How tight should a conical be ?

[oldbrass]

Started working on a load for my 54 t/c newenglander. 530 prb and some 380 real conicals. the conicals shoot well but I have to start them with a hammer and short starter they are so tight. The top land is .555 so .15 thousands over bore size. I would think soft lead would be easier to load but I`m new to this bullet. having to hammer a slug into the bore takes all the fun out of it.
However the .530 RB and a .10 patch are a pure joy and quite accurate

 

[petew]

Are you sure it is pure lead? They should start when greased with only thumb pressure.

 

[nkbj]

Depending on the rifling pattern and bore diameter it can be tough! Got one .58 that REAL's are too small for and another that needs a hammer. On the one that the REAL's are too small for I want to try a greased patched trimmed after starting the first ring on the REAL, a hard card over a heavy charge of powder. Just so I get to see how well it can work.

 

[oldbrass]

Are you sure it is pure lead? They should start when greased with only thumb pressure.

Yep pure lead

 

[dcriner]

Something seems to be wrong here - maybe the conical diameter. One of the original ideas of conicals was they could be almost dropped into the bore, with little or no ramming. The hollow base, when fired, causes the conical to expand and engage the rifling.

 

[mooman76]

It's the right size. I don't have to use a hammer to start mine, just a short starter but it does make my palm sore after awhile. Sometimes I use the starter like a hammer just to give my palm some relief. A glove would probably help me some. You might have a slightly tighter bore size.

 

[fleener]

My barrel is .450 my bullets are .451
They go down the bore with just a little more than the weight of the ramrod


Fleener

 

[Vaino]

If your .54 bbl has the shallower groove depth of .004 for a groove dia of .548, then the conical is .007 oversize {.555} for the groove dia. This would not only be tight in a clean bbl, but nearly impossible to load in a fouled bbl.

The reason I use 410 gr. Buffalo Bullets in a TC Hawken is that they're easier to load for the second shot in a fouled bbl.....important when elk hunting. Buffalo Bullets have a knurled dia. which facilitates easier loading.

Don't know what the dia is of a TC Maxiball, but that should be the size meant for your bbl. A comparison is in order......Fred

 

[crockett]

oldbrass: hammering a conical sounds about right. AND if you don't swab the bore between shots- forget it. I think back in the Musketeer era (matchlock) the soldiers were issed wood mallets to drive down balls without a patch.
The difficultly in loading conicals probably brought about the Minnie with a hollow base that would expand, meaning an undersized projectile could be loaded.
I have pretty much given up on conicals- I'd use one if I was in an open area with a long range shot or if I ever get around to a buffalo hunt but for most situations you just can't beat a PRB. No lead fouling, easier to reload, high velocity at the muzzle. A win, win, win situation.

 

[Billnpatti]

A .54 PRB is plenty potent medicine for anything you might want to hunt in North America. If it is a joy to load and accurate, you don't need conicals. If I were you, I'd focus on shooting the PRBs in your rifle. :thumbsup: PRBs......Accurate.....a joy to load.....plenty potent for any animal you might want to hunt......can't see any reason to mess with conicals. :hmm: :idunno: My recommendation is to stick with PRBs. :2

 

[nkbj]

Fifty four? You keep messing around with little bitty pipsqueak balls and one of them south Texas jack rabbits is gonna git ya just sure as the world.

 

[nkbj]

Started working on a load for my 54 t/c newenglander. 530 prb and some 380 real conicals. the conicals shoot well but I have to start them with a hammer and short starter they are so tight. The top land is .555 so .15 thousands over bore size. I would think soft lead would be easier to load but I`m new to this bullet. having to hammer a slug into the bore takes all the fun out of it.
However the .530 RB and a .10 patch are a pure joy and quite accurate

Oldbrass,
I had a .54 New Englander and had to hammer REAL's myself. Do you have the counter bored muzzle? Mine was and the entrance into the rifling was a 90 degree shoulder. I called TC and talked to the machine shop. They said yeah, that was the way they did 'em. Well, after gettin' tired of ripped patches I designed a rig to reach in there and put a bevel on it. And it worked. But it wasn't as good as it should have been. Ended up having it relined as a .458" bore diameter x 24" twist and love it. Well, that's my New Englander story. Best wishes on working out yours.

 

[Billnpatti]

Yep, you dang well do have to get them between the eyes or they will charge. A wounded Texas Jackrabbit is nothing to fool around with. I still think a .54 properly loaded can take them down with a solid head shot. :rotf:

 

[oldbrass]

It has a slight bevel at the bore. about the same as your foto. doesn`t tear patches.I`m very dissapointed it won`t load the REALs. I`ve molded up a few hundred of`em. So they`ll be melted into RBs

 

[fleener]

Hammer it down? It is .15 over sized it should be expected that it is hard to load. You do not need to hammer it down if you size your bullets with your bore. I realize that 5 inch groups to some are great at 100 yards while others would think that a 2 inch group at 100 yards as a terrible group


Fleener

 

[oldbrass]

Hammer it down? It is .15 over sized it should be expected that it is hard to load. You do not need to hammer it down if you size your bullets with your bore. I realize that 5 inch groups to some are great at 100 yards while others would think that a 2 inch group at 100 yards as a terrible group


Fleener

How do you size bullets to your bore ??

 

[fleener]

I use a lyman luber sizer and a custom mold that was built to my specs.

Fleener

 

[oldbrass]

Thanx Fleener for the info..If I do hunt with the ML I`m very confident I can get close enough to be affective with a round ball With the skills I learned archery hunting..Mostly Its a lot of fun to shoot and I love the looks from the AR/AK crowd at the range when I make a smoke screen.

 

[fleener]

I hear ya. I was a bow hunter when I started hunting with a ML. I thought that wow this is so easy. Over the years I have switched from hunting with a RB to conicals. Most of my shots now are 100 yards plus. I have had a few really nice bucks lost to a round ball. I can only think of one lost to a conical.

best of luck!

Fleener

 

[nkbj]

Hey Oldbrass, by the way and just curious, have you tried the TC maxihunter in your .54?