.58 Smoothbore

[Lou Lou Lou]

I picked up a Cadet Smoothbore and a Lee .562 mould. I can keep them all in the black from the bench at 25 yards. I was thinking of getting a .575 rb mould for it. Anyone have any experience with the .58 Smoothbore?

[Chris Sweeney]

I shoot an original cadet with a twice dipped .562 ball and 42 gr of Goex 3f. I can't get a 570 ball down the barrel so I,m pretty sure a 575 ain't gonna work for you

[medbill]

Is anyone making these for use in the NSSA or do we still have to scrounge for originals?

Thanks,

Bill

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Anyone considered the .577 Lancaster; it's a oval smoothbore.

[hwaugh]

The Lancaster is unfortunately one of the best kept secrets in the rifle musket category. I have one and it is a great rifle to shoot. The rifling is smooth in appearance but the bore is oval and if you look carefully down the barrel you will see the twist. Rhodes devotes a number of pages to this rifle in his epic study of British firearms. The test trails done in England show the Lancaster pattern of rifling to be far superior to anything the Brits had up to that time. I have shot a number of different style minnies and all have shot very well... and oh, the clean-up, so very little fouling you could shoot all day. Too bad we couldn't get one of our contemporary barrel makers to make such a barrel. Read Rhodes for the real"scoop" on oval barrels.

[John Holland]

Answer to Medbill's queston: Yes there is a reproduction of the Springfield Cadet 1851, and it is made and marketed by Charlie Hahn.

As for the Lancaster Oval Bore Rifle, it is just what it says it is, a Rifle because the major diameter of the bore has a twist all the way down the barrel. Therefore it is not allowed in the N-SSA's smoothbore matches.

John Holland
Chairman, Small Arms Committee

[Lou Lou Lou]

The bore on my cadet is .582 according to the plug gauge. My .562 is 20 thousandths undersized. Thinking about a larger ball. Comments?
25 yard accuracy is ok. 50 yard accuracy is dismal.
this is a repro with a SAC card

[Rich Foster]

If your bore is .582 a ball .573-.575 should be in the ball park. This would include any roughing up the ball. So a .570 mould could throw a .571 and roughing it up with a file would bring it up to the .573-.575. If you have a hoyt barrel your mould should be .009-.013 smaller than bore. Lyman makes a .570 mould that is probably why you bore was made .582. You might be able to buy some already made at nationals or online to try. I hope this helps. Rich

[Lou Lou Lou]

Thank you. I was looking for a slightly larger round ball.