Patch-over-minie for rifle muskets?

[Misplaced Rebel]

Hey all,

I'm going to be taking the reenacting/shooting season off this summer- call it a "rebuilding year" :wink: - and will be working on more accurate skirmish/hunting/target loads for this little darling:

M1855 Rifle Musket

So, in lieu of that, I have bullets, 3f powder out the wazoo, and plenty of time.

My question is, have any of you tried over-minie (ball) cards/wads/patch etc. in a rifle musket? Is there any potential to create a dangerous bore obstruction? Should I just forget about it? I've seen some videos on youtube of guys including over-ball materials in their loads with minies, and I'm wondering if it might help in terms of med./long range accuracy, or in the general accuracy department.

All thoughts and suggestions welcome. :grin:

Thanks,

-Chris

 

[Big John]

Use a micrometer to measure inside the bore, mold/size the minnies to 1-2 1,000ths of bore size, lube with 50/50 bees wax/Crisco,60gr. of 2F Goex or 42gr. of 3f Goex will get you shooting. Fine Tune as needed. A proper fitting Minnie won't need patch or over ball card.

 

[GaCop]

Hey all,

I'm going to be taking the reenacting/shooting season off this summer- call it a "rebuilding year" :wink: - and will be working on more accurate skirmish/hunting/target loads for this little darling:

M1855 Rifle Musket

So, in lieu of that, I have bullets, 3f powder out the wazoo, and plenty of time.

My question is, have any of you tried over-minie (ball) cards/wads/patch etc. in a rifle musket? Is there any potential to create a dangerous bore obstruction? Should I just forget about it? I've seen some videos on youtube of guys including over-ball materials in their loads with minies, and I'm wondering if it might help in terms of med./long range accuracy, or in the general accuracy department.

All thoughts and suggestions welcome. :grin:

Thanks,

-Chris

Try some patched ball loads, you may be surprised at the accuracy compared to a Minie'.

Tom

 

[Dphar]

Hey all,

I'm going to be taking the reenacting/shooting season off this summer- call it a "rebuilding year" :wink: - and will be working on more accurate skirmish/hunting/target loads for this little darling:

M1855 Rifle Musket

So, in lieu of that, I have bullets, 3f powder out the wazoo, and plenty of time.

My question is, have any of you tried over-minie (ball) cards/wads/patch etc. in a rifle musket? Is there any potential to create a dangerous bore obstruction? Should I just forget about it? I've seen some videos on youtube of guys including over-ball materials in their loads with minies, and I'm wondering if it might help in terms of med./long range accuracy, or in the general accuracy department.

All thoughts and suggestions welcome. :grin:

Thanks,

-Chris

Try some patched ball loads, you may be surprised at the accuracy compared to a Minie'.

Tom

The minie is the the bore obstruction problem they tend to be loose in the bore. All wads, plugs and such were abandoned by the worlds militarys and the various forms of the Minie were shot as bare bullets.
Cloth patching does not work well for bullets with bearing surfaces much more than .100 long since it tends to wrinkle and bunch up.
This is why "Picket" bullets had no more bearing surface than a RB.
The Minie is not a great hunting bullet. I would try a patched RB. The original twist in most American Rifle Muskets was 1:72. The RB will allow much higher velocity/flatter trajectory and should shoot fine once the ball/patch fit is worked out.

Dan

 

[Rifleman1776]

Keep in mind You Tube videos are made by people who know how to use video cameras. What they video record can be surreal, to say the least.

 

[TFoley]

Keep in mind You Tube videos are made by people who know how to use video cameras. What they video record can be surreal, to say the least.

This. :thumbsup:

tac

 

[rafterob]

Nothing over the minie ball is going to help. Paper patching may help.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

I agree with Ghettogun, paper patching an undersized Minnie works quite well, having said that, I also agree Dan Phariss that the Minnie makes a terrible hunting bullet and I only shoot PRB when I hunted with my 1863 .58. Because you don’t need any more for just about anything that walks on this continent. I have never achieved the accuracy with a Minnie that have with a patch round ball even with paper patched bullets. Some say they have but it didn’t work for me.

 

[nkbj]

Misplaced Rebel,
Were you concerned with hunting loads, round ball loads or were you asking advice on minies because you were interested?
If you were looking for using minies for hunting, you need to use a hunting hollow based bullet rather than a military hollow based bullet so it will take the higher pressure and not blow the skirt. There's been such thick skirted minie molds running loose for many decades. You might need to paper patch one to get the stiction fit in the barrel... a bullet that rubs well against the rifling and provides the tighter than military fit that you want for accuracy.
I'm fixing to do just exactly that with a .58 minie my own self onced I get time, treating a .58 just like any other paper patched muzzleloading bullet.

:hatsoff: (insert rebel yell here)

 

[George T.]

Of all the muskets at our mothly matches almost are shoy with patched round balls. Mine shoots near as good as my other rifles with them.

Geo. T.

 

[SwanShot]

An other possibility is to try The Lee REAL bullet. Works a treat in my 1853 3 band Enfield.