Help! Can't hit the taget with a traditions deerhunter .50 kit.

[TFoley]

Wow! All these years and I've been getting it wrong. See, I thought it was the PATCH that got gripped by the rifling, not the ball, and that the patch WRAPPED the ball tight enough to transmit the rotation to the ball it enclosed.

Which is why you can often see weave marks on recovered ball, but not rifling marks.

 

[kyron4]

I use 70gr of goex FFG and a .490" ball with .018" prelubed pillow ticking patches and get 2" groups at 50 yards . Mine has the older blade front sight and "U" notch rear sight. Much better sight picture than the Williams "glow" sights.

I'd check the sight first.

 

[Erwan]

What I think about seriously : if the shooting is really "galactical", the problem doesn't come from the sights (rear or front), but more from the good accord barrel/powder/ball and over all the patches...
If the Elephant powder (don't know that powder) is too much dirty make a test by cleaning between each shot for that the groves stays clean.
I'll be, me too, curious to see some patches after shooting...
I had a till the last year a Hawken Ardesa/Traditions and I never had any prob with this rifle : the barrels are pretty good and accurate...

 

[longcruise]

Can you post pictures of some patches?

Don't get all twitterpated over round or square patches or the size either for that matter. Get a short starter and cut the patches at the muzzle. Perfect size every time.

What is your location. I think an intervention is in order ( the good kind)

 

[Reno]

All the comments are correct about using the proper patch material. Make sure your patching is 100% cotton. Pillow ticking can be but there are imitations out there.
While you are at the fabric shop buying some good pillow ticking get yourself some 100% cotton flannel and cut your own patches for cleaning.
When you are at the range clean your barrel frequently. As to how many shots between cleaning. Don’t know until your shoot.
With each shot the barrel fouls. As it fouls the bore gets tighter and you could have more trouble seating the ball.
You clean so you have more consistent loads