Loading question 58 cal

[Jax]

I have a replica 58 cal Antonio Zoli rifle I got from an estate sale last year.  Im ready to go fire it, but I am kinda unsure of the correct way.  I made my own minnie balls, I have the powder, just need to know I am suppose to use a patch behind the bullet?  I was told to lube the bullet, whats the best for that? 

Also I am having a hard time finding caps for this gun.  the nipple is a larger one.

[swampgeek]

You use some type of wadding. You can buy bore sized veg fiber wads or make your own out of cardboard if you are cheap like me. The idea is to keep the powder charge compressed with no air voids. Back in the Civil War they wadded up the paper cartridges and that was the wadding. When the gases from the ignited charge start pushing on the thin skirt at the bottom of the minié ball it should create a gas seal and engage the rifling. Thats where the lube comes into play. Lube the Minié Ball with Thompson Center Bore Butter, it is a good all natural lube that is easy on your barrel and supposedly cuts down some of the inevitable fowling.

Powder charge for that rifle is max 80gr, I would recommend 60-70gr

As far as the caps, look for musket caps. May have to order them online if you cant find a local outlet. Someone on here may be able to point you to a #11 nipple that fits that rifle.

[groundhog107]

You should have no problem finding caps, they are musket caps and are widely available.  The hardest part of getting a civil war type mini to shoot well, is the thickness of the skirt and the bullet diameter.  The original load was about 60 grains of what would imagine would be 2 F these days.  Too little powder and the skirt wont expaned to meet the rifling, too much and you cut the skirt and cause wild trajectory.  I never used a patch or wadding behind the bullet, fill the conical part with the lube for the bullet.  Wonderlube worked for me in warm weather, never shot it much in cold weather but if I did, my first choice would be mink oil.  This is only the opinion of a 20 yr Civil War reenactor and should in no way be confused with an expert.

[coyotejoe]

While that rifle was made for minie balls don't overlook the patched round ball. Getting accuracy with a minie can be quite challenging, especially for a beginner. The minie must be perfectly cast, it's a waste of powder, caps and time to shoot minies with even slight imperfections. The minie must also fit the bore very closely, not more than .001" undersize, which generally only comes with custom molds. Then they generally only shoot really well with one exact powder charge.  For a beginner it is always easier to get decent accuracy with a patched roundball. The reduced recoil of the lighter ball is noticeable, you get nearly twice as many balls from a pound of lead, you'll get higher velocity and flatter trajectory from any given powder charge, it is quite easy to find a load which shoots at least reasonably well and you can buy cast or swaged balls at your local gun store. I'd start with a .570" ball and pillow ticking patch wet with saliva. Load that over 60-80 grains of 2f and you should see 50 yards groups of 3" or less right from the start and they only get better as you adjust the powder charge from there. I would expect that your first time out with minies you'll have trouble even keeping them all on the paper. Minie Balls CAN be highly accurate but it takes some work to get there.
 I use a Zouave for my elk rifle and since I intended it as a hunting rifle from the start I have never even tried anything but the patched ball. It is comfortable to shoot with 80 grains but 100 grains will get your attention! 

[Jax]

Thanks for the info.  I have looked for the musket caps local, but no luck.  I will have to buy some balls and caps online, as it does sound easier to load and fire the balls. 

[Nobade]

I get very good accuracy with minies in my Springfield with 35-40gr. FFFg. Bullets must be no more than .002 less than bore size, preferably .001 under. Accurate, but pretty wimpy. I can watch them fly to 100 yards if the light is right. It also shoots very well with a patched .570" ball and 80gr. FFg. Much faster and flatter, more power but not as fast to load as the bullets are.

For lube I use Emmert's - 45% beeswax, 45% Crisco, and 10% Jojoba oil. I melt it in a little pan (tuna fish can) and dip lube the bullets, holding them with a pair of smooth pliers. Dry on wax paper. No wads under the bullets, just load and shoot. Don't get the lube too hot.

Supposedly Treso makes nipples with the right thread to fit muskets that take #11 caps. I haven't found any yet, but did get 1000 musket caps from Powder Valley so I'm set for a while.

[quickdtoo]

Track list lots of nipples including #11 musket nipples.

Tim

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/tableList.aspx?catID=1&subID=9&styleID=984&as=1