Minie for .50 1/72 twist

[Oldbloke]

HI,
I have a CVA Trade Muzzle loader with 1;72 twist. I've only shot balls (177grs) out of it at the moment.

Wondering if I can shoot minnies or conicals with that twist rate. I'm thinking a Lee Mold if I can get one.

Where I live to hunt Deer with a muzzle loader it must be at least 200 grs. Some species 230grs

Any suggestions?

 

[Musketeer]

I'm certainly no expert in the area, but you may be able to find a powder charge and conical combo that will shoot adequately out of your gun. With that slow a twist I'd look at the shortest bullet possible. Hornady makes a bullet called the PA Conical that's quite stubby. In .50 cal it weighs in at 240 grains. The box says "1:66 twist" but it might work in a 1:72 if you mess around with the powder charge a bit.

https://www.hornady.com/muzzleloading/pa-conical#!/

 

[Oldbloke]

Thanks Musketeer

I just checked again. My miss take it is 1/66

 

[LawrenceA]

Depending on what range you shoot at the required accuracy may be more forgiving than you think.
LEE do a 250gn maxi. Push it as hard as you can without blowing the skirt and heavier weight for the same length to boot.
I only have the 350 minies and the 320 maxis. Send you some if you like?

This one may do you.
https://leeprecision.com/mold-d-c-50cal-250.html

 

[Oldbloke]

Hi Lawrence,
Thx for the offer. That's great. But not yet. Let me see how this peep works out first. I hope to put a few through it on Monday.

I saw the Lee 250s and have registered to get an email once they are back in stock.

I have a feeling the 250s are the go. I've re-measured the twist and keep coming up with not quite a half turn for about 27-28 inch barrel. So seems to be an odd twist. Some where between 1/66 and 1/48".

I typed 1/72 in the heading because previous owner said thats what it was.

 

[Musketeer]

Sounds like 1:56 (not the most common twist, perhaps, but not unheard of by any means).

 

[LawrenceA]

I don't know what the CVA Trade is but my CVA Hawken was 1:48.
I would be more surprised if yours was something else other than 1:48. But you never know.
I do have a CVA Express in 50. I can check the twist in that tomorrow if you like?
If it is 1:48 then I would bet yours is to unless the barrel was replaced.

 

[eggwelder]

My flintlock has a 1:56 twist- it is ok with a Lee modified minie, but have not really worked uo a load for it. Hit a playing card twice at about 40 yards with it, but the loads that were accurate were fairly under powered.

 

[mooman76]

You might try the Lee REALs. They are made to work in the slower twist barrels.

 

[Oldbloke]

New to this BP stuff. Lol
Sooo,,,what is it?

 

[LawrenceA]

Looks like one of these
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/cva-hawken-hunter-50-caliber.112612/Or
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/cva-frontier.76054/
One you will be interested in
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?226230-CVA-Frontier-carbine

 

[mooman76]

I had a CVA Frontier Carbine years back. Shoot real good and with REALs too. It looks like it. It had a 24" 50 cal barrel with a 1-48 twist.

 

[Oldbloke]

Yeh, looks like a Hawkins frontier.
Barrel is about 27"

 

[ResearchPress]

Choice of bullet does not just relate to rifling twist, but also form of rifling. Original rifles designed for the Minie such as the Enfield had 3 or 5 groove rifling with wide lands and grooves, the depth was shallow and on the Enfield actually diminished from breech to muzzle. I‘m not familiar with your rifle, but rifling designed for patch round ball may not be suitable to allow for full expansion of the Minie bullet to fill the rifling grooves, irrespective of the twist. By all means give it a try and use pure lead to assist with the expansion of the bullet.

David

 

[shorthair]

HI,
I have a CVA Trade Muzzle loader with 1;72 twist. I've only shot balls (177grs) out of it at the moment.

Wondering if I can shoot minnies or conicals with that twist rate. I'm thinking a Lee Mold if I can get one.

Where I live to hunt Deer with a muzzle loader it must be at least 200 grs. Some species 230grs

Any suggestions?

Might get LEE reals to stabilize in that slow a twist but I would expect minies to be a disappointment. There is a Lee real at 250 grains that seems to be the lightest and shortest and should stabilize after some experimenting with charge weight.