Zoli Zoave...

[PaulN/KS]

Well,we had a shoot this past weekend and folks were swappin' and sellin' so I up and got me a Zoave that one of our members had on the blanket...( he would set up next to our tent) :shake:
For some reason a 58 military rifle has been on the "lust" list lately... :wink:

Got some roundballs,caps and a couple of moulds with it as well.
So, any good recipes for loads? Also, how well and how far do the flip up rear sights work? :hmm:

 

[BrownBear]

No experience with a Zoave, but all three of me 58's are really fond of a .562 ball, ticking patch lubed with homemade grease, and 90 grains of Goex 3f.

 

[ozark57]

Is it a Lyman? I was just out shooting my lyman Zouave an hour ago. I shoot Minie balls,never tried patched round balls.I was git'n 2-3" groups at 50 yards with standard 530 gr. bullets. Shoulders sore now though from layin' it over the porch rail and leanin' in.

 

[Semisane]

My Zoli shoots well with 70 grains of GOEX FFFg, a .575 ball, .016 pillow tick patch, and olive oil lube. Can't help you with the sights. With my eyes I couldn't shoot worth a hoot with them, so I replaced them with a really weird homemade peep mounted up where the factory sights are. It works for me.

 

[redwing]

I have an A.Zoli made in the 1960s. It shoots the .562 and an .018 pillow tick with 70 grs. of 1F very nicely. The rifle shoots a Lyman 530 gr. Mini with 70 grs. of 1F very well.

The Rifle is stamped Sears & Robuck Co. on the rear of the trigger guard tang with a Ser. number. It is stamped A. Zoli on the rear left of the barrel. It has a tappered bore for about 3 1/2" from the muzzle down. It is a shallow 3 groove as were the orginal Remington Contact 1863 Rifles. I don't know the orginal twist rate of the Remingtons. It has a very nice figured European Walnut stock. It is the only one of its kind I have seen. It was bought in a Pawn Shop here in Wyoming many years ago. :thumbsup:

 

[ozark57]

The sights were calibrated for bullet drop of the Minie balls, so the flip up won't be of much use for round balls unles you shoot it and see where they hit. The tallest blade was for 500 yards with the Minie, I believe.