Minie ball fell out of .58 Mississippi rifle

[dheisner]

Hey Guys,

Last fall, you guys were a tremendous help in helping me figure out why Minie balls got stuck in my Mississippi rifle. Well, after a good cleaning in the way you recommended, I now have the opposite problem. When I load up, the Minie ball almost drops to the bottom of the barrel. I just barely tap it with the ramrod to seat it. I thought this was pretty cool considering how much trouble I had getting successive shots loaded if I didn't clean between shots. That problem is now gone. I went hunting the other day and didn't have any luck. When I got back to the house, I evidently had my muzzle loader pointed toward the ground and the Minie ball I had loaded earlier in the day fell out. I didn't realize it until later when my mother-in-law asked me what this bullet looking thing was that she had found out in the driveway.

Any suggestions on what to do? I go from one extreme to another. It'sa alwaysa som'thin.

bp newbie

 

[mrbill]

you may need to go with a slightly larger diameter bullet. maybe there was enough fouling to keep them snug but now that it's clean, they just aren't fitting tightly enough in the barrel. not sure if you can use a patch w/a mini-ball, but you could give that a try.

 

I wonder if you can bump them up like cast slugs for single shot rifle. :hmm:

 

[Thamaz]

If You cast them Yourself You can put a thin sheet of paper between the mould halves (the cavity excluded), this would produce oval bullets with the "big diameter" the paper thickness bigger than the "small diameter" the ovality shoud not affect precision. To recalibrate ready bullets- just force a snug fitting cone up their "butt", try for a suitable expansion.

These are my two cents..
Cal.61

 

[Mad Professor]

I read a good article about using paper patching for conicals a while ago. Supposedly increases accuracy and greatly reduces lead fouling. Here is the link:

http://members.shaw.ca/bobschewe/

Anyway, A thin piece of paper is wrapped around conical and the edge lightly glued to stick it to the wrapped bullet. The excess paper around the base of the bullet is then folded in about the base. A of lube vaseline/candle wax is used. I suspect the paper works a little like having a wonder wad for better gas seal. The author mentions different thinknesses of paper used to get the "correct fit" in the barrel.

In your case I suspect the paper will make the conical fit tight enough not to leave the barrel after being seated. Be careful experimenting as this may also increase pressure of your loads.

 

[Spring]

Paper patching has been around for close to 150 years. I think your rifle is a prime candidate for this technique.


Cheers!

 

[musketman]

I would suggest one of two things, foul the barrel slightly before loading to "grip" the minie...

-or-

Plaster on a sticky paste lube to help hold the bullet in place...

 

[fho]

BP Newbe:
If you are going to use a paper patch, I would suggest you use a cardboard wad over the powder as I have burned up the paper patch and leaded the barrel.

If you make a Chase patch (paper patch around bullet once), I would make the paper patch a little bigger than the circumference of the bullet, a few thousands bigger.

You are lucky that the bullet fell out of you rifle because if you would have shot your rifle with the bullet off the powder it could have blown up. I don't like conicals bullet as you have to be very careful that the bullet does not move off the powder.

Olie

 

[fho]

BP Newbe;
I said that wrong. The Chase patch should be the length of the circumference of the groove diameter plus a few thousands. When the bullet upsets it will fill the grooves so you will need enough paper length to go in the grooves and over the lands.

Olie

 

[varsity07840]

You might try measuring your bore and matching your minie size to it, less .001-.002. Measuring
the bore(land to land) can be tricky if you have a three groove barrel. Usually a three point caliper is necessary. Are you casting your own minies? Sometimes, depending on the bore size, that becomes a necessity. The correct size mould and a sizing die makes a big difference. The sizing die may be needed because minies sometimes
cast a bit bigger than the stated size OR you may have to start with a larger size mould and size it down to the required diameter. A generous amount of lube in the grooves helps also. I don't
fill the base since over time in a hunting situation, it can wet the powder.

If you don't cast, and store bought minies are not working, try a bullet that engages the rifling
when you load, such as a Hornady Great Plains.

Good luck.

Duane

 

[big bore 75]

forget the paper patching thing right now lets get you shooting with out lossing your balls :v
do like duane suggested and take a measurment of your bore, i think zoli is .578- .580 in in diam.

Next what bullet mold are you casting with? or who is making your bullets?

when lubing your mini balls always, ALWAYS, lube only the grease groves ONLY it is not to be plased in the hollow cavity if plased in the cavity it will drop to the charge like you have stated and when pointing the barrel down the ball will drop clear of the barrel and end up on the ground. if your still having trouble let us know but first use good lube on the groves that should clear up some problems. bb75

 

[faw3]

I have a short Enfield, and had he same thing happen , cked on bore size and you could have 575,577 or 58 is what I read so I used patched RBs, any time I shoot a con I run it down a sizer with a wood dowel that fixed it or just get a bigger 58, like that paper in the mould idea going to try it todat. Good Shooting. Fred

 

[RedFeather]

What are you casting with? Pure lead or wheel weights/scrap? I'm not too familiar with casting, but do know that some molds cast undersized if you get away from pure lead.

RedFeather