Question on Accuracy of Heeled Bullets

[Coffinmaker]

Just to be ....... Informative??  Suggestive??  A pain in the Bu.. 

Several of my 1860s are dual use guns.  Cap Guns with R&D style two piece conversion cylinders.  In all honesty, I have never fed them
45 Colt cases.  Either 45 Schofield or Cowboy 45 Special.  Neither of those cases has a "length" problem.  I am able to go to a match
with a set of 44 Snubbie Cap Guns and if the weather goes a bit south, swap out the cylinders and shoot (gasp) suppositories out of
the same gun (oh, the shame  )

Coffinmaker

[Molasses Mike]

I am curious about the accuracy obtainable in a heeled bullet for the colt 1851 Navy or 1860 Army.  Ive read there are molds better than others and using a heeled bullet vs hollow base helps, etc..., but assuming proper bullets, and loading techniques are used, can a heeled bullet provide similar accuracy to a standard 38 and 45 round in a well prepared revolver?

I am a novice in black powder and conversions and trying learn more about the historically accurate conversions.  Since I plan on casting and re-loading, if a heeled bullet makes sense in my final decision, I have no qualms regarding putting in the extra effort to re-load a heeled bullet.  If accuracy is always going to suffer if compared to a non-heeled bullet, I will probably opt for non-heeled.

Jimeast,

I shoot heeled bullets in different guns. I have never seriously checked accuracy. I was testing the attached knockdown target with my '51 navy using 38 heeled that I make myself. Casting them,using range brass. I was shooting chest, abdomen and between the eyes to see how easy the target falls. As can be seen the shots are tight and dead center on aim. I like heeled bullets, they are fun! And they dropped the target with ease.

P.S. I also shoot 44 heeled, Fun!!
                                                         Molasses Mike

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

There are likely several factors that determine the accuracy of heeled bullets. The one that the shooter can control, is the selection of a bullet with the longest length of the parallel side. (The widest part, after the nose and heel are deducted. I didn't call it "full-bore", but it is the widest diameter.)

Here is an article that describes a load developement for the .41 LC. it explains the author's experience in testing a variety of bullets;

http://harryo.sixshootercommunity.org/

[will52100]

Good point, also, the shorter the heel the better, a long heel makes for the bullet wanting to wobble in the barrel and flight.