In preparation for my upcoming pronghorn hunt I have been practicing diligently with my flintlock rifle. I also want to bring a back-up rifle. I had one in mind but after a few sessions with different loads it is not sighted-in and ready. Then I thought I might take my son's rifle. When he shoots it he gets bullseyes. When I shoot it I get the same size groups but not on the bullseye. It's his gun so I am not going to change sight settings. So the simple choice is to take my primary percussion rifle that has been reliable for quite some time.
This percussion rifle has shown a strong preference for 100-grains of powder. The sights have always been way to the right, physically on the rifle. You can see the rear sight is drifted way right. It is cursed with these quirks. Nonetheless, it groups excellent and it shoots right on the money at 100-yards. That is, until yesterday!
I shoot a 3-shot group at 100-yards with the old load of 100-grains, .018 patch and .530 ball, CCI-M cap. Huh, the group is 6-inches high and 6-inches left. Bring it in to 50-yards and results are similar. Move sights and doesn't move impact nearly enough. Groups are much bigger than ever before. How did this happen?
Back to the range today. Start with 100-grains and try a different patch lube. Groups get even bigger. Go back to old patch and group is large but smaller than lubed patches. Move sight (front sight and back sight). Group moves but is large and inconsistent. Clean whole rifle. Bright idea, go look at patches. Patches show tearing around ball imprint. Reduce powder charge. Group improves so I adjust sights. Group moves accordingly. Patches are better but 2/5 are still tearing. Reduce charge to 80-grains. Group shrinks again. Move sights again accordingly. Clean rifle entirely. First shot at 100-yards, bullseye. No swabbing, second shot 1-inch to left. No swabbing, third shot touches first shot. Come back to 50-yards. 3-shots the same way produce a clover-leaf right on top of the 3" bullseye. Still not convinced I clean the whole rifle again. First shot at 100-yards, bullseye. No swabbing, second shot makes figure 8 out of first hole. Back to 50-yards, 12 o'clock on bull. I checked sights to make sure no movement, cleaned entirely and put the rifle away. Here's the blessing: the sights are now physically centered on the rifle and the rifle shoots the exact same load as my other two .54 caliber rifles.
I don't write this seeking advice or explanation, it is what it is. How did this happen? I have no idea. One possibility is that this barrel came to me a little rusty with light pitting. Every cleaning would yield some orange colored patches. Recently, the orange stopped coming out. No more orange. After 100 or so shots and subsequent cleaning the orange is gone. Maybe a total coincidence that the point-of-impact moved about the same time the orange disappeared. I document this for the person that is frustrated with poor groups, experiencing a change in point-of-impact or can't seem to get sighted-in. Something changed. I can't pinpoint it. However, going back to the load experimentation regiment led to a good accurate load - even though it is different than what previously worked. If you are seeing sudden changes and your components and technique are the same as always it could be something unforeseen and may need a new load to overcome it.
Before leaving the range I pulled out the flintlock I plan on using as my primary rifle on this hunt. At 100-yards off sticks the first clean barrel shot was a bullseye and the second fouled barrel shot was an inch off. Thank God for that!
This percussion rifle has shown a strong preference for 100-grains of powder. The sights have always been way to the right, physically on the rifle. You can see the rear sight is drifted way right. It is cursed with these quirks. Nonetheless, it groups excellent and it shoots right on the money at 100-yards. That is, until yesterday!
I shoot a 3-shot group at 100-yards with the old load of 100-grains, .018 patch and .530 ball, CCI-M cap. Huh, the group is 6-inches high and 6-inches left. Bring it in to 50-yards and results are similar. Move sights and doesn't move impact nearly enough. Groups are much bigger than ever before. How did this happen?
Back to the range today. Start with 100-grains and try a different patch lube. Groups get even bigger. Go back to old patch and group is large but smaller than lubed patches. Move sight (front sight and back sight). Group moves but is large and inconsistent. Clean whole rifle. Bright idea, go look at patches. Patches show tearing around ball imprint. Reduce powder charge. Group improves so I adjust sights. Group moves accordingly. Patches are better but 2/5 are still tearing. Reduce charge to 80-grains. Group shrinks again. Move sights again accordingly. Clean rifle entirely. First shot at 100-yards, bullseye. No swabbing, second shot 1-inch to left. No swabbing, third shot touches first shot. Come back to 50-yards. 3-shots the same way produce a clover-leaf right on top of the 3" bullseye. Still not convinced I clean the whole rifle again. First shot at 100-yards, bullseye. No swabbing, second shot makes figure 8 out of first hole. Back to 50-yards, 12 o'clock on bull. I checked sights to make sure no movement, cleaned entirely and put the rifle away. Here's the blessing: the sights are now physically centered on the rifle and the rifle shoots the exact same load as my other two .54 caliber rifles.
I don't write this seeking advice or explanation, it is what it is. How did this happen? I have no idea. One possibility is that this barrel came to me a little rusty with light pitting. Every cleaning would yield some orange colored patches. Recently, the orange stopped coming out. No more orange. After 100 or so shots and subsequent cleaning the orange is gone. Maybe a total coincidence that the point-of-impact moved about the same time the orange disappeared. I document this for the person that is frustrated with poor groups, experiencing a change in point-of-impact or can't seem to get sighted-in. Something changed. I can't pinpoint it. However, going back to the load experimentation regiment led to a good accurate load - even though it is different than what previously worked. If you are seeing sudden changes and your components and technique are the same as always it could be something unforeseen and may need a new load to overcome it.
Before leaving the range I pulled out the flintlock I plan on using as my primary rifle on this hunt. At 100-yards off sticks the first clean barrel shot was a bullseye and the second fouled barrel shot was an inch off. Thank God for that!
