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How would you size minies for these bores?

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brewer12345

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OK, so I finally tracked down some pins and sized my Zouave and a round ball twist 58 barrel that I had bobby hoyt make out of a roached New Englander barrel. The .580 pin just barely goes maybe a quarter of the way into the Zouave barrel which suggests to me that it is a .5795 or .580" barrel. The New Englander barrel appears to be .582." I am planning to start working with the Lyman Blue and Gray target minie. What would you size minies for these barrels at? I was thinking maybe .578 for the Zouave and .581 for the New Englander?
 
I am a bit confused on what rifle you are trying to find a minie for -- is it a Zouave that has a bore diameter of .5795 - .5780" or is it a New Englander barrel that appears to be .582"? You did the right thing on finding the bore size. I would buy some minies in sizes .577", .578", .579", .580" & .581" and go try them at your local range with charges that range from 40 grains to 60 grains of 2F BP. When you find the size and charge that gives you the best accuracy THEN buy that style & size of mold and cast your own. There is no quick fix solution - each rifle is unique to itself. Hopes this helps :dunno: :confused:.
 
The Zouave is .5795 to 580, the New Englander is .582. I am mostly interested in the Zouave, but would not mind trying minies in the New Englander as well. I cast and don't mind trying different molds, so if the Blue and Gray doesn't work out I will try something else. Just trying to figure out which sizers I should order.
 
My new Pedersoli Zouave measures out at about .576, tighter than my 3-band Enfield of the same brand which measures at about .578 (measured using pin gauges). In both, I've had the best luck sizing the Lyman Blue-Grey Minie to exactly .575". I accomplish this using the Pedersoli sizing tool, which works beautifully. Then, I lightly roll-lube them in Lee Alox. That combination has by far given me the best results from both these rifles (powder charge is 50 gns. Triple 7 2f). Before I started sizing them, the Lyman bullets were shooting very randomly. Now I can generally keep a fist-sized group from either rifle at 80-100 yards when I do my part.
 
What twist did Bobby Hoyt put on your New Englander barrel? Is it shallow fast twist for the minie or deep slow twist for round balls?

ADK Bigfoot
 
So focus on your Zouave with the minnie ball one to two thousands under bore size. Go for a .570 or .575 round ball with appropriate lubed cotton patches for the other. Good Shooting!

ADKB Bigfoot
 
So focus on your Zouave with the minnie ball one to two thousands under bore size. Go for a .570 or .575 round ball with appropriate lubed cotton patches for the other. Good Shooting!

ADKB Bigfoot

Already got a round ball load dialed in, .570 ball with a .015 patch and 75 grains of Olde Eynesford 1.5F. I will use the round ball load for my deer hunt this fall. The minie is more something to see if I can get right. If it is accurate enough to hunt deer with, great.
 
Hoyt claims his best twist for minies is 1 in 60" and the ones he has done for me are tack drivers however if your rifling is deep it may not shoot a minie well. Minies do not require a fast twist.
I wonder if that's for all barrel lengths. I' thinking the shorter the barrel, the faster the twist. He's done quite a few barrels for me over the past 30 years or so, some round ball and some minie. I built a Richmond carbine using a pitted original '61 barrel and he relined it for me using a 1:48 twist. I felt that it gave the best accuracy at 100 yds, which is the max range skirmishers shoot at. It also needs a long bullet. My 42" original 1842 rifled Springfield has a Hoyt 1:72 reline and shoots very well, even though the minie is a relatively short semi wadcutter.
 
OK, so I finally tracked down some pins and sized my Zouave and a round ball twist 58 barrel that I had bobby hoyt make out of a roached New Englander barrel. The .580 pin just barely goes maybe a quarter of the way into the Zouave barrel which suggests to me that it is a .5795 or .580" barrel. The New Englander barrel appears to be .582." I am planning to start working with the Lyman Blue and Gray target minie. What would you size minies for these barrels at? I was thinking maybe .578 for the Zouave and .581 for the New Englander?
I always wondered why the exact sizing was such an issue if the Minie ball is made to EXPAND anyway at the skirt into the rifling?
 
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