50 cal Minie ball

[btech]

What is the proper diameter for a 50 cal Minie ball? The ones I have measure about 0.508 to 0.510. Is this right?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Not enough info.
What kind of rifle with what twist?
What kind of Minie are you talking about? Are you sure it is a Minie? And not a maxi-something or other?

 

[btech]

I understand that info is needed. But in my experience with my 58 cal Zouave the bullet easily fits down the muzzle and can be rammed home fairly easily. That obviously means to me the diameter must be less than 0.58". Don't see how a 0.51 Minie ball can work in a 0.50 muzzle.

 

[mooman76]

It can still work just won't slide down the barrel easy. Ideally it should be .001/2 under bore size. You want it to slide down fairly easy but not so loose it doesn't stay on the powder charge.

 

[awebbersr]

Take a caliper and measure the bore. A .50 cal will typically be .516, lots of room for a .510 Minie ball. :thumbsup:

 

[ohio ramrod]

Mini's have a hollow base that will expand to grip the rifling and should be one or two thousands under the land to land dimension for ease of loading. On a fifty caliber that should be .500 or close to it. R.E.A.L bullets and T.C. maxi's have an over land band on them which is a force fit to engrave at loading. :hmm:

 

[galamb]

Lee Molds -

Lee Modern Minie ball - .500 354 grains
Lee Improved Minei - .500 360 grains

No listing for Lyman, RCBS or Saeco molds in 50 cal.

Here's the definition of the Minie:

The Minié ball was a conical-cylindrical soft lead bullet, slightly smaller than the intended firearm barrel's bore, with (originally) four exterior grease-filled grooves and a conical hollow in its base. The bullet was designed by Minié with a small iron plug and a lead skirting. Its intended purpose was to expand under the pressure and obturate the barrel and increase muzzle velocity.

 

[nkbj]

Depending upon your rifling geometry (width of lands, bore diameter) you might be able to load a minie that's a couple of thousandths over bore diameter. The original idea was to have them less than the bore diameter and to have a shallow rifling geometry that limited the expansion needed. It doesn't have to work only that way. Short answer is that your rifle will work better for you (loading and shooting) with a given diameter and the only way to find the diameter is to try it.
If you have a modern reproduction barrel the best place to start may well be bore diameter or only very slightly larger. Engraving on the rifling is often not at all difficult.