1853 Sharps slant Breech .46 cal

[JamesW]

I have an 1853 Slant Breech Sharps sporting rifle in what appears to be .46 cal. I have tried .455 Webley bullets in my rifle. While surprisingly accurate at 100 yards, it does keyhole. I am thinking about using round ball. Has anyone done this? What size round ball would I use with a patch? Thanks in advance. I've seen dug up bullets on eBay for this rifle, but so far, I've not found a bullet mold.

[Ray Newman]

Bullet mould needed?? -- contact Steve Brooks --https://brooksmoulds.com/

He has made several moulds for me and others on this the Shiloh site and we are well satisfied with the results. Give him a call or drop him an Email explaining your needs.

[omgb]

A patched round ball is likely to be a problem. Unless you load it from the muzzle it will not consistently hold the bullet. I think slugging the bore and having the right mold made is your best bet.

[Woody]

When the Hall rifle was current, they used an oversize round lead ball and loaded it with apparent good results. Just thinking out loud.

Woody

[JamesW]

Loading the ball from the muzzle is what I was thinking of with a patch and with a rattail powder cartridge loaded from the breech.