Shooting Remington New Model Army .44s with round balls and conicals

duelist1954 · June 30, 2013, 05:10 PM

I took a pair of Remington New Model Armies out to try them with both round balls and conical bullets. The conicals shot so well I think they will become my default projectile in the Remmies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0MUpBA6JHo

indy1919 · June 30, 2013, 06:31 PM

Wow, I do not shoot Conicals out of my hand guns, because I had learned on balls, liked balls, felt no reason to change... But I may have reason to change after seeing this video..

Nice Job Mike

You also sold me a Pietta's .New Army Remington , That I also have been putting off..

I am assuming the conicals were lubed... Right???? And why no patch with the Conicals.???????...

Bishop Creek · June 30, 2013, 09:34 PM

Hmmm. Been shooting Remmys for decades but only with round ball, may have to check it out. Last time I shot conicals was in my old '51 Navy back in the 1980s.

PS I love my Pietta Remingtons.

maillemaker · July 1, 2013, 08:26 AM

What was the Lee mold you used for the conicals?

Steve

Pahoo · July 3, 2013, 01:23 PM

Mike, as usual, really enjoyed your this video and frankly, a bit surprised at how well the conicals grouped. ..

Now, this is not a test, just trying to glean from and understand your technique as I don't shoot C&B's very often.
Can you elaborate on your use of a felt wad on RB's and not the conical?
As you mentioned, you had a full charge of powder but if you hadn't, do you use corn meal?
Looks like you did not use Crisco or equal over each cylinder port. Do you ever use it?

If you would prefer to PM me on these questions, that is fine with me. ...

Thanks and;
Be Safe !!!

noelf2 · July 3, 2013, 06:34 PM

Both Pietta Remys I have pattern better with round ball if I use less powder than that (got that tip from someone else on this forum IIRC). Groups tighten up with 28 to 30 grains fffg. Perhaps the heavier conical with same powder charge does the same thing as reducing powder charge with lighter round ball..?

Hawg · July 3, 2013, 06:51 PM

I never tried Lee conicals out of a .44. I did try some SWC's I cast for my 1911 and they were a PITA to load and groups were atrocious. I've shot Lee conicals out of my Navies and they group better with round balls but the conicals aren't bad.

Doc Hoy · July 3, 2013, 07:47 PM

From Salvatore.

They are for a .36. I may have to try these out, Dog gonit.

duelist1954 · July 4, 2013, 08:49 AM

Indy & Pahoo, Sorry it took so long to respond. I've been writing an article this week that really has me tied up. So I haven't had time to check the board much.

To answer your questions, yes the conical is lubed. I never use a felt wad with a conical. I only use the wads with round balls to keep the fouling moist. On the conical the lube takes care of that. With the longer conicals I want that space for gun powder.

duelist1954 · July 4, 2013, 09:03 AM

A little update on the cap jams...

In this case I think the cap jams are related to the cylinders I was using. I did a trade for some used Remington cylinders. I thought I'd save time on range day by pre-loading a bunch of cylinders at home the night before.

All my jams were on those spare cylinders. The cylinders supplied with the guns worked fine.

The cylinders I got in trade were advertised as Pietta cylinders, and they all mounted on my gun, so I thought I was good to go. But I was wrong

All those spare cylinders were a bit short in my Pietta NMAs. There was enough fore and aft movement under the impact of the hammer fall and from recoil to cause the jams.

As it turns out, those cylinders fit my Uberti NMA perfectly.

Lesson learned...Uberti cylinders, being smaller will function on a Pietta gun, but you can't get a Pietta cylinder into an Uberti gun...

Rifleman1776 · July 5, 2013, 08:16 AM

Quote:

And why no patch with the Conicals.???????...

indy1919 do you really use patches on your revolver?
Patches are not (normally) used with c&b revolvers. Instead a smearing of a grease of some kind goes over the ball after it is seated on top of the powder. Another way is to put a lubed wad over the powder and under the ball.
Do some searching and find instructions for loading a c&b revolver.

Hawg · July 5, 2013, 09:31 AM

I think he just said patch instead of wad. That's how I took it anyway.

bedbugbilly · July 5, 2013, 05:20 PM

Thanks for another fine video Mike - I always enjoy them. Makes a person want to "re-think" on conicals!

indy1919 · July 5, 2013, 08:49 PM

Rifleman1776....

Yeah what I meant to say was Wad not patch... But you have to understand I was pretty shaken up there as I typed.... I was happy with my Balls, I was comfortable with them.. everything fit just fine in my world and then the big crapola ..

One well done informative 9 minute youtube video turned my idyllic world upside down.. Truly an episodic moment in my life...

And the worst part is that I kept asking myself over and over again.. Why the Sam Hill didn't I ever shoot conicals before?????

I Shoot Minnie Balls in long guns and liked them. Why the blinders with the handguns..

I Do not not remember much after firing off that message.. My bride said for hours I sat in front of the black computer screen just muttering to my self as I rolled 2 lead balls in my hand (.44 caliber ..well really .451 caliber).. She said it reminded her of an Sadder, Older, Fatter looking Captain Queeg

Oh Mike not only did you Sell a Pietta Remington But I ordered 3 different boxes of conicals to try and no stinkin patches.. err I mean wads .....

Bill Akins · July 8, 2013, 03:35 AM

Quote:

indy1919 wrote:
"I was happy with my Balls, I was comfortable with them.. everything fit just fine in my world and then the big crapola .. "

Now I KNOW there is a joke punchline somewhere for that above sentence.
But out of decency I will refrain

.

.

maillemaker · July 8, 2013, 10:15 AM

What Lee mold did you use for the conicals?

Steve

duelist1954 · July 8, 2013, 10:31 AM

Lee MOLD D C 450-200-1R

thebser · July 8, 2013, 09:30 PM

I just realized I watched a lot of your videos on youtube before I got my first bp gun! Very useful stuff! I was a lil iffy about getting a bp revolver but after watching your videos I went for it! Im loving it too! I have a cva navy brasser, But plan on getting a steel in the near future. Thanks again it crazy ive found you on this forum......

June 30, 2013, 05:10 PM	#1
duelist1954 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2011 Location: Central Pennsylvania Posts: 567	Shooting Remington New Model Army .44s with round balls and conicals I took a pair of Remington New Model Armies out to try them with both round balls and conical bullets. The conicals shot so well I think they will become my default projectile in the Remmies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0MUpBA6JHo

July 3, 2013, 01:23 PM	#5
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Another great video Mike, as usual, really enjoyed your this video and frankly, a bit surprised at how well the conicals grouped. .. Now, this is not a test, just trying to glean from and understand your technique as I don't shoot C&B's very often. Can you elaborate on your use of a felt wad on RB's and not the conical? As you mentioned, you had a full charge of powder but if you hadn't, do you use corn meal? Looks like you did not use Crisco or equal over each cylinder port. Do you ever use it? If you would prefer to PM me on these questions, that is fine with me. ... Thanks and; Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

July 3, 2013, 06:34 PM	#6
noelf2 Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: Stuart, VA Posts: 2,473	Both Pietta Remys I have pattern better with round ball if I use less powder than that (got that tip from someone else on this forum IIRC). Groups tighten up with 28 to 30 grains fffg. Perhaps the heavier conical with same powder charge does the same thing as reducing powder charge with lighter round ball..? __________________ Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

July 3, 2013, 07:47 PM	#8
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Just got in a batch of about 200 conicals... From Salvatore. They are for a .36. I may have to try these out, Dog gonit. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

July 5, 2013, 05:20 PM	#13
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Thanks for another fine video Mike - I always enjoy them. Makes a person want to "re-think" on conicals! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

June 30, 2013, 06:31 PM	#2
indy1919 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2011 Posts: 277	Wow, I do not shoot Conicals out of my hand guns, because I had learned on balls, liked balls, felt no reason to change... But I may have reason to change after seeing this video.. Nice Job Mike You also sold me a Pietta's .New Army Remington , That I also have been putting off.. I am assuming the conicals were lubed... Right???? And why no patch with the Conicals.???????...

June 30, 2013, 09:34 PM	#3
Bishop Creek Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Posts: 566	Hmmm. Been shooting Remmys for decades but only with round ball, may have to check it out. Last time I shot conicals was in my old '51 Navy back in the 1980s. PS I love my Pietta Remingtons.

July 1, 2013, 08:26 AM	#4
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	What was the Lee mold you used for the conicals? Steve

July 3, 2013, 06:51 PM	#7
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I never tried Lee conicals out of a .44. I did try some SWC's I cast for my 1911 and they were a PITA to load and groups were atrocious. I've shot Lee conicals out of my Navies and they group better with round balls but the conicals aren't bad.

July 4, 2013, 08:49 AM	#9
duelist1954 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2011 Location: Central Pennsylvania Posts: 567	Indy & Pahoo, Sorry it took so long to respond. I've been writing an article this week that really has me tied up. So I haven't had time to check the board much. To answer your questions, yes the conical is lubed. I never use a felt wad with a conical. I only use the wads with round balls to keep the fouling moist. On the conical the lube takes care of that. With the longer conicals I want that space for gun powder.

July 4, 2013, 09:03 AM	#10
duelist1954 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2011 Location: Central Pennsylvania Posts: 567	A little update on the cap jams... In this case I think the cap jams are related to the cylinders I was using. I did a trade for some used Remington cylinders. I thought I'd save time on range day by pre-loading a bunch of cylinders at home the night before. All my jams were on those spare cylinders. The cylinders supplied with the guns worked fine. The cylinders I got in trade were advertised as Pietta cylinders, and they all mounted on my gun, so I thought I was good to go. But I was wrong All those spare cylinders were a bit short in my Pietta NMAs. There was enough fore and aft movement under the impact of the hammer fall and from recoil to cause the jams. As it turns out, those cylinders fit my Uberti NMA perfectly. Lesson learned...Uberti cylinders, being smaller will function on a Pietta gun, but you can't get a Pietta cylinder into an Uberti gun...

July 5, 2013, 09:31 AM	#12
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I think he just said patch instead of wad. That's how I took it anyway.

July 5, 2013, 08:49 PM	#14
indy1919 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2011 Posts: 277	the Wad / patch faux pas Rifleman1776.... Yeah what I meant to say was Wad not patch... But you have to understand I was pretty shaken up there as I typed.... I was happy with my Balls, I was comfortable with them.. everything fit just fine in my world and then the big crapola .. One well done informative 9 minute youtube video turned my idyllic world upside down.. Truly an episodic moment in my life... And the worst part is that I kept asking myself over and over again.. Why the Sam Hill didn't I ever shoot conicals before????? I Shoot Minnie Balls in long guns and liked them. Why the blinders with the handguns.. I Do not not remember much after firing off that message.. My bride said for hours I sat in front of the black computer screen just muttering to my self as I rolled 2 lead balls in my hand (.44 caliber ..well really .451 caliber).. She said it reminded her of an Sadder, Older, Fatter looking Captain Queeg Oh Mike not only did you Sell a Pietta Remington But I ordered 3 different boxes of conicals to try and no stinkin patches.. err I mean wads .....

July 8, 2013, 10:15 AM	#16
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	What Lee mold did you use for the conicals? Steve

July 8, 2013, 10:31 AM	#17
duelist1954 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2011 Location: Central Pennsylvania Posts: 567	Lee MOLD D C 450-200-1R

July 8, 2013, 09:30 PM	#18
thebser Member Join Date: June 18, 2013 Location: Indiana Posts: 95	duelist1954 I just realized I watched a lot of your videos on youtube before I got my first bp gun! Very useful stuff! I was a lil iffy about getting a bp revolver but after watching your videos I went for it! Im loving it too! I have a cva navy brasser, But plan on getting a steel in the near future. Thanks again it crazy ive found you on this forum......