Sizing minnies

[cytorg]

I'm using a hodgdon .578 mold from RCBS for my Enfield in skirmish shoots. The .578 minnie fits loosely in the barrel, I could load the bullet with lub at this size though it would be snug. When I was casting bullets with some members of the group they told me to size the minnies and they had a .577 and a .575. I'm getting very loose groups with my rifle benched.
My question is; what is the purpose of sizing and and should I purchase a sizer that is close to the .578? If sizing is to make sure the bullet is true then wouldn't a .578 sizer be best?

Thanks!

 

[Coot]

Sizing will ensure that your minnies are the correct diameter for your gun. My 2 band Enfield has a bore of .577 and I use a Lyman 575-213 mold and size the cast minnies thru a .575 die. They have to be driven thru the die which tells me that the mold is giving me a slightly oversize minnie. My Enfield is 30 years old & from Parker-Hale. A .578 will not load at all in my gun. You need to start by checking the actual bore of your gun (NOT just taking the builders word) & then figure what diameter size die you need. If your current mold produces undersized (for your gun) minnies, you will need to go to a larger mold. Perhaps some of the guys at the range will let you have a few of theirs in different sizes to try.

 

[bingo1952]

If you can shoot a match with you present minies at .578 without encountering problems loading because of fouling I wouldn't size them down. The closer to bore size the better a minie usually groups. I used to Skirimish back in the early 90's with the Washington Grays.

 

[playfarmers]

I used the Lee Mini for my .50 Deerstalker and it fit very loose, so I tried paper patching them. They cut one hole at 80 yards. Recoil was too much for my arthritic shoulder, so I went back to round balls.

 

[Idaho Ron]

Here is another vote for Paper Patching your bullets. I have great luck with PP'ed bullets. Ron

 

[jdstrang]

The main reason for sizing is to get your minie to 1 or 2 thousandths under bore size; "truing" the bullet is not a great concern at skirmish ranges. The obduration and expansion takes care of that. :shocked2:

And the best way to determine bore size is with a plug gauge - a brass rod(s) turned in steps to the common musket bore sizes. I have a set of three, which among them measure from .574 to .582. If you have a team machinist/gunsmith such gauges are not at all difficult to turn, and are worth their weight in, uh, brass. :hmm:

The Hodgdon bullet gives spotty results. Some folks shoot them well with no complaints, while several others report the frequent flyer, especially at 100 yards. :cursing: I tried them with both the thin- and thick-skirt base plugs, and found them less accurate overall than the Lyman 575213, to which I returned.

The most important factor is the lead you use. For minies to work properly, the lead has to be dead soft. :bow: Even a little hardness will result in bad grouping, keyholing, etc. If the minie is soft, it can be 4/5 thousandths under bore and still shoot accurately.

There is no need to paper-patch a soft lead minie, and wrapping a hard-lead minie still will not make it shoot well.

 

[arquebus]

Most of the Sutlers who supply the NSSA folks seem to stock the sizing dies in various sizes. I bought mine some years ago from Rapine Bullet Moulds along with a little press that they fit in.
I have them in .577" & .579" for my Enfield Musketoon & Zouave, & a .549" for my original M.1858 Amberg Rifle-Musket. I'm not in the NSSA, but do most all my R-M shooting at 100yds/meters for MLAIC shooting, apart from getting the Minie to the correct 'slip-fit' it also makes the bullets truer as very few moulds will throw perfectly round bullets.