Maynard Bullet Size?

**ead** · 03-10-2015

Gentlemen,

For a Maynard with a .510 bore, what would be the best bullet size (dia.) for accuracy.

P.J., You out there somewhere?

**ms3635v** · 03-10-2015

Get a .515" mould and slug your bore with it and see how it fits. I am shooting an original 2nd Model Maynard and I cast my bullets at .520" and size to .518". I have been shooting this size since 1985 and found no need to change. I do know shooters who are using .515" bullets in their Maynards with good results.

**RaiderANV** · 03-10-2015

.515 or .516. Makes no difference. I started sizing to .515 then to .516 as the cases swelled ah wee tad. Point 9f impact remained the same.

Hey....when you finally gonna join up and play????

**ead** · 03-11-2015

P.J. & Mike,

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a try!

**jonk** · 03-11-2015

Assuming you mean that the grooves measure .510, I'd size at .512.

**John Bly** · 03-11-2015

I've never seen an original Maynard with a groove diameter that small. Make sure of your measurements. It's a three groove barrel. If you measure a slug pushed into the barrel and then out you'll be measuring from a groove to a land. Then you must know the bore diameter. Add twice the difference to the bore size to get the groove diameter. Molds are too expensive to guess what you need. Check it out a little more.

**ead** · 03-12-2015

Originally Posted by John Bly

I've never seen an original Maynard with a groove diameter that small. Make sure of your measurements. It's a three groove barrel. If you measure a slug pushed into the barrel and then out you'll be measuring from a groove to a land. Then you must know the bore diameter. Add twice the difference to the bore size to get the groove diameter. Molds are too expensive to guess what you need. Check it out a little more.

John & Jonk,

The Maynard is a very late one, dated 1865 and it appears that it may never have been fired.
As you say John, being a three groove barrel I may have been a little off on my measurement, but probably not more than 2 to 3 thousandths, which I realize can make a big difference.
Now I'm not really sure how to get the correct measurement.
I'll have to find some way to get it right because as John said I don't want to waste money on the wrong mould.
If I can figure it out, it sounds good to do as you say Jonk and size the bullet .002 larger then the bore.
Thanks for the great advice guys!

**John Bly** · 03-12-2015

Sometimes those original Maynard barrels are tighter at the muzzle than at the breech. Tap an over sized bullet in from the breech end then tap it out and measure it. Look thru the bore with the bullet in place to make sure there is no light around it. You might get different numbers than you did previously. If you need some bullets to try just ask. I've got some up into the .520's.