So at the range Monday..., WOW problems.
My rifle, using the same powder as in the past months, the same fabric, the same load..., huge groups at 50 and 100 yards. :shocked2: :redface: Groups were nice a few months ago...,
So it's a .54 caliber Colerain barrel, 38" swamped in my Cabin Creek Mountain rifle. Fired from a sandbagged rest, using 70 grains of GOEX 3Fg and a .530 round ball wrapped in cotton pillow ticking of .015..., spit patched and cut at the muzzle. The crown of the muzzle looks just fine, and inspection of the patches shows rifling markings and no cutting....,
So at 50 yards I shot a couple of fliers from what would've been a nice group of just under 2"...the fliers were about 4" out, and not near each other. At 100 yards I had a nice 4" group going then tossed another flier..., like 6" out. :shocked2: :shake:
Fliers at both distances were to the left and to the right, horizontal, not vertical which would've led me to believe either the powder is bad or more likely I was pouring inconsistent amounts.
So the ball was .530 Hornady...,and it's swaged, not poured into a mold when it's made. So..., all I can think right now is that some of them are not properly round..., and I'm getting the fliers from them.
:idunno:
Any other thoughts?
LD
My rifle, using the same powder as in the past months, the same fabric, the same load..., huge groups at 50 and 100 yards. :shocked2: :redface: Groups were nice a few months ago...,
So it's a .54 caliber Colerain barrel, 38" swamped in my Cabin Creek Mountain rifle. Fired from a sandbagged rest, using 70 grains of GOEX 3Fg and a .530 round ball wrapped in cotton pillow ticking of .015..., spit patched and cut at the muzzle. The crown of the muzzle looks just fine, and inspection of the patches shows rifling markings and no cutting....,
So at 50 yards I shot a couple of fliers from what would've been a nice group of just under 2"...the fliers were about 4" out, and not near each other. At 100 yards I had a nice 4" group going then tossed another flier..., like 6" out. :shocked2: :shake:
Fliers at both distances were to the left and to the right, horizontal, not vertical which would've led me to believe either the powder is bad or more likely I was pouring inconsistent amounts.
So the ball was .530 Hornady...,and it's swaged, not poured into a mold when it's made. So..., all I can think right now is that some of them are not properly round..., and I'm getting the fliers from them.
:idunno:
Any other thoughts?
LD