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Minie Molds???

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redwing

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Which of the minie ball molds would be the best? I shoot a
Zouave .58 A.Zoli Mfg. I have always shot round balls in it. Would like to try the minie.

:redthumb:
Redwing
 
We need a graemlin that shows worms crawling out of a can, 'cause this one opens a well-known can o' worms.

My worm says try the Lyman 575213, preferably Old Style (thicker skirt) but certainly accepting the New Style (very thin skirt) as well. Use only the purest lead for minie casting, as you may have read elsewhere on this board.

My son's Zouave with a Numrich Arms barrel shoots cloverleafs from the bench at 50 yards with the Lyman Old Style over 37 grains of 3f. Somewhere between there and 50 grains should be the load that makes your Antonio Zoli stand up and salute. :imo:

:blue: :grey:
 
Hi Pappabear,
Now I am highly curious. Today I started to use my Zouave .58 (Remington production). Used a 515 grain heavy bullet with skirt about .075 thick. Is that old or new style? Tried Swiss ff 35-39 grains. Seamed to need 39 though. Wasnt that satisfied with result. Tomorrow I will try instead a 600 grains bullet. I shoot with "naked bullet" just dipped in Break-Free oil. Getting back in how it proceeds. Will eagerly follow info from this thread.
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:
 
can o worms? more like a drum o worms! my zouave like the lee modern minnie with 60 gr ffg. many things can influence how they shoot for you. pappabear knows his stuff, i'm gonna have to try his suggested load in mine and see how it works. i always thought a load had to blow the elastic out of your socks to be good.
 
Hi there, arilar. Has hard winter set in yet up in the Northland?

Just waddled from the second-floor computer room down to the basement and miked my skirt. :: Mine run about .065, and weigh between 515 and 518 grains, so I'd say, given mould variances, you certainly have an old style.

Might I suggest that, rather than Break Free, you lube with a little Crisco (baking shortening)? Some folks fill the rings and the base, others just the rings. But a good lube helps prevent fouling, which improves accuracy. Even better, if you have access to beeswax, melt together a 50/50 beeswax/crisco combine, with a teaspoon or so of extra virgin olive oil, for a real good all-weather lube. (some guys like a higher proportion of beeswax to the Crisco. experiment.)

Keep us posted on your results. Most Zouaves with which I am familiar seem to like loads near 37, 42 or 45 grains, but I have no experience with Swiss (I'm a Goex guy) so the variances may enter into play. Good luck and good shooting!

:blue:
 
I was going to suggest the same thing as poppa bear, follow his directions your accuracy will appear only other thing I'd suggest is start with 25 grains 3fg swiss and work up in 5 grain incraments your particular rifle might like it a bit hotter that what poppa bears guns do, my feyetteville likes 42 grains and a 415 ggrain hogdon wad cutter, even my ex zouave like the same mini, poppa bear wasn't there a 300 grain lyman, that some units preferd, and they used somthing around 25 grains of 3fg goex?, used to have some and them things were amasing. bb75
 
Hi,
Still temperatur over zero.
Took my Zouave to a 88 yards range. Used 600 grains minie-bullet and with 43 grains of Swiss ff I got a 3 inch group out of 5 shots.Better than yesterday. Problems to get ball seated after a while. Used Break-Free oil on naked bullet as yesterday. Tomorrow new shooting but on a 109 yards range (100 meters you know). Will instead grease the bullet with lube 50/50 coconut oil and beeswax (think Crisco is unknown in this country, has to check with wife). Also has to check if less or more powder gives better groups.
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:
 
I have a lee mold for .45 minies. What is a good powder charge to start with for this bullet?
 
Hi grayghost,
Once I had a Pedersoli, Bristlen Morges, in cal.45. I used a minie-bullet that liked BP fffg 28 grains and very accurate at 50 meters. Even used it at 100 meters and then 36 grains fffg were needed. Not that accurate on target so far away.
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:
 
arilar

A little help with the Crisco thing.
I've seen it before where people your side of the pond don't know what Crico or lard is. I'm sure you have it, you just have another name for it. When you make a pie crust, it's what is mixed with the flour. Same with bread. You should use the unsalted kind.
Hope this helps.

R.M. :hatsoff:
 
Thanks R.M.,
It seems I gonna have that "serious talk" that my wife claims she wants. I now have a serious subject...CRIIIIISCOOOO!!!!!
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:
 
I'm a Scandinavian too, and I don't think we have anything like Crisco. The closest thing is perhaps "delfiafett" which is coconut fat. Crisco is some sort of vegetable shortening. In Norwegian it translates: "vegetabilsk matfett".

:eek:ff: but I copied this from the Internet: "Vegetable Shortening - A solid fat made from vegetable oils, such as soybean and cotton seed oil. Although made from oil, shortening has been chemically transformed into a sold state through hydrogenation. Vegetable shortening is virtually flavorless (has a bland, neutral flavor) and may be substituted for other fats (such as butter, margarine, or lard) in baking of pie pastry, cookies, and cakes. Shortening is ideal for pastry, since it blends well with the flour. It can be stored at room temperature for up to a year."

We don't eat that much pie here, perhaps that is the explanation

:hmm:
 
Redwing,
Getting cold up here in Sweden. Havent been out with my Zouave for the last 2 weeks. I am using a minie-mold made in Denmark "J
 
Arilar you can also try a lube mixture of 3 to 1 mutton tallow to beeswax. Thats the lube mixture that I've been using for the last 20 plus years of NSSA competition and never had a problem.
 
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