I recently purchased a renegade .54 barrel on the E trading blanket, pictures looked good and not over rated in the description. When it arrived it was uncleaned. after a cleaning it was pitted in the last six inches before the muzzle. I went to work with a stainless steel chore boy followed with JB paste. I figured if it didn't shoot i would make a smooth bore out of it. I shot it today using a .530 RB .015 patch lubed Bore Butter and 80 grains of 2f. Got a 4 inch group at 50 yards and all the patches were in good shape. Never know what woorks.
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Rusty surprize
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I would think some more practice and load development is in order before the gun is sent off to be rebored. A 4" group is large to be sure. I think practice and some load development with other powder charges is in order.
Groups should be under 2".
Groups should be under 2".
A 4" group is mighty good in Minnesota! :stir:
Have you guys ever experienced the wind there?
Many times you can try for a good neck shot on an elk, and hit e'm in the arse. :shocked2: :rotf:
It blows that hard!
So don't be too hard on this lad.
By the way, didn't he say it once was a rifle, but after all that polishing it is now a smooth bore :bull:
Stay with us Snoweshoe!
Fred
Have you guys ever experienced the wind there?
Many times you can try for a good neck shot on an elk, and hit e'm in the arse. :shocked2: :rotf:
It blows that hard!
So don't be too hard on this lad.
By the way, didn't he say it once was a rifle, but after all that polishing it is now a smooth bore :bull:
Stay with us Snoweshoe!
Fred
Snowshoe, 4" at 50 yds is a good start but some load development may well cut that group size down. Keep working on it, drop to 70 gr. and work up in 5 gr. increments, try different patch materials & thicknesses and different lubes. You might want to check out Dutch's system at the link below, many of us here use it. It's the best $20 you'll ever spend!
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/qa.html
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/qa.html
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Was told once,Muzzle loaders are like girlfriends,, all the same ,,, Except in what they want/like and exspect ,, :haha: :haha:
Once you establish a baseline then the refinement starts ,,
I have five rifles and everyone is different, some of the same ones can be difficult with the same load depending on the day and weather,, huh I guess they are alot like old girlfriends ,,,
So I try to shoot alot and enjoy it as much as possable ,, :grin:
Once you establish a baseline then the refinement starts ,,
I have five rifles and everyone is different, some of the same ones can be difficult with the same load depending on the day and weather,, huh I guess they are alot like old girlfriends ,,,
So I try to shoot alot and enjoy it as much as possable ,, :grin:
Mr. Vomir le Chien.
I must admit that not too many people will wrestle for your most unusual call name.
My most sincere compliments to any man that will answer to such a fine handle.
You lack no confidence, sir!
Best regards
Fred
I must admit that not too many people will wrestle for your most unusual call name.
My most sincere compliments to any man that will answer to such a fine handle.
You lack no confidence, sir!
Best regards
Fred
ohio ramrod
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While a 4 inch group at 50 yards is not great, the fact that the patches aren't torn shows that some fine tuning should bring the gun around. :idunno:
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I'd keep playing with it...run a couple hundred ball through it before you make a decision.
It will get better.
It will get better.
don hepler
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I belong to a shooting range, and for years I worked sighting in days(every year, for years). There are very few 1" groups shot with open sights, at 50 yards. A good peep sight set-up, might yield a little better. When you shoot a 4" group, you missed your target by 2 inches. In fact, most scoped muzzle loaders, were lucky to shoot 2-3 inches at 50 yards. Yes, I shoot a little better, but I'm a very experience shooter, shooting off of competition rests. With a little practice and load testing, you might bring it in a little tighter.
Let's take a 50 cal. round ball, sighted in at 50 yards, moving at 1450 fps., add in a 5 MPH cross wind and we have a 1.7 wind drift. At 75 yrds, it drops 2.7 inches, and drifts 3.5 inches. At 100 yards it drops 8.1 inches and drifts 5.9 inches. You see, it takes a perfect load, a very steady rest, and near perfect wind conditions, to get a 1 inch group.
Let's take a 50 cal. round ball, sighted in at 50 yards, moving at 1450 fps., add in a 5 MPH cross wind and we have a 1.7 wind drift. At 75 yrds, it drops 2.7 inches, and drifts 3.5 inches. At 100 yards it drops 8.1 inches and drifts 5.9 inches. You see, it takes a perfect load, a very steady rest, and near perfect wind conditions, to get a 1 inch group.
Col. Batguano
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Hadden said it very well. Remember, in an ideal world a 4" group is only 2" away from your point of aim, and that's your extreme spread, with probably 90% of those shots (10 shot group, right?) landing within 1" of your point of aim. Sounds to me like it's probably your eyes and sight picture more than it is the gun itself. It's a pity we can't mount scopes to these just to do our load development, and then take them off with no traces of them ever been there.
Hey folks, since it's a shooter, not a historic rifle pattern... what's less expensive, having Mr. Hoyt turn it into a smooth rifle, OR... having a gunsmith remove the 6" of pitted barrel, crowning, and reinstalling the font sight post?
Granted in this case 6" might be cosmetic-drastic, but I'm thinking in the future if I run across a rifle with say the last 3" roached...say it was stored muzzle down in a basement that flooded about 3" of water, and the owner didn't realize until too late... for example?
:idunno:
LD
Granted in this case 6" might be cosmetic-drastic, but I'm thinking in the future if I run across a rifle with say the last 3" roached...say it was stored muzzle down in a basement that flooded about 3" of water, and the owner didn't realize until too late... for example?
:idunno:
LD
Billnpatti
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I have not checked into what a gunsmith charges for doing what you suggest so I can't tell you which is cheaper but.....I can tell you which is the better choice. Think Bobby Hoyt.
Minnesota has elk????????????????
4 inch at 50 yards kills deer every time
4 inch at 50 yards kills deer every time
I would bore it myself, my son is an excellent machinist and I have done a bit of rifle building myself. I will work on some loads and keep it as is. Plan on shooting some this weekend. Big blade sights are a bit to be desired with old eyes.
Been shooting since I was ten. My dads 1894 octagon 30-30 is very similar to my BP guns. Carried a gun almost everyday on the farm. never had no scopes, couldn't afford one. Pa taught us to use a "fine bead", saw him shoot deer @ 300 yards with open sights.
robert reed
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I feel ya, Snowshoe! Just because someone is new to the forum that doesn't make em a greenhorn. I have also noticed that those of us in our 50's are often treated like children on this forum. Makes me feel young again. :wink:
