Minie bullets in.58 cal Green Mountain Barrel

[cottonmouth]

Need some expert advice with shooting 530 grain Minie bullets in my .58 cal Green Mountain barrel with a 1 to 70 inch twist. This barrel is 32 inches long. I would like to see how Minie bullets would shoot in this barrel! But before I go out and buy some Minie bullets would like to see if any of the members have had any experience with this type of barrel and caliber using these type of conical bullets. Trying to come up with a good hunting load for some pretty good size feral hogs!
So any information or advice would be appreciated!

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

You are going to want to shoot patch and ball with that twist rate, which you can hammer game with no problem.

 

[BrownBear]

That twist rate would be fine with hollow base mini's, just like the originals that fired minis. But in a bud's experience there's a catch. The rifling is awfully deep compared to originals, so your load is a little more critical- hot enough to expand the skirt and seal at the rifling, but not so hot you blow the skirt.

My bud's solution was to use Triple Seven 3f- 45 grains as I recall- which he felt gave a more "punchy" ignition (his words). He also filled the base with lube. Worked for him and worked well. But he said dropping to 40 grains or going over 50 of the same powder blew accuracy to pieces.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

You are going to want to shoot patch and ball with that twist rate,

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[EC121]

I would use a round ball. A .58 cal. round ball will easily stop a hog. You end up with a .58cal. hole with either projectile. If you have to have a bullet, look for a Lee REAL mold. No hollow base, and it should fit tighter than a minie.

 

[nkbj]

The old Lyman 577611 is the thick skirt minie made for uppity charges.

If you find some other Lyman minie you like, this fella can whip out a plug to your specifications to provide the heavier skirt. http://www.hollowpointmold.com/replacement-pins/

 

[nkbj]

This is the 575494 cast with the 577611 plug.
You can swap out the plugs on some of the older Lyman molds.



Recently picked up a 575602 cheap with no plug. The various other Lyman base plugs fit the blocks so it will make some humdingers to try out. The 575602 has a long bullet to barrel alignment length and may need a faster twist compared to the badminton birdie military designs.

 

[nkbj]

The 575213 Old Style with the 577611 plug. Patched up to fit the bore on a TC Hawken.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

They really shouldn't work....BUT...., with some tweaking they might work well indeed. The Pedersoli 3-Band Enfield is a 1:78 twist, and shoots CW style minies, but I think the rifling is different as mentioned in previous posts. So the only true answer will be what happens when you try it out.

LD

 

[varsity07840]

If your intent is to shoot conicals, why not try the Honady
Great Plains hollow base?

 

[cottonmouth]

Thanks a bunch guys!
I have just come across some of the Minie`s dropped from a Lyman 577611 Mould, so will try these out and really like those thick skirts! As Duane mentioned, I will try to find some of the Hornady Great Plains bullets and also try them!
Those Hornady Great Plains in the .58 Cal are hard to find! :idunno:

 

[ohio ramrod]

When shooting mini's out of rifles with deep grooves I use a leather wad with a 1/4 inch hole in the center over the powder. This helps to seal the deeper grooves and give better expansion. If you have high pressure gas on both sides of the skirt it will not expand as well. :idunno:

 

[BrownBear]

Those Hornady Great Plains in the .58 Cal are hard to find! :idunno:

Far as I know, they haven't made them in a while. When you run across some, jump on them.

 

[Eterry]

I have two 58's I shoot minie's out of, but both have shallow rifling and are designed to shoot them. If I had a barrel like yours I'd try for a solid base conical, the REAL conical by Lee comes to mind, but be sure you use a felt OP wad.
Anything is possible, they might shoot like a house afire, but that's not what I've heard about minie's and deep rifling.
Et