N-SSA / rifled musket shooters - what's available for sizing minie balls?

[bedbugbilly]

Many years ago, when I was shooting NSSA - Rapine used to make a fairly inexpensive yet effective "sizing mold press" for sizing cast Minie Balls. They of course are no longer in business. What is available out there for sizing Minie Balls and sizing dies - example .575, .577 etc?

I have Googled and searched but haven't come up with anything or a source of a "reasonably priced" and simple lever press and dies. Is anyone making them . . . or what do present day NSSA shooters use?

I checked Lodgewood and Winchester Sutler, etc. thinking they might have something but to no avail. Suggestions?

Thanks.

[maillemaker]

I use the Lyman Lubrisizer:

http://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SA173

It not only sizes, but also lubricates.

I use it in conjunction with sizing dies made for musket bullets:

http://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SA450

Pedersoli also makes a hand-held sizer though I have not used it:

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sche...let-sizer.html

Steve

[Hawg]

Mine drop out of the mold at .577, never saw a need to size them. Just sayin.

[maillemaker]

Mine drop out of the mold at .577, never saw a need to size them. Just sayin.

It all depends on your particular gun and the load you find to work with it and how much accuracy you want.

Most N-SSA folks often shoot relatively light charges and use thin-walled bullets that expand adequately under such charges. Upping the charge can make up for excess windage, to an extent.

Ideally, for competition shooting, you want a bullet that just slides down the barrel. About .001" - .002" clearance. I've had a barrel that took as large as a .584 bullet. My custom Hoyt and Whitacre barrels accept .576 bullets, and my Pedersoli P58 accepts a .578.

The other thing sizing insures is not only correct size but perfect roundness. It's not uncommon for cast bullets to be very slightly out of round.

To be sure, though, sizing is not absolutely necessary. If you've got a mold that drops a bullet that shoots well in your gun, go for it!

I like the Lubrisizer as it lubes at the same time.

I make my own sticks of lube using 1" PVC pipe with a steel dowel rod down the center. Pour in the molten lube and let it set up, then push it out and store them in a zip-lock baggie until I need them.

Steve

[hartcreek]

I remember seeing an add at Lee's site that they would make a sizer for any size that you need.

[Hawg]

It all depends on your particular gun and the load you find to work with it and how much accuracy you want.

Armisport P53 Enfield made in the 80's, 70 grains of Pyrodex RS and a home cast Lyman traditional thin skirted minie. It will shoot minute of five gallon bucket at 300 yards.

[Col. Mosby]

I have bought several sizers and a peep sight drilling guide from this company:
http://oldfoxtraders.com/TnMolds/. Great guy to deal with. Friendly & fast service with quality products. You can get simple push through sizers or ones that screw into a standard press.

[bedbugbilly]

Thanks everyone - greatly appreciate the information.

I was looking for a source for a sizer that could be used in a single stage reloading press. I had looked on Lodgewood's site and DUH! - I missed it! They have them available in a 7/8-14 that screws right in to a standard reloading press with a push rod that fits right in to the ram. Lodgewood has them available in a variety of sizes.

I have a 1855 repro that the bore mics out at .577. My old Ideal Minie mold used to drop them right at .577. I found a couple of my old casts and it's a tight fit. I'm getting ready to cast some and will wait and see what they drop at with the lead that I have.

I also picked up a SWC HB mold - I'm not sure what they will drop at until I can cast some up.

I'm not going to do anything on a sizer until I see how the bullets drop size wise. I do have on of the .575 "bang through" sizers like Dixie, etc. sell that I picked up at a gun show probably 25 years ago. If they drop too big, I'll try that sizer and see how they shoot.

My Zouave bore, which is pretty worn, mics out at .585. I'm hoping to rebarrel it with one that has better rifling in it. A member here has a replacement barrel so hopefully i can work something out with him. I found that Lee makes an oversize mold so if the rebarrel doesn't work out, I can try one of those and see how it works in the barrel I have.

Best case scenario - I can shoot 'em "as cast" in the 1855 repro. Worst case scenario - I'll have to spring for a sizer.

Many thanks again - appreciate the help!

[bedbugbilly]

UPDATE: Well, I finally got some time this afternoon to get some casting done. I cast up some sample Minie Balls - Ideal/Lyman Mold 575 213 (505 gr) and Ideal/Lyman HB SWC 575 494 (315 gr).

The 505 gr Minie dropped right at .576 from the mold. I've had this mold for around 50 years but haven't cast any since I stopped shooting NSSA probably close to 20 years ago. I forgot how much fun this mold was! My 1855 repro miss out at .577 so I'm going to give it a try "as cast" and see how it works out. All I'm going to be doing is "plinking" at paper and novelty targets and if need be, I can wet patch between patch. If the fouling gets too much to get the .576 down the barrel, I do have one of the "bang through" .575 sizers that I can size some with and see how those work.

The HB SWC 315 gr mold is one I picked up recently. I used to shoot this boolit close to 50 years ago and it was a good shooting boolit - out of the rifle I was using at that time. I was surprised when I put a mic on my cast boolits today and they measured out at .5735. .5735 in a .577 barrel seems on the "loose" side at a clearance of .0035 but I'll give them a try and see how they fly. The skirt on these is heavier than on the minie ball and I'm not sure if I'll get sufficient expansion of the skirt. Perhaps after a few shots and the fouling building up some they will work O.K? I was hoping they would drop a little larger - always easier to size down than it is to make bigger!

I don't remember what I used to use with these HB SWC so thought I'd start out at 45 gr of FFG and go from there. Anyone have any advice on this particular boolit?

Thanks!