Lee R.E.A.L bullet

[CaptainKirk]

I had a hell of a time getting my REALs to fly straight out of my 1:48 Lyman Trade Rifle. I finally solved the issue with two things:
1) Pan lubing the REALs with Emmert's lube
2) Using a .50 cal lubed felt wad between powder and bullet
This rifle is still way more accurate with a PRB.

 

[Zonie]

I had a hell of a time getting my REALs to fly straight out of my 1:48 Lyman Trade Rifle. I finally solved the issue with two things:
1) Pan lubing the REALs with Emmert's lube
2) Using a .50 cal lubed felt wad between powder and bullet
This rifle is still way more accurate with a PRB.

That's probably true because although the Lyman Trade Rifle rifling grooves are 1:48 twist, they are .010 deep.
Patched roundballs are meant to be used with .010 deep rifling grooves.

 

[northern redneck]

Has anyone tried this bullet in a .54 caliber lyman great plains at 380 grains?

 

[Teewest]

I use the REAL Bullets 250 and 320 in my 50 cal. T/C Hawken they work great, I also use the 380 in my 54 cal. T/C Hawken they work great. I have not been using patch and ball since I have used the Lee REAL Bullets. I cast my own from pure lead.

 

[Versanaut]

I used to use the short REALs in my CVA mountain rifle. 24" 1:48 twist. Then I was hunting with it one year and heard the strangest sound as I was huffing it to my stand... Remember that toy we had as kids.. The plastic tube with a ball in it.. When you tilted the tube, the ball would roll to one side and make that 'hollow' increasing pitch.. and then flip it back over and the pitch would go down? Yah, That was what I was hearing in the middle of nowhere. I stopped multiple times and looked around, I SWORE someone was following and screwing with me. Finally noticed it was occurring only on the side I was carrying my rifle, and only when I was carrying it a certain way going up hills. I tipped the rifle, and sure enough.. zzhuzzhuzzhuuweeeet. Tipped it the other way, zzhuzzhuzzhwooooooot. It was the REAL round traveling up and down the barrel.

Never used one again... Have to thank them though for pushing me to graduate to patched roundballs for the win! Never looked back.

 

[northern redneck]

I use the REAL Bullets 250 and 320 in my 50 cal. T/C Hawken they work great, I also use the 380 in my 54 cal. T/C Hawken they work great. I have not been using patch and ball since I have used the Lee REAL Bullets. I cast my own from pure lead.

interesting, what's the twist in your rifle?

 

[Africa58double]

The REAL Bullet shoots exceptionally well in my .58 double rifle… with Deep Riflling. For that matter it shoots well with patched ball also.

Low charge of 75gr and it’s shooting a baseball size group at 80 yards off hand.

Crisco Lube only

Oh and my other pedersoli flint .54 jaeger shoots the real just as good

Once again low charge of 75 grains

 

[PastorB]

I've had pretty good success with the REAL bullets. I always shoot the short, stubby (light) one for whatever caliber. In one rifle I have, a freebie that was given to me with a rough bore, I could only get it to shoot with REAL bullets. When trying PRB's (my preferred load) it just shredded the patches resulting in zero accuracy, with the REAL's it actually became a usable rifle. In MY rifles, the lightweight REAL also shoots to the same POI as round balls. The Hornady Great Plains bullet, .54, was very accurate in my rifles with a 1:48 twist. Didn't much care for the recoil, but it was a shooter. I believe they no longer make those bullets. I lube my REALS with off brand Crisco, works fine for me.

 

[northern redneck]

I've had pretty good success with the REAL bullets. I always shoot the short, stubby (light) one for whatever caliber. In one rifle I have, a freebie that was given to me with a rough bore, I could only get it to shoot with REAL bullets. When trying PRB's (my preferred load) it just shredded the patches resulting in zero accuracy, with the REAL's it actually became a usable rifle. In MY rifles, the lightweight REAL also shoots to the same POI as round balls. The Hornady Great Plains bullet, .54, was very accurate in my rifles with a 1:48 twist. Didn't much care for the recoil, but it was a shooter. I believe they no longer make those bullets. I lube my REALS with off brand Crisco, works fine for me.

My gun shot those hornady great plains bullets in my gun and they shot well also. I'll have to give them a try.

 

[northern redneck]

I've had pretty good success with the REAL bullets. I always shoot the short, stubby (light) one for whatever caliber. In one rifle I have, a freebie that was given to me with a rough bore, I could only get it to shoot with REAL bullets. When trying PRB's (my preferred load) it just shredded the patches resulting in zero accuracy, with the REAL's it actually became a usable rifle. In MY rifles, the lightweight REAL also shoots to the same POI as round balls. The Hornady Great Plains bullet, .54, was very accurate in my rifles with a 1:48 twist. Didn't much care for the recoil, but it was a shooter. I believe they no longer make those bullets. I lube my REALS with off brand Crisco, works fine for me.

Did you try the 380 gr or the 300 gr REAL bullet?

 

[PastorB]

Did you try the 380 gr or the 300 gr REAL bullet?

I have the 300 gr. in .54. Shoots well in my Pedersoli's, a Rocky Mountain Hawken (1 in 66"), Frontier Rifle (1 in 65"), and in my Charles Daly (Investarms) Hawken (1 in 48"). The REAL bullet shoots to the same POI as a PRB in my rifles, at normal muzzleloading range. Attached pic is from a post here a while back when i shot a bunch of different loads thru my Frontier Rifle to get velocity info. Around 20 shots or so in each group using different powders and charges, top group is the REAL bullet, bottom is PRB's. I wasn't shooting for accuracy, I just had a target set at 100 yards to align myself over the chrono, but I was sure pleased.with the results! Just for info, The Hornady Great Plains bullet in .54 shot great in my RMH (1 in 66") using 60 grain charges, but hit the target sideways with any higher charge. Velocity.with a 60 grain charge of Swiss is right around 1200fps. I believe Hornady no longer makes the GPB in .54, but I have quite a stash.

 

[Ballshooter]

I have found 9 times out of 10 a 1/4 felt wad improved my LEE R.E.A.L accuracy.

 

[Kilo Charlie]

I got good results in my TC Hawken .50 cal using the shorter Lee REAL bullet (250-grain) with about 85 grains of Pyrodex RS or Triple Seven. I always had a lubed felt patch atop the powder. I also got good results in a TC Hawken flinter with 65 grains of fffg.
Considering how well the 320 TC Maxis shoot in a lot of rifles, I expect the 320-grain REAL should work fine.

 

[Teewest]

Northern Redneck,
I have the Thompson Center Hawken rifles and they are all 1-48 twist, and they are all factory original. The Lee REAL bullets work great and are very accurate at all ranges, I use pyrodex RS in the 54 Cal cap lock and GOEX 3 f in the 50 cal Flintlock (so I can use the same power for the pan) . I have not used the rifles for hunting mainly because of the cleaning they need after shooting them, but at the range I shoot 50 to 200 yards and well the 200 yard target is not the best group at 4.5 inches but it will do. The loads very between 50 and 120 grains depending on the range of the target.
Have a great day