HB Wadcutters

[robinsroost]

Would a hollow base wad cutter, cast out of pure lead, work in a muzzleloader, like .357/38 Special WC's in a .36? They typically way 148 grains. Robin

 

[Col. Batguano]

Probably.

With the heavy projectile (for a 36 cal) it will need a faster twist than RB twists though. You'll need to keep your muzzle velocities down too, or else you will get pretty severe barrel leading, or blow the base off. That's why the standard musket 58 Minie loads are 60 gr. FFg. 38 Special loads with these bullets seem to recommend you should keep your MV's below 1000 fps. And those start out of a smooth chamber, effectively giving you some freebore before the bullet hits the forcing cone of the barrel. Your charge will immediately enlarge the base and engage the rifling. YOu should also remember that the Civil War era muskets were built with fairly shallow rifling, and designed to be used with the Minie. If you have a typical ML'er barrel the rifling will be much deeper. That too will provide more grabbing action.

So if you do it, go slow and use light loads as you are working your way up.

 

[galamb]

I have shot some 10 mm bullets with my 40 cal.

I purposely ordered the barrel three inches too long and cut it back.

I used the 3" (leftover) stub as a kinda sizing die for the bullets.

I forced them through the stub which both sized and engraved them to the rifling.

I then shot them, lubed, over a wad.

The results were mediocre but the twist on the barrel is 1:48 with .12" rifling.

I did this to "see how it would work" but always planned on using the rifle with roundballs.

If I was seriously interested in shooting conicals (as described) I would have another barrel built.

A 1:28 or 1:32 twist with no more than .04" rifling (40 cal) would probably be more in order to stablize these big/long bullets.

I didn't try paper patching which may have helped (like I said, was just a kinda see what happens thing - wasn't really "dedicated" to making it work)

A fast twist/shallow rifled 40 is on my list of things to build, but way down the list at this point.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Don't you mean .004 deep rifling? :idunno:

 

[Dphar]

Will likely be velocity limited due to the hollow base being blown. Its another one of those answers to a problem that really does not exist. The problems they cause out weigh any advantages. Depending on where you live the greatly increased maximum range and ricochet potential make them a potential problem.

Dan

 

[nkbj]

I have made hollow base wadcutters sized down to .350" for the 9mm flintlock pistol, leaving the front band big to engrave on the rifling. A standard round nosed plain base with an over powder card works too.
For a rifle the biggie is pro'bly gonna be the rate of twist. Do you have 1/48"?

 

[Dphar]

Unless the bullets are soft and they are forced through the piece of barrel perfectly square and centered you will have accuracy problems. If the bullets are less than 2 calibers long they should stabilize in a 1:48. But there are other problems as well. Such as the bullet sliding off the powder. Another thing is my 48 twist 40 cal barrel shooting a cloth patched picket weighing about 140 gr. takes a lot more powder than one might think. The last time I shot it, and broke the mainspring, I was shooting 80 gr of FF Swiss and finally started getting some accuracy. This is not unusual. So unless you have a GOOD breech and a barrel made of steel suitable for gun barrels (many ML barrels are not) you need to think carefully about bullets in MLs.

Dan

 

[satx78247]

IF I was going to try a HB conical bullet in your .36, I'd have a 4 or 6 cavity "gang-mold" custom-made in the proper Minie ball design rather than to try to solve the problem by using a HB WC designed for a revolver or pistol.

A properly designed Minie ball should shoot beautifully in your .36 caliber squirrel rifle & might make it a perfectly suitable "medium game rifle" for animals up to but not (imVho) including WT deer, out to 75-100M.
(A Minie flies true for the selfsame reason that an arrow from a longbow never hits the target feathers first.)

yours, satx

 

[necchi]

Such as the bullet sliding off the powder.

Could you explain that? I don't have an idea what that means.

 

[nkbj]

Think I'm gonna send off a barrel to have it rebored to use these little minies and .380 round ball.
It's one of gee golly that looks like fun projects that I oughta get around to.