BIG Minie’s, BIG Powder Charges 🙂

[Idaholewis1]

Here we go, I’m about to get ROCKED

I’ve been wanting to do this for Awhile, My Navy Arms Hawken “Hunter” .58 Cal was a Pet Project of Navy Arms Owner Val Forgett, The Rifle was Proofed with 200 Grains of 3F Pistol Powder and a 610 Grain Minie

It’s time i pull my boot laces up and give it a Try! I shall Get Some Chronograph Data of this ordeal

The Gun, Navy Arms Hawken “Hunter” .58 Cal, 1:60, or 66 Twist?

The Minie Mold

The Bullets it Throws

The Weight, ALL weigh IDENTICAL, This Mold Runs NICE!! Took me some Practice though, Minies are a PITA to Cast, especially Pure lead

My Chosen Powder, and Charge, 180 Grains of Swiss 3F Now that’s a HEAP of Powder!

The Charges are easy tell whats what? They Fill my Big Vials to the Cap

This Minie is the Lyman 575213PH, Shallow/Thick Skirt Designed for this Sorta thing

 

[Idaholewis1]

This is a Buck Conner Load

 

[Billy-by-gosh]

Welcome back Lew - I have missed your detailed analyses and reports. And, I do hope you survive the brusin' from this upcoming project.
When I was your age, had an Investarms 58 made on a 15/16" barrel, and my crazy brother-in-law and I would try to outlast each other firing 160 grains of 3Fg under a 440 gr REAL bullet cast from a Lee mold. I can still remember the wallop that brass buttplate would deliver, so that after 4 or 5 rounds we were both done! I would never do that now, because old age bruises can be serious, AND I realize now how very thin those barrel walls actually were. The Good Lord was watching after 2 fools back then. Your rifle has some heavy barrel walls and a bit of weight, so should be much safer.
Let us know how this performs!

 

[coupe]

I will be glad to see your results on this with that heavy charge. I was told the thin skirt of the mini suffered badly with big charges when I tried them in my .58 zouave and 90 to 100 gr. It never did get great accuracy till around 60 gr or so.

 

[Idaholewis1]

Welcome back Lew - I have missed your detailed analyses and reports. And, I do hope you survive the brusin' from this upcoming project.
When I was your age, had an Investarms 58 made on a 15/16" barrel, and my crazy brother-in-law and I would try to outlast each other firing 160 grains of 3Fg under a 440 gr REAL bullet cast from a Lee mold. I can still remember the wallop that brass buttplate would deliver, so that after 4 or 5 rounds we were both done! I would never do that now, because old age bruises can be serious, AND I realize now how very thin those barrel walls actually were. The Good Lord was watching after 2 fools back then. Your rifle has some heavy barrel walls and a bit of weight, so should be much safer.
Let us know how this performs!

I would NEVER even think about doing this with ANY ordinary .58 Cal Sidelock Muzzleloader!! This .58 Cal Navy Arms Hawken Hunter .58 is a WHOLE different Animal, it was Proofed for 200 Grains of 3F

Everything about this Rifle is HEAVY! The Barrel is 1-1/8” Across the Flats, it has a SOLID Stainless Ramrod, Even the Under Rib is SOLID Brass (I’m guessing for added weight?) This is a HEAVY Rifle, I would bet Close to 10 pounds?

You can actually read about this Rifle in the 1975 Lyman Blackpowder Manual, Where Navy Arms Owner Val Forgett took one of these to Africa and Shot all of the BIG stuff there with it. His Bullet was a 610 Grain Minie Ball, from a Shiloh Mold called a “Stake Buster” He Shot up to 200 Grains of 3F powder with it, But Settled on 180 Grains of 3F, He was able to get 3” Groups with this out to 100 Yards.

 

[Idaholewis1]

I will be glad to see your results on this with that heavy charge. I was told the thin skirt of the mini suffered badly with big charges when I tried them in my .58 zouave and 90 to 100 gr. It never did get great accuracy till around 60 gr or so.

This Particular Minie has a Shallow, Thick/Heavy Skirt.

Description of it
https://www.buffaloarms.com/58-cal-566-grn-lyman-hb-minie-mould-575213ph-lym2650213

 

[Renegadehunter]

Yikes...I don't care for the recoil out of my .54 with a 425 grain conical over 100 grains of 2f.
That there ought to shoot through both front shoulders of about 3 buffalo!

 

[Hanshi]

Better you than me, Idaholewis. I get a headache just thinking about that load. :cheers:

 

[Marty1]

That's quite the shoulder cannon you got there Idaholewis! You be a better man than I to pull the trigger on that "HEAP" more than once. Nonetheless, that's quite the smoker knowing you could take down any big game with it that walks the planet.
Just curious, who Proofed that with 200 Grains of 3F Pistol Powder and a 610 Grain Minie?

 

[Philgumbo]

Gorgeous rifle though....

 

[Msauce1]

I shot my first Elk with a T/C 425 conical 54. cal T/C Hawken 130gr. 2F in right shoulder just mounded the hide on the left shoulder. It ended up the size of a Quarter, I still have the bullet too.