Useful Information Great Day At Range

[ike]

This may be a long post but I hope it helps someone improve there shooting.
First I have been shooting a 32 cal mule ear and a 36 cal under hammer. I have had shooting days where they were very accurate with good groups. Some days the first few shots were good and then the groups went to hell. Shooting a .31 RB with a .012 PT patch and 20 Gr of Goex 3F in the mule Ear rifle. The .36 cal is an under hammer with .012 PT Patch and a .350 RB and 30 Gr Goex 3F. With both my groups can be as much as 3" at 25 yards.

Today

Today the same thing was happening and I felt like the only solution was to put them in the safe and retire them.

On a whim I and since I was short on patches I opened a tin if .008 Pillow ticking. I fired a 5 shot group with the underhanner and had a 1" group right at my 6 O'clock hold position. Next I went back the mule ear 32 cal and used the thinner patches. Guess what. That group also tighten up. A plus it is a lot easier to get the ball started. Squirrels are in trouble now.

My thought is have any of you improved your groups with a thinner patch. Most comments on the forum advocate for a thicker patch.

The last part of this post is to comment on the quality of the Colerain swamped barrel. I have a B weight round bottom grouve 50 cal on a Leman flint lock. This is the easiest to load barrel of all of my rifles. The round bottom does not foul very much and I am getting 1 1/2 groups at 50 yds and about 4" groups at 100 yds. This is off a bench rest of course. With my stigmatism and the rear sight blurring out I feel very good with these results.

I hope this provides the forum with a couple things to think about and maybe gives you an option to solve a problem.

 

[Zonie]

Like you, I've had days where the accuracy of a gun has suddenly gone downhill.

Can't say I tried switching to a looser fitting patch to try to improve it but based on your experience, it might be worth a try. :thumbsup:

 

[Cowboy]

I have had shooting days where they were very accurate with good groups. Some days the first few shots were good and then the groups went to hell.

Today the same thing was happening and I felt like the only solution was to put them in the safe and retire them.

Anyone who shoots any kind of firearm experiences these kind of days!

Some days I'm like Sgt. Alvin York, and there are times that it's not going to happen, no matter what I do! :idunno:

Yes, during the not so good days I feel like I'm just wasting powder and lead, but it just motivates me to keep shooting even more until I work through my slump.

One thing I am absolutely going to achieve no matter what kind of day I'm having, is to Always leave the range on a positive note! That's why I can easily find myself shooting all day! :haha:

Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup:

 

[Kansas Jake]

Very OT, but I RSO at a local unmentionables range with a younger fellow who's last name is York and he is a relative of Sgt. York. He also happens to be Sgt. York.

 

[don hepler]

Good days and bad days, for me, can be explained in a couple of ways. First is lighting. By using open sights, how the sun hits on the sights, definitely changes how I shoot. Second is the target, itself. The color and shape, not only changes, how I shoot, but varies from day to day. I would mention wind, but at 25 yards, probably not a big factor, unless you are dealing with a strong cross wind.

I cut several targets, with different diameters and colors and I am planning on experimenting more on this subject.

I have a box of front and rear sights and am experimenting with different styles. I grew up shooting old Remington and Winchester rimfire rifles and to this day, I prefer the tiny notch, rear sight as opposed to buck horn type sights.
But...more and more, I'm switching to peep sights.
I can shoot smaller groups, using peep sights, than any other style.

The target size and style idea, was discussed on another, site. I can't remember where I read it, but was something, I found very interesting, especially on the diameters, at different distances.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I've had days that the same gun and same load suddenly has mover the POI several inches for no known reason. Then, the gun was cleaned, reassembled, and POI returned to normal. Assuming it was right on the last time, and to your knowledge nothing has changed, unless you have adjustable sights, and WRITE your changes down, it's best to just put the gun away that day and try it again on another day.

 

[SgtErv]

The targets make a big difference for me, too. I shoot the smallest groups when I put an inch wide bull on a paper plate with a sharpie. Seems to be easier to get a consistent sight picture.

 

[robinsroost]

The targets make a big difference for me, too. I shoot the smallest groups when I put an inch wide bull on a paper plate

Aim small, miss small. The best group I ever shot on the police ppc course was with the target facing away. Your first shot was to the center of the target, then you shot at the hole you had just made. Keep yer powder dry.........robin :hmm:

 

[hanshi]

Happens to me regularly. I believe someone put a mojo on me a few years back and I don't know who did it. You may have the same problem; do you owe anyone money? :grin:

 

[trent/OH]

Good days and bad days, for me, can be explained in a couple of ways.

I have a different reason in my area for such phenomenon. I live near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Edward Murphy, USAF, was assigned here in 1947 when he coined his famous "Murphy's Law". I suspect that as a pilot, every time he looked at the ground he "planted" a future Murphy site. And I have a tendency to shoot at those locations.

Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :bull:

 

[Walks with fire]

I was told by a member that used to post quite a bit years ago to use the largest ball and the thinnest patch possible. He liked a soft but tight weave material for patching and minimal lube. I had a lot of respect for that man.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I figure a patch as thick or a hair thicker than my rifling is deep is the way to go.

 

[joe sebia]

Funny this topic and up. I was shooting last week trying different patches to tighten some groups on a TC hawken. After a bit of fussing I had 3 shots inside a half dollar at 50 yd. Then while going for a repeat I couldn't keep them on the paper. What???? As a student of Dutch Schultz I knew some thing had changed. After some head scratching and much frustration I left the range feeling nothing was learned. The good group was a fluke. But was it. Two days later I realized it was my glasses.

When I shot the good group I was looking out of the upper inner corner of my glasses. I had taken my glasses of to clean them. On the follow up shots there was a smudge in the upper corner and instead of recleaning I was focusing out the top center to compensate.


I went back to the range and fired 3 groups at 50 yds focusing out the upper inner corner. The largest was under 2 inches. Now it was time to repeat the bad groups

6 shots using the upper middle of the lens covered about 9 inches.

OK so what happened? Those of us with progressive lenses will suffer from parallax distortion of the sight if you don't repeat everything the same every time. You can verify this at home by aiming at small points on a wall. Doesn't take much to move POI at 50 yds.

At least thats my theory

 

[azmntman]

I had progresive for about 2 days once

 

[hrchotaw]

:metoo: I hear ya. Give me the lines any day!

 

[bpd303]

I once had a pair of glasses that the frames were easily bent/twisted.
With those glasses I had to make sure they were absolutely straight or I couldn't hit the side of a barn from the inside. :idunno:

 

[azmntman]

I believe this issue could have been affecting me last few times out :idunno: I may try contacts, any issues there? All glasses are crooked and bent!

 

[Critter Getter]

I guess I'm NOT too old to learn something new! Thanks for sharing this. Greg.

 

[TFoley]

'Aidhm beag, chailleann beag.'

Tr: 'Aim small, miss small'.

Old Irish proverb.

tac

 

[rushlake1]

Sounds like your patches were tearing during the ball seating..By shooting thinner patches the tearing stopped.
Wall-la consistent bore seal.
Another theory..the new patch holds less lube??????
Glad you found the issue..some nuts are hard to crack.

Hint polish your crown to 1500-2000 grit.