correct military load for a 42 Springfield rifled musket

[Pvt. Clownie]

I haven been stymied in my search for .65 cal minie balls to fire in my 42 Springfield rifled musket. I have searched the internet. I have contacted a local company (Track of the Wolf), and Dixie gunworks. I can find lots of .69 cal, but that kinda defeats the purpose behind using a minie ball. If anyone can direct me to the right place or have any other suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Bob Green

[YOU DON'T KNOW ?]

Being that a 1842 rifled musket is .69 Cal, you might want to try a .69 cal minie in it.

[agrnbrt]

I haven been stymied in my search for .65 cal minie balls to fire in my 42 Springfield rifled musket. I have searched the internet. I have contacted a local company (Track of the Wolf), and Dixie gunworks. I can find lots of .69 cal, but that kinda defeats the purpose behind using a minie ball. If anyone can direct me to the right place or have any other suggestions, I would appreciate it.
Bob Green

You have been stymied because no one makes them. You have a weapon that is .69 cal. So why do you want .65 cal. minies for it? Do you know something the rest of us do not? Please enlighten us good sir.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Can't find what you want, then maybe you should have it custom-made to your own exacting specifications $$$$

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=6031

[Ken Hansgen, 11094]

Yeah, Pvt. Clownie, you apparently have the rifled musket confused with the original smoothbore musket, which did fire a .65 cal. round ball (sometimes with 3 smaller buckshot added to increase the chances of hitting something). You do need and want a larger diameter minie ball to fit the barrel when the musket is rifled.

[S.Sullivan]

Clownie,
When all else fails, ask Osman.
S.Sullivan

[Pvt. Clownie]

Thank you for some intelligent replies. I have been working at a historic site for the last 5 years and have fired hundreds of rounds with the 1816 Harper's Ferry .69 cal. I have been in CW re-enacting for 7 years. I understand the difference between a smoothbore and a rifled musket. I have fired my '42 Springfield using a .69 minie which I purchased from Track of the Wolf, a local black powder supplier. It fit very tightly. I had to use grease to get it down and it took alot longer than the 20 seconds it is supposed to take to load. I like the last suggestion I got concerning the minie ball that is a little smallerthan .69. I will certainly take that into consideration.
As concerning the replies I got from this post, I am very dissappointed at some of the attitudes of the repliers. They took a high and mighty tone from the start and were insulted when I replied privately. I wil probably never post here again, no matter how much knowledge might be gained from that.

[Jim Wimbish, 10395]

I believe that you have the correct minie for your gun. What you probably need is a sizing die to reduce the diameter of bullet by a few thousandths so that it will load easily. Many minies will not shoot as cast, but require resizing. Most of us in the NSSA have a variety of sizing dies for the different guns and bullets that we shoot.

Jim Wimbish