You could. But I still think you should shoot the gun more 1st. Maybe just move the rear the half distance and shoot the gun a bunch, and try some other load combos.
Can you get to a range where you can sit properly at a shooting bench and shoot some good groups with sandbags supporting the rifle? Instead of "standing, supported," off the trunk of your car?
Yes, thankfully there’s a very nice outdoors rifle range not far from my house.
Only issue with that is it is absolutely impossible to concentrate! It’s usually fairly busy, with people doing mag dumps and fooling around, and there’s always a steady stream of the peanut gallery who will literally walk up behind you and try to start a conversation right as you’re about to pull the trigger etc.
I have ZERO issues showing people my muzzleloaders and even let many people shoot them, but sometimes privacy and quietness are ideal. It can be problematic and even
very dangerous to get distracted when muzzleloading, as you know. I used to work weekends so had a couple days off during the week and in the morning that range could be very quiet with few shooters, most pretty “serious” and who won’t bother you. But now I’m back on weekdays so can only shoot on Sat or Sun and the range is always chock full.
Even at the “dump site” (for lack of a better term) I go shooting at outside city limits, you have to get there very early or people start filling in and there’s all kinds of ridiculous antics that can go on out there (tannerite, etc,).
I’m on military orders to live here but hate the city. I’m a country boy who likes peace and quiet.
I deal with the hand I was dealt!
I’ll try a bunch more stuff on the range and go from there. I just drifted the rear just a bit and will check next time I’m at the range.
-Smokey