Lee minieball question

[Philip63]

I've a TC Hawken .50 cal. Bought a Lee r.e.a.l. Minieball mold and with pure lead they drop out at .501. I haven't tried to slug the barrel yet simply cause it's only open on one end, but I've tried to measure the bore with a set of calipers and it seems the groves measure .510 and the lands about .480. This may not be very accurate as the Minnie's slide down way to easy. So easy that I'm concerned about hunting with them as one could very easily move off the powder. The question is how should I remedy this? Do you suppose the hollow bottom of the minieball could be swaged out just a bit? I tired paper patching with just some pattern paper and I can't tell you where 5 of those went cause they never hit the target. I may have to just stick with prb's as they seem to do pretty well.

 

[mooman76]

You seem to be talking about two different conicals at the same time and some clarity is needed. REALs are not hollow based but minies are. 501 does sound about right for a minie though and REALs drop tapered. Bout 501 at the base and taper to about .517 near the nose.
After you shoot minies once the fouling makes them load a little tighter. You don't want to be carrying a loose fit minie in the field. If it works forward and then you shoot, you have a real problem. Some people put a wad over the minie to help keep it in place and carry the gun muzzle up at all times. Personally I would switch to actual REALs or just stay to RBs. Since you can't seem to get on paper, it doesn't look like you should be shooting them anyway. With allot of load development you may get them to shoot though.

 

[Bugflipper]

Also there are 3 minnies I believe that Lee makes. One looks traditional, one similar, just fatter looking, then the one that looks like a soup can. The traditional one takes a lighter charge or it will blow the skirt. The other two have thicker skirts and can take more powder behind them. But they are designed to load loose. Just lube them and the powder will expand the skirt to engrave into the lands and grooves, no big deal.

If you are talking REAL bullets than you cast hotter to get them bigger. Preheat your mould on top of the pot while it melts. Once you're ready the first 10 or so are likely scrap then run as you would. If a lee electric pot run it wide open or close to it to get the bullet to better fill the mould. You can add a little bit of tin or other things to git it to fill out better but then they are harder to load so with bullets just run hot with pure lead. With balls it doesn't matter as much 4 or 5 on a lee pot is fine.
Good luck.

 

[BrownBear]

If you are talking REAL bullets than you cast hotter to get them bigger.

I don't understand that.

 

[mooman76]

They will drop slightly larger if you run the mould hot but only 1-2 thous.

 

[BrownBear]

Never heard of such a thing.

 

[Bugflipper]

Try this, cast a session on 4 or 5 then one on 9 or 10 and measure the difference in diameter with an aluminum mould.
Pure lead doesn't fill the mold as good as it cools too quickly and contracts slightly. Get the lead hotter, the mould is hotter, cools slower with not as much constriction. As said you can add things to the mix which also help fill a mould better but that's no good for us having to engrave the bullet into the rifling. Pure lead can be tough enough if the bullet is big and the bore small. You don't run into it nearly as much with tin and antimony in the mix, such as with wheel weights.
Have a good one.

 

[Philip63]

My mistake, I just thought it was a r.e.a.l. mold. What I have is the improved minie. Maybe I'll try a r.e.a.l. The one I have gives me groups of about 5" at 50 yds. with the loads I've tried so far. The prb's gave about 3" with 3 shots making one jagged hole. So, I'll keep playing with different loads, it's to much fun not to.

 

[Bugflipper]

Might try 50 gr with that Minnie. They are a little long for a 1-48 the lee REAL 250 does better. But what the heck you already have it so may as well have fun with it.