Packing greased minie balls

Just out of coureosity, how do you guys carry your lubed minie balls around? Loading block verses leather bag or small wooden box.
Just poured up some 58 cal minie balls and hand lubed them up , and started to wonder how to pack them around with out them collecting unwanted materials.

You need to keep them in something that will keep them clean and also being minies you need something that will protect the skirt from damage(being bent).

I do have a small box that will fit into my pozsibles bag. Thoughts on a loading block for a little faster access ?

For faster loading & easy access, I would suggest making up paper cartridges. Powder is pre-measured & the paper wrap protects the minie and keeps dirt out of the grease.

Here's a fix,
Hand lube one when you need one.
The reality is folks hunting with trad ml's seldom need to "speed load". So just bring some of your lube with in a closed container and a few extra minnie. When you need one,, lube one :idunno:

Have played with paper cartridges in the past with the cap and ball revolver as well as my 50 cal's. Never had too much success, or so it seemed at the time. The revolver ones worked well but had to listen to make sure the nitrated paper wasn't still smoldering before trying to ram another in.

Not necessarily "speed load" , but more of " less fumbling then loading " for reloading after that first shot is fired.
Thinking the box that I have will provide, unless I get active and start looking around for a 37/64ths drill bit.

outlan said:

Have played with paper cartridges in the past with the cap and ball revolver as well as my 50 cal's. Never had too much success, or so it seemed at the time. .

Click to expand...

Well, those would be the most difficult to make. bigger are easier.


As far as bench shooting goes, I've seen guys pan lube and leave them in the pan until needed...(cake pan with a cover)

The difference with a larger cartridge is you use thicker paper. You tear the bullet away from the cartridge and dump the powder down the barrel. You can then discard the paper or ram it down on top of the powder as a wad. Then the bullet is seated and rammed home. You are not worrying about paper left smoldering in the barrel.

Revolver cartridges involve thin combustible paper that is loaded into the chambers. Musket cartridges use heavier (like newsprint) paper that is much sturdier to carry (esp in a cartridge box) & is discarded rather than loaded when shooting minie balls. With a minie, there is no paper in the bore to smoulder.

This is what I use for shooting on the range

I put them in an old empty ”˜mink oil’ tin from Track of the Wolf. It’s about 1” tall and 5” in diameter. I toss the tin into the fireplace, once empty - duh, to turn them gray/black and give them some ”˜aged’ patina.

Buff them up quickly w/ a Scotchbrite pad, oil it or apply some Birchwood Casey ”˜Sheath’ ... and presto, it is good to go!

Got some nice box's there. I have some mid size candy tins that I was thinking of using for range time. Thinking it would be better then the leather shot bags I use for my round ball.

Find a flexible plastic tube that is a snug fit for the size minnie you will be carrying and cut it long enough to carry three or four minnies . stick them in the tube and drop it in your bag or pocket . You can push them out as needed and the tube will protect the skirts as well as the lube . I have bought large individual drill bits in the type of clear plastic tubes I am referring to . Check around a machine shop and you may be able to bum a few that are empty .This is what I do for hunting .

For target shooting I lube them in a lube/sizer to their as cast size and carry them standing on their base in a cigar box . As I load them I add some tube grease to the cavity as I load them . This keeps fowling soft when firing more than a few shots at a time .

Eddie