N-SSA Member Seeking Bullet and Mould Information - SSS Please Respond

[Two Flints]

Hello SSS, I received the following Email today.  Please respond if you have an opinion, and thank you in advance for your help.  Two Flints

Hello SSS,

I am an NSSA competitor who is working up an army sport spencer that I picked up at the last Nationals to play with. Based on a review of archived NSSA bulletin board posts, I selected initially to shoot a  Rapine 512350 flatnosed bullet over 35 grains of Swiss 3F in starline brass, with varying results. Have recently joined and been reviewing posts on your Spencer Society which I have found very interesting. Here is my question.  Is there a particular bullet that your group finds to be preferred for accuracy in black powder use of this gun? I note numerous mentions of the Dakota Widowmaker molds on your postings. Is this a particular favorite of the SSS shooters?

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

Sgttater
Jim Carr
13th Confederate Infantry

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I will put in my response, but, I am biased. 

I still have molds and need to get shipped the ones I have sold. (been laid up with the flu and then both my daughters got it as well)

[Arizona Trooper]

Jim,
  For 56-50 I have had very good luck with a cut down Lyman 515141 50-70 bullet. Mill the top off the mold off so that it has just 2 grease grooves. It will weigh in at about 375 grains. The Rapine bullet grease grooves are way too small. They don't carry enough lube. In carbines they can work, if your bore is in excellent shape and well polished. In rifles they are a lot of trouble. If you really want to make that bullet work, you need a grease cookie and card wad between the bullet and powder charge.

  Jim Leinicke and I designed a 56-56 bullet that shoots great, even in less than perfect bores. Jim once mentioned that he might make some 50 cal. versions, but don't know if he ever did. Look him up on the line. He is the Adjutant of the Western Region and a diehard Spencer shooter. Dave Booze (another Spencer fan) will know where to find him.

  Good luck and have fun at the Fort!

[Bead Swinger]

Arizona Trooper -
Could you send me some information on your 56-56 mold?  I'd be interested to hear more about it. Feel free to contact me off-list, although this is fair list material too.

Thanks!

[Arizona Trooper]

Here's some more information, and a picture. The "secret" is the beveled base. Several of us N-SSA Spencer shooters were having flier problems, so we set out to find a cure. We discovered that, when 56-56 bullets were cast soft enough to shoot well, the heel would be blown out on firing and the base of fired bullets was very concave. I carefully machined a beveled base on some Rapine bullets, inspired by Greg Edington's very accurate Wilkinson style musket bullets. They shot great. Mike Owsiak made up a run of molds in .535" and .540". I haven't spoken to him in a few years. If he's still making molds, I'm sure he'd be happy to run you one. The last number I have for him is 856-596-0177, after 5 pm.

[Gimpy Gus]

JC
I've been using a 365gr bullet cast from Rapine's .515365-Smith in my Armisport  carbine with good success. This same bullet can be bought directly from Montana Precision or you can get them from Midway. I've tried both the .512 sized and the .515 sized. The latter are much more accurate in my gun. Also suggest annealing your cases. I might add that the bullet is beveled based. With one grease groove exposed I end up with an overall length of 1.572. Over 38gr of 3f Swiss and a card wad cut from manila folder it travels at 1068fps and holds 3 shot groups of 1.5 inches at 50yds. GG