Hi all from western MD! i have recently gotten lucky enough to win a Pedersoli 1862 CS Richmond .58 cal Rifle Musket she is quite the beaut!! I am familiar with new age muzzle loading but not older black powder i want to reenact and hunt/shoot with this rifle so i have a few questions.
-Is it better to make my own Minie balls or purchase, if so where?
-Black powder,What is ok to use in this reproduction?
-Best place to find a bayonet
-any other tips and tricks for the novice?
I look forward to hear from the many experts on this site thanks in advance!!!!
I shoot muskets in competition with the North South Skirmish Association (see the STICKY!)
1) YES, best to make your own.
First, confirm what your bore size is, and that means measure it not what's marked on the barrel. Second, get a mold that drops right at that figure. Third, get sizing die to put it right on that figure. You'll also need to lube the minie, dip lubing is fine on the grooves. I use beeswax/lard 60/40 and both my Colt and Parker Hales are 2moa shooters.
2) BLACK POWDER ONLY. There isn't a single substitute I'd even think of using due to characteristics of the fouling. Pyrodex actually has a chemical in it that is non toxic until you shoot it. Then it turns to cyanide gas. Just a whiff or two in the open won't cause a problem, but spend an extended time shooting..........
3) Bayonet- gooogle for Civil War Sutler Reenactor and you'll get tons of hits.
Just a few comments from a former reenactor- IF you plan on shooting this gun live and want accuracy, get another gun for reenacting. Let it take the abuse that will inevitably come about reenacting. Some reenactors will disagree but from the perspective of a competitive shooter with Civil War guns, I have yet to see any gun that has been reenacted with perform to the levels of a gun that has spent it's life on the target range. Sorry, but them's the facts, any reenactor cares to disagree, let's both put a 20 on the table and I'll bring my Parker Hale and take both 20s home with me. That's not to say you can't do it, just that reenacting is hard on a gun that will be used for target/competition work.
Minie Balls, not all are created equal. Due to differing twist rates, manufacturers, etc, you will have to experiment. I suggest getting samples from CWBulletman. He has a page on the Lodgewood website. Know your barrel measurement and get samples to try. In both my Colts and Parker Hales, the RCBS Hogdon is a laser. The Rapine Trashcan also shoots well in the Colts out to 50yds, from there it starts to get unstable and the group goes from 1 big hole at 50yd to 8in at 100. The Lee version does that as well, it's just a fact of the design. The Hogdon doesn't suffer from that issue. Others get great results from the Lyman 575213 or the RCBS version. Again, experiment.
Lube is CRITICAL. You will have to experiment some (but that's part of the fun!) ask 5 different Skirmishers in the NSSA, get 15 different answers. I'm sold on the beeswax/lard from direct experimentation in my guns. No amount of Crisco in my guns will get anywhere near the lard. This last summer with the Scouts shooting some Zouave muskets we brought, on 3 successive open shoots, we ran one musket straight for 48 shots, then 53+ shots and then 43 shots, all without wiping the bore or a fall off in accuracy. Get the load balanced as Minie designed and the gun will run and run and run till you get tired of shooting or run out of ammo.
Molds- just cause a mold is marked at a certain diameter, doesn't mean it actually casts at it and that goes even for high dollar ones. Lee molds in general are only adequate. The only Lee mold I like and use is the "Target Minie" and it's out of production in 58cal. You'll see them on Ebay from time to time. No gun that I own nor any of my fellow competitors will shoot the Lee "Improved Minie". Probably your best starting point is the Lyman 575213 style, RCBS Hogdon or a similar "Old Style" minie.
Welcome to the addiction. I'd encourage you to come over to a North South Skirmish Association match or "skirmish" and see how accurate these guns can be. While I used to be a reenactor, I found shooting live rounds was much much more fun.