Consistent casting loads

Maybe try cutting your charge a bit? I find my GPR shoots round ball best wit 80 grains of 2F. The other option would be to use an over powder wad and see if that makes a difference. Some of my rifles pretty much demand one, others don't seem to care either way.

I agree with going with a lower charge and working back up to 100.

In my experience when something isn't performing as well as I think it should, only change one variable at a time.

Do you have a scale to weigh your cast balls? I've found a surprising variance in weight at times especially on larger balls/bullets. This I found was usually due to inconsistent temperature and lead levels in the pot.

Only keeping the ones that fall within a few grains of each other may help keep things more consistent.

SlowFuse said:

I agree with going with a lower charge and working back up to 100.

In my experience when something isn't performing as well as I think it should, only change one variable at a time.

Do you have a scale to weigh your cast balls? I've found a surprising variance in weight at times especially on larger balls/bullets. This I found was usually due to inconsistent temperature and lead levels in the pot.

Only keeping the ones that fall within a few grains of each other may help keep things more consistent.

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I was originally turned on to the weight thing by a sniper who told me that even match grade bullets can vary as much as 5gr., I went through all my cast and bought bullets and sure enough I've got mixed lots for every loading now!

Do you cast your own balls or buy them?

With my round ball guns and muskets. Accuracy greatly improved when experimenting with various thicknesses of denim using patches that had dried after soaking with a moose milk type lube (wet is fine if you are shooting immediately, but not for hunting, it will soak the charge) or mink oil tallow from track of the wolf or even SPG. I also cut at the muzzle when loading. I tossed the bore-butter a long time ago. Using a wet patch allows you to shoot frequently as it wipes the bore every time you load, but again isn't for a long term load. Once you've approached accuracy after dinking with ball size, patch thickness and charge, then you can switch to a drier form of lube for final tuning. Anyhow, that has what has worked for me. With the wet patch, I was clover leafing occasionally at 75yds (my zero range for round ball -- I'd originally written 100 and that wasn't correct after I gave it some thought) with my lyman fifty caplock and getting about three inch groups at 70yds with my flintlock muskets (they are smooth bore). Drier patch was a little more.

I also seat the ball firmly in one smooth move after starting it. I don't pound on it or bounce the ram-rod (or in my case -- range rod) off the ball. I just seat it firmly and as consistently as I can.

Good luck.

Thomasss said:

So far I've played with all 3, 2F powders, 100 grains with either .530 and .535 RB wiping in between shots and using Bore Butter since that is the easiest to keep reloading the barrel. I am shooting 5 inches high at 50 yds which can put me 1 inch high with a .530 ball at a 100 yards of 2 inches low at 100 yrds. with a .535 ball.

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You may also want to try 3Fg black powder and 80 grains. You may find much more consistent velocities (which will give you tighter groups), and cleaner burning in the barrel.

LD

Being a woods hunter, I would sight in at a closer distance using a 75 yard zero.
That might help reduce variation caused by sighting error due to the human factor.
And I would rather be sighted in low at 100 yards than too high at 50 yards.

Although you do have a .54, 100 yards is sort of an arbitrary distance.
A person needs good eyes to shoot at 100 with precision, and there will always be a greater margin of error.

Since the first shot is the most important, shooting groups with multiple shots doesn't have as much in common with shooting deer as simply shooting at a paper plate.
No one knows your hunting situation as well as you do.
But even though I've always used sub. powders, the better long range shooters that I've met always used black powder.
Go with whatever works best with a cold barrel, at the temperature close to what it will be when you go hunting.
Even if that means verifying closer to the hunt.
It's hard to mimic the hunting situation by shooting groups, due to the barrel temperature and fouling.

I think you'll find that weighing and sorting your projectiles will help quite a bit. I have found close to a 10 grain difference in Hornady swaged round balls. Also go ahead and work up your accuracy load.

Card wad over your powder, lube patch with a tiny amount of water soluble oil. Tight ball/ patch combo. Ball should show patch imprint of lands and grooves

Hello Thomasss,

Personally I think weighing your powder charge is as important as weighing your projectiles.
A difference of 2 grains of powder will give you a different POI.
I've heard guys talk about different patch lubes causing different POI, as well as different patches.
The best way to shoot consistently is to make sure everything is repeated.

AntiqueSledMan.

I noted you mentioned you cast projectiles and had lead and alloy. Are you using an alloy for the round ball? If so, may I suggest that by utilizing only pure ln lead your accuracy may be improved. A harder than pure often will not obturate well and give inconsistencies