Another which bullet to cast for TC 1:48 twist question

[fourbore]

I hope to get back to shooting a number of TC rifles and perhaps purchase another. I was never well educated in these guns beyond buying maxiballs and going with a middle range charge. I know people here have studied and experimented and I would really appreciate a good starting point. Is there a good bullet design that is readily available in a mold for all: 45,50,54, and 58? I dont know where to begin. I mounted a peep sight on the 54 Renegade. I do have a 58 Big Bore in the mix.

With the recommended mold, can I also be told if I need to size and what to use for Lube.
I have Bore Butter and SPG on hand. Just for a sanity check, I assume no patch or wad needed?

I assumed pure lead is best which I have and easy to purchase more. That will upset to seal the bore? Or might 1:20 alloy be better given the shallow rifling? I have that on hand as well. More money and shipping for 1:20.

I also assume no wads over powder. Although I have some in 54. I dont remember why.

If I am asking to much, I apologize and perhaps a push in the best direction for one mold 54 or 58 is enough to get me started. I am pretty much home bound with virus scare. I could priority order a mold and start casting.

 

[mooman76]

I don't have a certain bullet in mind but with shallow groves a mini usually works better. Soft lead is best but a tiny bit of tin shouldn't hurt. Sometimes a over powder wad helps especially with heavy charges. Really the only way to tell what works best in your gun is to shoot the bullets in your gun. Most of my experience is with Lee REALs. There are many lubes to choose from. I have used BB. You can just wipe it on before you load. A little messy but I just carry a rag to wipe my hands on. It also depends on the twist of your guns what bullet to pick. A slower twist does best with a shorter bullet. Are all your calibers 1/48?

 

[fourbore]

I think they are all 1:48. Designed for maxiballs. I will look at the Lee REAL family.

Edit:
I found Track of the Wolf carries those. I assume I want the heavier mold with 4 bands.

 

[nkbj]

The Lyman minie mold #533476 with a paper wrapper might sing in your Renegade. It's got a honker of a big wide flat nose too whether you are cutting holes in paper or want to pancake a beastie.

Here's some sized down to .519" diameter for a Renegade rebored to .52 bore.

 

[Sinner]

I second the LEE R.E.A.L bullet. No resizing needed. They shoot very well!

 

[user 43911]

This has worked good for me with 1 in 48 and slower.

https://leeprecision.com/mold-540-415-m.html

 

[Grenadier1758]

I think they are all 1:48. Designed for maxiballs. I will look at the Lee REAL family.

Edit:
I found Track of the Wolf carries those. I assume I want the heavier mold with 4 bands.

I could answer your question better if I knew why you wanted such a heavy bullet.

 

[fourbore]

I placed an order with Track Of the Wolf for the REAL molds and some OxYoke lubed wads. That should get me off on a good is a start.

I appreciate all suggestions and will keep notes. Thank you.

And a follow up: are there any loading considerations with mini balls vs flat base bullets? If I used an oxyoke wad that could result in an air gap in the bullet base. And, seems like I was reading of a balance between bullet skirt thickness and loading not to light and not to heavy.

Why a heavy bullet? Perhaps I like to push the limits sometimes in the big direction and the REAL was suggested. Or to be practical, there should be some theoretical best bullet sizes and shapes for 1:48. And I dont mind heavy if that is a way to explore that territory. In fact, I might ask why TC did not go a little faster on the twist since they did offer 1:66 round ball barrels. Why light bullets?

 

[Zonie]

While your, "pushing the limits", you might keep in mind that in their testing with heavy bullets, "Lyman BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK & LOADING MANUAL" does not use 3F powder in their tests. They use 2Fg powder.

The reason for this is, heavy bullets causes the breech pressure to rise much higher than patched roundball's do and finer powder 3Fg grade powder produces more pressure per grain of load than the courser grade of 2Fg powder does.

 

[fourbore]

Good to know. I always used FF, but; at this point, I am pretty much starting over. I had read some here use FFF. I wont do use that.

 

[user 43911]

I don't understand, I just purchased a new Lyman percussion rifle in .54 cal and the book that came with it states MAX LOADS .535 rb =120 grains of 2F or 100 grains of 3 F, 450 grain maxi = 110 grs of 2F or 90 grs of 3F. date code on gun is Jan 2020.

My Pedersoli 54 give it's best groups with 3F (80grs + PRB) through 150yds.
(forgot) 3f runs cleaner in Pedersoli and shoots (415gr) minie's fine running 3f at 80grs and that's not bad for 11thou rifling at 1 in 66 twist (good for 8" metal plates at 200).

 

[Walkingeagle]

My .50 GPH percussion, I shoot 370gr Maxiballs with 90gr Pyrodex P. Shoots great groups and is also within specs as outlined in the owners manual.
Walk

 

[erhunter]

If I were you I would shoot a mid-range weight bullet for starters. I have a Lyman Trade Rifle with a 1;48 twist, 28 inch barrel and it wasn't a fast enough twist rate to stabilize them. What did work fairly well were the T/C Maxi-Hunter in I believe a 275 grain bullet. I shot it with 80 grains of FFG Goex and a felt wad on top of the powder. I would stick with the patched roundballs to prevent lead fouling and keep it traditional. More important than anything is have fun shooting!

 

[fourbore]

I will be shooting round balls too. I asked for a starting point to cast bullets. I rushed and placed an order (Lee REAL) hoping to get molds in hand before the whole country shuts down. I am going stir crazy now. As Caesar once said, "the die cast".

 

[nkbj]

Fourbore,
Every piece has its own tastes.
Have fun discovering what to feed that .54.
My big brother had a Renegade that loved .53 round ball, pillow ticking with neats foot oil and a piece of paper over the max load of FFg.
He tried maxis in it but one day I saw him shoot low and miss the head on a running cotton tail. That may have been the last maxi he ever shot.

 

[nkbj]

By the way, 48" twist isn't real slow for a .54, not so much as in a .45 or .50.
That theoretically lets you get by with less powder for the length of bullet.
So as always if it works it works.

 

[tenngun]

Yup, many of us have something around 1/60 while 1/48 was the norm for RB rifles when no other projectile was shot....except at infidels

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'd say you want to try one of these from Lee https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010203856

It makes both .490 round ball and a 320 grain Lee REAL bullet for your .50 rifle.

The REAL bullet stands for "Rifling Engraved At Loading", so you use pure lead, to be soft enough that when you load the bullet the top groove near the tip, is actually swaged onto your rifling before you even fire. That way you ensure it's engaging your rifling. Lee offers the same mold in .440 round ball and 200 grain .45 bullet.

For lube a lot of folks use a mixture of beeswax and cheapest olive oil. You melt the beeswax, and add 1/3 more very warm olive oil, and stir it a bit. While it's all melted you put your bullets into a container, standing nose up. Some folks cut the the bottom half off a whipping cream paper container, and use that. Then pour in the lube until it reaches the last ring on the bullets, and let it harden. Gently remove the bullets and the lube will stay in the groove. Save the remaining lube for the next batch.

I'd say try either the .50 or .45, and if it works in that one rifle, then you know it will probably work in the others, and you can order just the REAL bullet mold for the .54 and .58.

On the other hand you should, before making a decision to invest in four molds, try the round ball as well. Plenty lethal, and plenty accurate, and you don't abuse your shoulder nearly as much. IF you find you actually like the round ball performance (and recoil), then you know to buy round ball molds for the remaining rifles.

LD

 

[fourbore]

I maybe drowning in variables pretty soon. I have 54 Hornady round balls and several old yellow 12 packs of maxiballs. I have the REAL molds on order. I hope they get here before the whole country shuts down.

 

[Howie1968]

I have several 1-48 twist tc rifles. I use the 370 gr .50 caliber maxiball I lube with xlox which is similar to lee alox and a lot cheaper. in .54 I use the 54 430 gr maxiballs and bought some 600 grain maxiballs from tow in .58 caliber. I only use xlox lube now