Pietta 1858 Rem owners...

[NRAJOE]

I got an 1858 Pietta .44 cal for christmas.
Have not fired it yet, but have gotten everything I need (caps...Pyrodex P...lubed wads...etc)

Pietta manual says .454 balls
Cabela's says .451 balls (bought boxes of each)

Pietta owners out there what do you use?

Read the reviews on the Cabela's site and the majority of the reviewers said they used the .451's...thanks.

 

[R.M.]

Try each, and see. You should get a sliver-ring of lead cut off the ball when you ram it into the cylinder. If it takes too much pressure to ram the ball, then it's too big.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v Not to worry you just slice a bigger ring of lead when you load the ball in the cylinder. Just make sure that that slice doesn't get itself jammed into the cylinder or arbor. :thumbsup:

 

[DanChamberlain]

Mine likes .454!

Dan

 

[R.M.]

If that "slice gets to be too big, it will put a lot of stress on the loading lever hinge pin.
Don't ask how I would know such a thing. :surrender:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

ditto R.M. but make sure the balls shave a ring off - your pistol may have an over-sized chambers.
I use .454's and Lee mold conicals w/reduced heel (.448) in mine. they shoot good and powerful too with 28-30gr 3F.

 

[Raider2000]

I have 2 of em.
My 24 year old chambers measures out to .4500.
My 1.5 year old chambers measured out to .4460 but I reamed the chambers to .4510.

I always use .457 ball or now a .456 220gr. Lee conical, but mostly ball.

a .454 will do the trick for you.

 

[renovato]

The general rule of thumb is .451 for Pietta, .454 for Uberti and .457 for Ruger. Your gun may vary though, so try them both. Even if .451 is the right fit for your gun, you can shoot the .454s with no problems other than they will be harder to load.

 

[peter]

Mine is only a few years old and .451 cuts a nice ring off each ball without being hard to load. If I use .454 it is very hard to load and there is no difference in accuracy. 20 gr of 3f is too little and 25gr is too much, so I set my powder measure in between. Use a good lube on the cylinder pin or it will jam after 3 or 4 shots. Wonder wads do the trick for me, Crisco is too messy. Have fun with it!

 

[NRAJOE]

Thanks all... :thumbsup:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

an empty (fired that is) 7.62X39 case (AK OR SKS) is a good powder measure for the .44 BP revolver. when filled with 3F about 28grs 3F and place a felt atop the powder. then greased slug/ball.
a very good load IMO.

 

[NRAJOE]

Cool to know...got plenty of those around from blasting my milled Bularian SLR101S... :applause:

 

[Rollover Jack]

NRAJOE...

On my 2nd Model Dragoon, I was using .457 balls and it would shave off a nice little ring. Just be aware that the little piece of lead should be removed. One time I didn't and the piece of lead got blown into my wife's upper arm. :cursing: We removed it with needlenose pliers and not much came of it... or maybe that's why I'm single now... :hmm:


"Less powder, more lead.
Shoots further, kills dead."

 

[NRAJOE]

Thats funny RJ... :rotf:

 

[missionary5155]

Good morning
If you can remove the nipples then slug the cylinders. By removing the nipples you can easily drive the ball back out. Then measure each ball. Hopefully each cylinder is the same diameter... Then I would use a ball .001 over cylinder size IF it available. And only use pure lead. Using HARD lead is going to ruin your rammer.
Using TOO large a ball will put undo pressure on the rammer. They will break.
Mike in Peru

 

[NRAJOE]

But this one is mine....(Pietta)
http://nagr.multiply.com/photos/album/51/NRAJOEs_Stuff...#29

Got it for Christmas....took the nipples off last night and put anti-seize lube on them.

Haven't fired it yet...waiting for weather to get better and spend a day at my Sportsman's club.

 

[mazo kid]

Lots of good answers here, but you also need to make sure the round balls you use are the diameter the mold/box says they are. 1 or 2 thousandths isn't a lot, but it can mean the difference between a safe, tight fit and one that won't seal the chamber.