I bought the mold and made up 100 .54 caliber 415 grain minnie balls. I thought they would be a lot of fun to shoot. They looked excellent after they were made. I am sad to report they did not shoot very well.
The first thing you notice is the loose fit. The first one I loaded in the clean rifle fell down the barrel almost. I turned the rifle over and shook it back out. I then fowled the barrel to see if that made a difference. Well all I can say is put away your short ball starter, they are not needed. It was so loose, I checked it against my .50 caliber. Too big, made for a .54 caliber. I then thought I might be able to patch the thing. The patch was just a little too tight to try. I think a paper patch might work.
Accuracy was not the greatest. At 35 yards off shooting sticks it made about a 3" group which is unacceptable. The first was a flyer, and the more I shot the better they got. I did not clean the rifle barrel at all. I left it get dirty.
There is some definate recoil in the load. I was shooting 70 grains of Pyrodex RS and the recoil in my Renegade was STIFF. I am glad I did not up the charge any it would have become brutal almost.
I wish I had bought some and tried them before getting the mold, but I live and learn all the time. I think I can work on them with a paper patch and maybe get them better.
