How to start conicals perpendicular so groups don't have flies

[deerstalkert]

if you don't have a sizer roll your maxi balls between two hard surfaces until they will slip start. when fired they will upset to fill the bore.
use a wad and have fun.

 

[R Ellis]

I think it’s the reverse, the maxi balls are similar to the Lee REAL in that the lower part of the bullet should be a slip fit into the bore with the top band oversize and engraving on the rifling ( the Lee REAL in .45 has bands starting from the ba.452 .457 .462 .467).

OP’s bullets are too big at the base to slip fit and may not be loading straight in the bore. It may be best to try a different bullet before spending money on the tools to resize your current bullets.

Historically elongated bullets of bore diameter were used in target rifles so resizing the current bullets to bore size may work, probably best with a wad under them.

your right I had a brain fart thx for keeping me in line

 

[Steel Guitar]

Looks like these T/C maxis are full diameter at the base.
What if I chamfer the base of the bullet just enough to get it in the bore a little then lightly tap it in while watching that it is going in straight?

 

[deerstalkert]

bevel will encourage gas cutting, though if you use a wad under the base it will help that.
seriously, just roll the bullet between two hard surfaces and it will size it down to what you need. the other alternative is to cone your muzzle.

 

[Steel Guitar]

ok thanks

 

[SDSmlf]

Hello Pards (You Guys),
I'm having fliers because I can't start the bullet square/perpendicular to the bore and yes the t/c maxis are a little larger than the bore. What do I need to do or get to fix this.
Thanks

Something is wrong either with Maxis themselves or the bore size. TC marketed the Max-Ball as having it’s initial bands under bore size (easy to load) and the top band over bore size so as to engage the rifling, very similar to Lee REAL concept. Don’t know who started marketing the idea first or if they both copied the idea from an earlier design. Below is the blurb from a 1980 TC catalog. There is nothing wrong with resizing them if that’s what you have to do, but that was never TC’s design intent.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Are you using pure lead when you cast your Maxi-Balls? Lead alloys cast to a larger diameter than pure lead and are harder to load and keep in alignment. The same admonishment is also applicable to the Lee REAL bullets.

Use only pure lead, no added tin, to keep the size to the bore correct.

 

[morehops52]

Cone your barrel. problem solved. All my maxies go in straight now. One of the best things I've done to my rifles next to peep sights.

 

[Steel Guitar]

How do I cone my barrel??
Thanks

 

[nkbj]

All molds and bores are not created equal. Making your own bullets is a hobby all in itself.

Lee solved the difficulties somewhat with the REAL concept; absolute genius.
I still wonder if the idea came from looking at corrugated steel silos while driving down the road in Wisconsin dairy country.

 

[nkbj]

How do I cone my barrel??
Thanks

Well, there's coning and then there's coning.
Some people just round the edges with thumb pressure behind emery paper and some people use a conical shaped cutter in make it into an actual cone.

 

[SDSmlf]

Cone your barrel. problem solved. All my maxies go in straight now. One of the best things I've done to my rifles next to peep sights.

How do I cone my barrel??
Thanks

I do not believe coning your barrel will help you start conicals perpendicular into your bore, though coning is helpful for loading roundballs. I would suggest you find or size a conical to fit and work with your barrel, not modify the barrel to fit one particular conical.

Have you measured the bore diameter of your barrel?

 

[Ninering62]

Hello Pards (You Guys),
I'm having fliers because I can't start the bullet square/perpendicular to the bore and yes the t/c maxis are a little larger than the bore. What do I need to do or get to fix this.
Thanks

First off I'd say find a better conical & stop using them TC maxi's

 

[morehops52]

I do not believe coning your barrel will help you start conicals perpendicular into your bore, though coning is helpful for loading roundballs. I would suggest you find or size a conical to fit and work with your barrel, not modify the barrel to fit one particular conical.

Have you measured the bore diameter of your barrel?

I have my rifles coned to "maxi depth". That is the tip of my maxi sits just below the muzzle with little or no pressure. It just seems to me that a slug farther down in the barrel would be less likely to get ****-eyed than my pre-coned barrels. I have never measured my bore because my rifles shoot orig T/C Maxis with very good accuracy.

 

[morehops52]

How do I cone my barrel??
Thanks

If you go to the General Muzzloading forum, go to the top of the page then about 7 posts down you will find "coning a Barrel" by Claude Mathis. The are numerous links to more info than you can imagine. My bottom line is this: I bought a coning tool. Did several rifles by hand @ about an hour each. Rifles load easier at muzzle and maxis go in straight with no loss of accuracy. Others have different opinions mine is from experience. Good luck.

 

[rmark]

Steel Guitar, what rifle do you have? are you buying bullets or casting them yourself?