What bullet mold for a .50 Shiloh?

[Chris Enlow]

I have tried Rapine, Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, I don't understand why nothing is made for the fifty cal. Shiloh has started making the percussion guns again with what reccommended bullet? I know it is
.512 diameter but with what design?
I have been using great plains bullets with complete inaccurate results.
I believe Rapine makes what is referred to as the Christmas tree bullet
with the base for affixing the paper cartridge to.
Perhaps Shiloh will also make a mold for these rifles, that would be great.
Has anyone used a Hoch mold? Pretty Pricey,huh?
Have had good result with Saeco .40 cal mold for the 1874 I own, but is a Pedersoli. If you need a cartridge Sharps and can't wait on a Shiloh, the only way to go is Pedersoli .

[gmartin]

Chris,
I must seem like one confused fellow. It is .50 bullet your after, not .54. See Todd Birch, he has used an inexpensive Lee mould's bullets very accurately. Now a new bullet the Lyman 515141 though I don't know it's been tested.
Don't mean to name drop, but he does own a .50 rifle, as of course do others.
Good luck, Gregg

[Todd Birch]

Hi Chris

As Gregg mentioned, I have had great success with a Lee .515/450 bullet mould. It was the only one available 'now' and while not ideal, handsome is as handsome does.

I am using bullets 'as cast', pan lubed. I do get a lot of rejects due to nicks in the bullet base, a hazard of the design. The sprue cutter doesn't clear the base of the bullet.
I'll be eliminating that ASAP with a Dremel tool.

I have also ordered a Lyman 515141 from Buffalo Arms. The base of the Lyman design appears to be slightly narrower than the base driving band of the Lee mould looking at the pictures. Other than that, it's the same design. I wish both had a wider meplat on the nose for hunting but a .50 calibre hole in the hide will do the job with a well placed hit.

Todd

[Kirk]

You guys may want to give Steve Brooks a call!! 406-782-5114

[Todd Birch]

A few years back, I called Steve Brooks re: a .45-70 mould for my Farm'er '74.
His policy at that time was not to make a mould without a sample bullet tapped through the bore. I don't know if that is still policy. Other custom makers seem to offer a standard selection but obviously can cut anything you want.

Before I ordered a Lyman 515141 from Buffalo Arms, I considered other makers who advertise .50 calibre moulds. They are out there.
You can get a really big .50 (650 gr) nose pour Hoch through Midway.

In my growing collection of moulds, all are Lyman except one NEI (.43 Spanish) and a couple of Lee products.
All of them produce bullets capable of shooting well beyond my abilities.
I'm not at the point where I weigh and sort my bullets after glassing them and the very thought of it appalls me. Too much detail for this old sod.

Todd

[Chris Enlow]

It is sad that a foreign maker can manufature a brass ctg case for their percussion rifles and molds are readily available for the .54's but not the .50's !!!!!
If Shiloh would make their own molds for their percussion rifles the problem would be solved. (And they could charge whatever they wanted for them at this point)
This whole episode is causing too much stress as I can take the Shiloh and my Pedersoli to the range and the Italians win every time.

[Todd Birch]

Chris

Talk to Buffalo Arms.

I mentipned to them that brass chamber inserts ("cartridges"?) are available in .45 and .54 from Pedersoli, but not .50. Go figure.

If a bunch of us ask, BA will probably meet the demand since Shiloh will presumably be selling '63s in .50 calibre for us wimps.

If I acquire a friend's .45 Farmingdale carbine in a trade, I will most definitely be trying out the brass "cartridges" for hunting.

Todd