about putting together an accurate bullet for my .54 Hawken.
A fellow by the name of Idaho Lewis seems to have a set up that allows him to shoot 500 meters. My intention is to try to emulate his shooting. As far as sizing, what can I use to size those bullets down? Is there a commercial sizing die that I can pick up? I'm a newbe at this, I played with a .50 Hawken about 15 years ago, but I didn't get that heavily involved.

I make sizer using a good metal plate. Drill a hole close to desired size then ream with a micro adjustable reamer. Then make a plunger that fits the base and use my drill press to push the bullets through the sizer.

 

[Trooper]

I only wish I was so equipped... All I need to do is convince my Sunray to let me buy a drill press.

 

[LawrenceA]

I only wish I was so equipped... All I need to do is convince my Sunray to let me buy a drill press.

If you have the will to get something done you will find a way. Just look at what the indigenous peoples and colonists achieved without a drill press.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

.510 bullet sizing dies are pretty common. If you could get your hands on one of those, then take a 1/2-in. dowel & saw a short cut down the end of it. Now you can place the end of a strip of sand paper in that slot and wrap it around the dowel gritty side out. Insert this into the die and spin it around. Go slowly and measure the I.D. of the die until you get it where you want. Use really fine grit to polish the inside smooth.
If you use soft lead, you can push .54 caliber bullets wrapped in paper through a .54 cal die. The die will just squeeze the patched bullet down to .54.

 

[nkbj]

Hello Guys and Gals,
Up here in Alberta, Canada, there seems to be a huge absence of bullet molds and casting equipment. Is this happening south of the 49th as well?
I've been attempting and following you tube videos to learn how to paper patch my Minnie balls for my .54 cal renegade Hawken. I'm guessing that the mold needs to be under .540 in order to use the paper patch technique, but there are no molds to be had anywhere up here. Failing finding a mold undersized for a .54 caliber, is there a device that I can use to reduce a .54 cal minie or maxi ball down to where I can paper patch?
Any advice you folks can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers and thank you

If you were to find a Lyman #533476 it might resolve any difficulties. Barring finding one of those (probably cost you a hundred and fifty dollars US on ebay these days) there's another possible path forward, obtaining a push through sizer die for the diameter you want to size down bullets after you patch them. It's amazing how a paper patched soft lead bullet will swage down.

This is #533476 after being run through a .519" sizer with lots of lube.