Lee REAL bullet

I was digging around my closet in my gun room the other day and found a Lee REAL bullet mould in 58 cal that I don t remember buying (probably picked it up at a gun show years ago and forgot about it just like the new Parker Hale Enfield lock I found the other day).Anyway I was wondering if anyone has ever shot one of these in a civil war rifled musket with any sucess.

I have no experience with a .58, but I sure would love to prowl around in that closet. :rotf: :rotf: .................watch yer top knot...............

Probably been tried. But since it does not have an expanding skirt, unlikely it would perform well.
But, you won't know unless you try it.

I would think it would shoot ok but only trying will tell. Some that have trouble getting it to shoot good use a felt wad under it and it improves. The REAL is shorter than most conicals helping it stablize better. I don't have one for my 58 but do for 45, 50 and 54 caliber. Might depend on how good you want or expect it to shoot and how hard you push it.

It really depends on the particular gun. I've tried REALS in two different rifles. My groups at 50 yards went from pie plate size with RB's to couldn't hit a 4x8 sheet of plywood. (Blind old eyes can just barely even see a pie plate at that range).
I've heard a number of opinions that went both ways with REALS. You will just have to try it with your rifle to find out.

It's a good question and I don't know the answer but I suspect that loading a REAL bullet might be difficult.

As most folks know, REAL stands for Rifle Engraved At Loading. That is, the bullet is oversized so the rifling engraves grooves into the bullet when it is rammed into the barrel.

The CW style rifled muskets often had just three wide grooves and three wide bore sized lands.

That makes for a lot of lead that has to be removed by the bore sized lands in order to engrave the rifling onto the slug.

Hopefully someone who has tried it will chime in?

I didn't find them any harder to start and load than a patch and ball. Just a tap with the short starter and then they slid down the barrel easily.

barbarossa said:

...I was wondering if anyone has ever shot one of these in a civil war rifled musket with any sucess.

Click to expand...

I have a number of 58 cals, but no civil war muskets. Maybe my insights will help. The slower the twist, the faster I have to drive a REAL to get it to group. But as distance stretches and velocities drop, the groups start to spread pretty fast. I'd expect to have to drive it faster than you do a skirted minie to get it to group decently. But I'd expect it to do so at 50 yards with hotter charges. But I'd also expect the groups to really open up at 100 yards.

REAL bullets: 58 cal wadcutters are amazing in my 1/28 and 1/36 barrels. Don't push too hard: 60 grs 2Fg max, best at 50 grs. Narrow lube grooves don't fill well, but load OK w/smearthed grease.

I don't have any experience shooting them in a .58cal, but they shot absolutely fantastic in my .54 Lyman GPR. I could hit a clay pigeon at 80yds (by my laser range finder).

What do you have to lose to try a few? I'd try them both with and without a felt wad. :v

I agree, they shoot well in my GPR & TC Hawken in .54
Using 70grs Goex FFG up to 100grs (Hawken).
All cast out 100% wheel weight lead and tumbled in Lee Alox.

I am not sure of the diameter of the bore of your Enfield. It may possibly be a bit larger than a regular rifle in the same .58 caliber. Of that I am not sure. However, the Enfield was designed to shoot hollow base bullets. The hollow base bullets are small enough to easily load and the thin skirt will expand into the rifling when the rifle is fired. The REAL bullets have no hollow base to expand into the rifling so it must fit tightly as you start it into the bore. If the REAL bullets do not engage the rifling tightly, the bullet will not spin peoperly and not be well stabilized in flight. This will give very poor accuracy. I might suggest using a lubricated felt or leather wad between the powder and the REAL bullet to give you a good seal. However, the wad will do no good if the bullet does not engage the rifling properly.

Should the bullet be too small, it may be possible to paper patch it. Again, I am not sure about this. perhaps one of the other participants in this thread will be able to address this idea better.

Barbarossa, if you cast some up please let me know the band diameters. Been thinking about trying the .58 REAL in a couple of rifles and just haven't been any where that has the molds.

Yes, as Billnpatti says, do make sure the TOP ring of the REAL engages the rifling. You should be able to start one with your thumb (the first band doesn't engrave on starting).

I have experimented with the 58 Lee REAL bullet and found it works best in a barrel intended for a .575 minnie in an Italian cut barrel. If your rifle is a progressive depth rifling like the originals or a Parker Hale it wont perform as well. I prefer to use a felt wad between the powder and bullet so as to reduce gas cutting on the slug.I do notice the group opens up more at 100 yards. Perhaps adjusting the powder volume up
or down would change this.