Minie Ball - using wads?

[Pilgrim64]

Has anyone ever used a wad behind a minie ball for the same reasons they are used with Maxi-balls? To prevent blow-by? I understand the Minies tail skirt is to expand into the rifling.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have used mini's extensively in my 45 to up the energy at longer ranges and have done some serious experimenting with them. I have found that the light felt wads that are made for revolvers work nicely, but are costly. I prefer a leather wad abour 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick with a 1/8 hole punched into the center of the wads. While the origional enfields had a tapered wooden plug ( later they used a clay plug )to help with the expansion. I have found that the wooden plugs don't make any improvement. Also the alloy of the minis is critical to prevent the skirt from seperating. Harder allows tend to be brittle the purer the better.

 

[Pilgrim64]

Thank you for the response. I just cast a few in my LEE improved minnie mold for my .50 Hawken and sent one down range. They load so nice, my home cast maxi-balls were always too big and alot of sizing and pounding was required to get them in the barrel.

 

[Pilgrim64]

What type of distance were you able to get good groups with the minie? 100+? how tight of groups?

 

[ohio ramrod]

Two inch groups at 75 yrds were the farthest I tested. But I shot right through a deer at 145 yrds ,hitting right where I intended.( I had a woodpile as a rest and much younger eyes then, now I don't take longer shots due to older eyes. )That was using a shallow grove 1 in 48 twist Hopkins and Allen.

 

[Pilgrim64]

I assume you were not able to recover the minnie ball? did you ever recover one in a deer you shot? I imagine they pack a punch and flatten out real nice.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I posted some pictures of before and after comparing mini,s to round balls . Shot into wet saw dust and shreded newspaper. ( the poor mans ballastic jelly) about three weeks ago. Now if I can just remember the name of the post! I think it was" before and after."

 

[ohio ramrod]

It is on General muzzle loading: pb/minis before and after