Extremely frustrated

[jimdvan]

The weird thing is that earlier today I was shooting a 1917 Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 at 100 yards, benched, open sights and put 4 rounds into 1 1/2". My open sight shooting with the GPR at 50 yards was about 3 1/2".

 

[S.Kenton]

Get away from your 'sissy loads' and PUT SOME POWDER down the barrel; 100 grains 2F and you're gonna see that the rifles shoot! 40 to 60 grains????.....no wonder!!

That’s not exactly true, my 40. caliber flintlock shoots best with 40 grains of 3f with a .015 pillow ticking patch, while my Lyman GPR caplock in 54 cal shoots better than I do with 60 grains and a .015 pillow ticking patch. There is such a thing as overloading the rifle. When I deer hunt I’ll bump my 40 up to 60 grains and my 54 up to 70 grains. I try to stay close to my most accurate load and still maintain a lethal load for deer.
My experience tells me that that if I overload my rifles, then I risk burning through the patch before the load leaves the barrel…. Therefore reducing accuracy.

 

[jimdvan]

I also don't feel the need to shoot a powder charge larger than I need to accomplish my particular goal.

What's also strange is I can shoot my .40 flintlock with open sights at the same distance as the GPR and put 3 rounds into one hole.

I think the GPR is posessed.

 

[jimdvan]

I worked with the gun more and did some re reading on loading procedures. I had forgotten about wiping the bore with a dry patch after loading which is something I had not originally done. I tested the gun at 30 yards with 70 grains of Goex 2f and put 3 balls into one hole.

Now I'm feeling better about the gun.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Write your exact load for each rifle in a journal so you’ll never forget any steps.
Walk

 

[jimdvan]

I'm way ahead of you. I've been doing that for several years.

 

[stewart.leach]

Try giving your barrels a really good cleaning. Get a jar of JB paste- Brownells carries it-or similar liquid Remington product. Use twill patches, a sturdy rod, and conical muzzle guard. Ten strokes with each side of the patch, do ten patches, then clean out any cleaner residue.

 

[bassncrap]

Air density? Humidity?

 

[Travis186]

The weird thing is that earlier today I was shooting a 1917 Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 at 100 yards, benched, open sights and put 4 rounds into 1 1/2". My open sight shooting with the GPR at 50 yards was about 3 1/2".

I also don't feel the need to shoot a powder charge larger than I need to accomplish my particular goal.

What's also strange is I can shoot my .40 flintlock with open sights at the same distance as the GPR and put 3 rounds into one hole.

I think the GPR is posessed.

Recoil is coming into play here and you probably don't realize it, including some mental gymnastics. You've written the GPR off... but in previous posts you still raved about how well the .40 shot, and I bet your feelings are much the same about what I assume is an M96. Subconsciously you aren't going to shoot the GPR well. Happy thoughts.

 

[Stantheman86]

I have a few BP rifles , revolvers and even Smoothbores that I finally had to "crack the code" with and start getting good groups

 

[SOLANCO]

The weird thing is that earlier today I was shooting a 1917 Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 at 100 yards, benched, open sights and put 4 rounds into 1 1/2". My open sight shooting with the GPR at 50 yards was about 3 1/2".

If I had to pare down to just one rifle it would be the scout I built on a Swedish Mauser action. Nothing I have ever had beats it for accuracy.

 

[Longone]

And some more free advice. If you watch a benchrest shooter they don’t hang on to the rifle with all they are worth. They let the rifle recoil into their shoulder, also, some guys will use their index finger and thumb to squeeze the trigger. Let the rifle recoil like it wants to. Putting a death grip on the rifle won’t help.
Another thing to try is putting some blue painters tape on the stock and using that as a point to locate the the center of the bag on that location. It’s possible the barrel harmonics are not happy with where the bag is resting on the stock. By placing the rifle on the bag in a few different spots you may find the sweet spot.
The biggest thing is to stay focused and pay attention to all the little details, you will find what the rifle likes. If it was real easy it wouldn’t be fun!!!

Best, LG

 

[jimdvan]

Thanks for all the great advise. I was able to get the gun shooting again by wiping the bore after loading each ball. That solved the problem very nicely. 3 rounds into one hole at 50 yards.

 

[Travis186]

Someone may have asked, but is this a different lot of powder? Or is it the same opened can from years back?

 

[jimdvan]

Same can.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Someone may have asked, but is this a different lot of powder? Or is it the same opened can from years back?

Fortunately for @jimdvan, he has been using GOEX black powder, and black powder does not degrade over time as the substitute powders often do.

 

[erhunter]

Lyman Rifles have fairly deep grooves and require a.015-.018 patch material, preferably pillow ticking. If you have a .50 GPR and using a .490 rb I would try at least the .015 and then try the .018 and check you patches. Don't use old prelubed patches. If you can cut the patches at the muzzle.

 

[Travis186]

Same can.

Fortunately for @jimdvan, he has been using GOEX black powder, and black powder does not degrade over time as the substitute powders often do.

Thanks, and yep... that's why I asked. I read the thread once already but was brainstorming ideas anyways.

I'm glad you figured it out OP... sometimes it just be's like that. My Kibler Colonial in 58 is a particuarly picky gun, even the way you hold it can dramatically change POI. It's imperative that everything is done the same.

 

[Sun City]

That’s not exactly true, my 40. caliber flintlock shoots best with 40 grains of 3f with a .015 pillow ticking patch, while my Lyman GPR caplock in 54 cal shoots better than I do with 60 grains and a .015 pillow ticking patch. There is such a thing as overloading the rifle. When I deer hunt I’ll bump my 40 up to 60 grains and my 54 up to 70 grains. I try to stay close to my most accurate load and still maintain a lethal load for deer.
My experience tells me that that if I overload my rifles, then I risk burning through the patch before the load leaves the barrel…. Therefore reducing accuracy.

100 grains 2F BP

IMG_3565 by Sharps Man, on Flickr

 

[S.Kenton]

100 grains 2F BP

IMG_3565 by Sharps Man, on Flickr

Well glad that works well for you, but it never worked well for me. I’ve never felt the need to over load my rifle, rather just develop a load to what each rifle shoots the best with. To each his own, there are many ways of getting things done in the black powder realm, this just proves that.