tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

...... in my Lyman Plains Pistol.
With 40gr fffg behind the 250gr REAL I set the target at my sight-in range of 25 yards and took the center of the dot out on the first shot!!!!!!!!
Next two shots went about 1-2" high, but with my old eyes in the dim evening light I was happy with the performance.
So far that pistol has shot everything I've tried (PRB-325gr REAL-250gr REAL-Lee 360gr"minnie") very well.
Wish my rifles were as forgiving!

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

Forgot to add - I have also tried the 250 REALsin my NewEnglander and the shot a one-hole group at 50 yards. ;)
I may have a new favorite bullet. :D

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

When I first used it in my T/C .50 rifle, I wasnt all that impressed. BUt after shooting it more I have come to like it and started getting reasonable groups with it. I think that my first batch of bullets where too hard, the second batch was softer and shot better.

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

Wabi

Were did you get them? and what is the diam. .430 .451 ?

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

That's mighty finewith a pistol wabi. Kinda makes you want to try a treestand/bowrange deer, doesn't it?

I wonder what king of velocity you're getting with that load.

My New Englander likes the 250 REALs also. It's my go-to plinking bullet.

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

Good shooting Wabi! What is he twist rate of a Lyman Plains pistol barrel?

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

They are home-cast from a Lee mould. They are a bore diameter conical type bullet with three "bands" to grip the rifling. I roughly measured the bands on one.
Base band dia. = .505
Center band = .510
Front band = .515
The REAL name stands for Rifling Engraved At Loading. The base (first band in the bore) band goes in the bore with finger pressure and the others take a short starter to force into the rifling to "engrave" the bullet.

TUK101,
I have a good supply of pretty pure lead. I further purify it by overheating it than skimming off any impurities that float to the top. I've found the softer the better for most muzzleloader bullets.

Semisane,
I wish deer hunting was legal here with a muzzleloading pistol, but it's not. You can hunt them with a .357mag pistol, but not a .50 muzzleloader pistol. [:@] They did finally add a 45/70 pistol to the legal caliburs - after I traded off my 45/70 pistol barrel for my Contender. [:@][:@][:@]I could break old beer bottles every shotat the local (long since cleaned up and fenced off) dump at 100 yards with that scoped barrel. Recoil wasn't for the weak-of-wrist, but that gun would shoot!
Just from the way that bullet smacks the earthen backstop behind the target and the hole it leaves I'll bet it wouldeasily killa deer at close range!

RE: tried the Lee 250 gr REAL today...
 

I've been shooting .45 and .50 250 gr REALs forabout 20 years and never had a deer run more than 30-40 yards with a "boiler room" hit. They impact a tremendous amount of energy using a 60 gr load of 3F. I've shot Power Points and a few others but always go back to REALs. Can't beat the cost either. Little bit of lead. They are my "meat maker" load.
Rock Lock