Anyone try the Lee REAL .54 in their sharps?

[jonk]

While I have a Rapine on the way, I also have a cheapo Lee .54 REAL, which one member said does pretty well out of an 1863 Sharps (Pedersoli replica). Anyone try this? I'm going to experiment with both of course- up to now I've been shooting the Rapine bullets the previous owner gave me with the gun.

[Dominic Infante, 8359V]

I have used the Lee .54 REAL bullet (with 38 grains of fff Goex) in my Pedersoli Sharps and found it to be very accurate. In order to achieve accuracy I think you need to glue the bullet up side down in the paper case. The reason is the top ring of the bullet is the largest of the rings and thus it becomes the driving ring when glued nose down in the case. Although it functions well at 50 yds., it has not shot well for me at 100 yds. I keep a few in my cartridge box and if I start missing with my regular bullet (Rapine ring tail) I change to the Lee and sometimes the change gets me back in the groove.

[jonk]

Well Dom, since you sold me the gun.... :)

I haven't tried it yet, and remember what you said; I was just wondering if anyone else had tried it.

I'll play around with it in both up and down configurations and see what happens.

Incidentally I shot it at Batesville last weekend. I did decent with it, getting the second highest number of hits on B team, but I was starting to get burn through on the caps and the group started to wander. I changed the nipple (bought a new one from Eric, am keeping the one good one you included as a spare) so we'll see how that does.

[Dominic Infante, 8359V]

Jon, I did not know "jonk" was your moniker! (I did have the feeling that there was something very familiar about the post as I was typing.) Good luck with carbine. Sounds like you are off to a good start!

[Bruce Cobb 1723V]

Have you tried a .54 round ball? I tried one in my shiloh and it was actually the most accurate bullet I tried. I sold it before I got to skirmish with it but it shows you can't rule anything out.

[ian45662]

You just dip lube the round balls or what?

[Bruce Cobb 1723V]

Yep, I used the paper tubes, glued them on and dipped em.