suggested loads for 485 gr Minie in 58 cal

[Jac Spring]

Well the title says it all. What loads do you recommend for my 58 Cal CVA mountain rifle with Lee Minie bullets? I was planning on starting with a 70 grian load of ffg. Lube will be my own home brew - beeswax, lard and olive oil. Do you suggest filling the base cavity with lube or leaving empty?

 

[arquebus]

Sounds a bit hefty to me. I'd be inclined to start at 45gns of 3Fg & work up in 5gn increments. Suspect you'll find your most accurate load between there & 60gns. Unless that Minie has a particularly heavy skirt I'd suspect 70gns would start blowing the sides out of them. Besides, with a 485gn soft lead bullet you won't need high velocities, that bullet will carry alot of punch on any target/animal. Your lube will probably work ok, I used to to use 50/50 beeswax/vaseline, but now use SPG for convenience. I've never filled the bases with lube & have not found a need to as far as sufficient lubrication goes, in fact sometimes don't even use all the grooves on the outside. Most important thing for getting good consistent accuracy with Minies is to size them .001-.002" under BORE size

 

[Tumblernotch]

I wouldn't go over 70 grs. 60 works well for the 485 gr. in my rifle-musket. In lubing, I would set the bullets on their base in a shallow pan and dip it in another pan of melted lube. Take it out and set aside to dry. Run the bullet through a sizer and that will strip the excess lube off. Remember too to use Minies no more than a couple thousandths smaller than bore size for best accuracy. Another thing to consider is the fact that Minies are designed for shallow rifling. No more than .005" at the muzzle. They may work OK with deeper grooves, but won't be at their best.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Are you looking for a hunting load or a target load?