Making the 54 caliber Wilkinson bullet perform

[ms3635v]

I just purchased a .54 caliber Wilkinson mould from Moose Moulds. The mould is quality throughout and I am looking forward to casting bullets with it. Moose and Moosette included two cast bullets with the mould and they mike-out at .538 exactly. I have a Euroarms .54 caliber Mississippi rifle that has not been fired yet. How should the Wilkinson bullet fit the bore? I have a minie mould that throws bullets at .539 and they fit the bore of the Mississippi a bit snug, but not overly snug. I haven't shot the minie yet so I have no idea how the minie will perform. So, when Moose started making the Wilkinsons, I bought one with the intention of working up a load for the spring. What powder charge would be a good place to start? I know about only using a small amount of lube on the base. Any thoughts, comments, or experiences with the Wilkinson would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Rich Foster]

Don't now your barrel twist rate but between 42-45 grn fffg goex is what I use and wilkinson bullet needs to be a snug fit. Do not fill lube ring all the way up with lube. just one dip usually works. Rich Foster

[Don Dixon]

The following will work: Dead soft lead, sized not more than .001 to .002 inches under bore size. Inspect your bullets carefully. Weighting them on an electonic scale to pick uniform weight bullets is a good idea. 45 to 50 grains of Swiss FFFg. If you use GOEX, try 50 to 55 grains of FFFg. Swiss is better. MCM lube. Put the nose of the bullet in the plastic tube, and make one quick dip of the base in the melted lube. The grooves in the bullet are compression grooves, not lubrication grooves. If you fill them with lube, the bullet will not compress properly, will not take the rifling reliably, and will not shoot well.

Regards,
Don Dixon
2881V

[ms3635v]

Thanks for the great info. Looking forward to shooting the Mississippi with the Wilkinson.

[ms3635v]

The rate of twist on my barrel is 1 in 66. Will the previous suggestions still apply?

[Don Dixon]

Muster 1854 System Lorenz infantry rifles had a rifling twist of one turn in 75 inches with right hand twist. Muster 1854 Jägerstutzen and Dornstutzen had a slightly faster twist. So, the information provided above should work fine in your 66 inch twist barrel. Similar data works very well in my .58 caliber reporduction Richmond carbine.

Regards,
Don Dixon
2881V

[ms3635v]

Thank you Don.