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eli crowe

40 Cal.
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
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I got out today to shoot my Haines style .54

This is only the second time I have shot it.

The accuracy results were less than spectacular.

The Barrel is a 42" GM Swamped. I was using a .530 Hornady RB and .015 Cotton Strip Patching lubed with Crisco. I tried both 70 and 80 Grains of 3F at 50 yards from a makeshift bench and could not get a 3 shot group worth a hoot, like 2 within a couple of inches and a flyer.No real difference in accuracy between 70 and 80 Grains but 80 Grains did pull the shots up, they were consistently low with 70 Grains.I was not wiping between shots.I am no marksman but I expected better than that.

I retrieved several patches to check out. a few were pretty torn up but with the ones that were intact consistently showed burn through or tearing around the edges where the ball was seated.

Just trying to figure out what the patches are telling me. Is is not enough Lube, Patch too thin,rough Lands in the Barrel?

Any ideas/Suggestions are appreciated.

Eli
 
If it was me having patch failures, the first thing I'd do would be to bump up the .015"s to .018"s or .020"s on your next trip...will probably require a short starter of course...but that should put an end to patch failures and 'should' tighten up those groups some.
 
Sir
If it were me,I'd do what roundball says and.......I'd lose the crisco. I know some folks swear by it but you should try a better lube like Hoppes #9 Black Powder or something similar.
Macon
 
I also agree with what was said. probably will need a thicker patch tell the rifling smooths out. You did say it was a newer barrel.
 
+1 what others have said. Stumpys moose juice or wonder lube/bore butter.

steve
 
Loads are too probably too light, the ball to small and the patch too thin. I would try 100 gr of FFF or FF. I would also use a .535 ball and a heavy ticking patch. .018 or thicker. Most fabric shops have heavy cotton ticking, the blue strip stuff, that is thicker then .015.
The GM with its narrow lands will load a tight patch/ball combo pretty easy.

Just upping the powder charge alone might help.
But I think the blown patches are from too loose a fit.
If the thicker patch and ball do not stop the patch blowing then check the crown to see if its too sharp and is cutting the patch at the muzzle when seated. Start a ball on a strip of patch material and then pull it back out to see if its damaged by the crown.

Dan
 
It has always seemed to me that Crisco added fuel to the fire. To get your accuracy its my experience to use a ticking patch or heavy drill cloth or a thin tightly woven denim and use spit. It should load tight requiring a good rap on the short starter. I like looking at patching close up to see how much light shines through the weave.

A good sloppy wet spit ticking patch or a patch with a wet type lube will be accurate with your .530 balls. Plus no wiping as the wet lube takes down the previous fouling as you load. Now this type of loading and shooting is for general range shooting.

If I was going to hunt with it try some of those .018 Wonder lubed patches for starters. After you buy a few your pocket book will demand that you make an equivelant lube. I've never had good success with .015 cotton store bought patches, at least not consistantly.

Its been my experience with a grease type lube you should have a swabbing regimen every few shots (you decide how many) for bore consistancy.

Every GM barrel I had cut patches for a hundred shots or so. Use some JB bore paste to smooth up the sharp rifling.

Bob
 
Toots said:
+1 what others have said. Stumpys moose juice or wonder lube/bore butter.

steve

I've had great results with Stump's moose juice as a patch lube.
 
It definitely sounds like patch failure to me. As others have pointed out, a thicker patch and and or a .535 ball may help. As for lube, when at the range I use a solution of olive oil and water mixed 50/50 then I add a touch of Murphy's oil soap and alcohol. I can shoot many shots with this mixture because It cleans the bore as the ball is being pushed down. When hunting I use bear grease. I use a little squeeze bottle for the solution to squirt a little on the patch material.Also, the solution needs to be shook a little each time because the oil and water will separate while sitting.
 
Never had a new G.M. barrel that wasn't cuting patches, run #0000 steel wool over your jag down the barrel 100 times for starters. Also I'd use .535 rb w/ .018 patches. Spit patched or Balistol (6pts. h2o-1pt oil)
 

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