Help with BP rifle accuracy

[merrill]

I cannot get my BP rifle to group. How many shots should I take before swabbing the barrel? With what do I swab the barrel? Should I lube the barrel between shots? I shoot a .50 cal. inline muzzle loader using 209 primers, 2 50 gr. equivalent pellets and the bullet is a sabot 240 gr. all lead hollow point. It is scoped with a cheap Simmons scope. I would appreciate your help.

 

[rodwha]

I use a wet patch every three shots (both sides once) followed by an alcohol patch (both sides once).

I'd be inclined to believe switching to loose powder will be quite helpful. That's one thing I have against them as you cannot tailor your loads. The other is the cost.

 

[AJumbo]

Off the top of my head......

-Check the scope mount screws for tightness.

-Switch to loose powder. Pellets are convenient, but not always consistent.

-Next time you clean the bore, be double-dog sure you're getting all the plastic sabot fouling cleaned out.

-Are you shooting too much, getting fatigued and/or sore?

-What size groups are you getting now? What's your goal?

 

[HB]

Scope is almost guaranteed to be the issue from what I've seen. Switch to powder too, those pellets are only good for a field reload if you need to finish a deer off.

All of my inlines shoot extremely well to the point where I don't feel handicapped during muzzleloader season here... Maybe thats why nobody on the Black Powder section like Inlines

Maybe ask the mods to move this to hunting, those guys seem to know more. Or search that forum, theres some good threads.

HB

 

[ROAshooter]

The problem is..........you have too many issues to address to narrow down why your BP does not group.....but what do I know ...I only shoot traditional...and put three rounds into one hole......

 

[Loyalist Dave]

It could be the sabot round. It could be the powder..why did you settle on 100 grains...or was it just easy to drop two 50-grain pellets? It could be fouling...but, the most likely culprit is, as state several times, your scope. So, as mentioned, too many variables.

Double check the scope. There's at least a half-dozen Simmons brand rifle scopes available at Sportsman's Guide under $100, and I'm sure there are other sources for them. Don't be against using a shotgun scope on an inline. Even with a sabot, you're launching a pretty heavy projectile with a rather stout powder load...You're probably talking an average shot of 100 yards or less...shotgun scopes may not have nearly the magnification, but they are often made to function with more recoil.

LD

 

[wildeboer]

You have received a lot of helpful tips, but if I could suggest something simple. Change only thing at a time and you will then notice where the fault was. We tend to follow advice and make all the changes and suddenly all is well but where/what was the problem.
A little advice from my bow-shooting days

 

[rodwha]

Great advice boer!

 

[merrill]

I went to the range today and have determined that it was the scope. I put the scope on a .243 which grouped about 3/4 in @ 100 yds. The group looked like a shotgun pattern. I put the scope from the .243 on the muzzle loader and it grouped 3in,@ 100 yds. Good enough. I also ran an alcohol soaked swab down the barrel every 3rd or 4th shot. Interesting side note. I noticed a significant difference when I held the gun tightly against the rest which was a Lead Sled. The barrel is not floated; in fact, it is fully bedded to the stock. When I rested the stock on my hand and did not hold the stock down against the lead sled it shot well.

I appreciate all of your suggestions.
Merrill

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Is the alcohol swab to deal with plastic fouling from the sabot? All I've swabbed with is a spit patch or two whenever the rifle gets stiff on loading. I'm only running 45gr of 3F in a .45 so that takes 10 or so shots, but depending on the weather I've shot my clubs entire 16 shot woods walk without swabbing.

 

[rodwha]

You may still want to try loose powder. You may likely get even better groups and not spend as much on powder. There are guys who achieve an inch at 100 yds using a ball.

I have several premeasured loading tubes for my rifle.

 

[Plastikosmd]

On the lead sled, this is a test I did a while back. The front rest on this paticular design is poor, not sure if same as yours. This rifle runs in the .1-.2 5 shot at 100, best is .087

With rest top left, on just bags bottom left, using sled but resting front on bag on right. Poi didn't change all that much

 

[merrill]

Caliper RWVA, the alcohol swab was to get rid of fouling. If any plastic is left in barrel, I would have to wait until I got home to remove it with a bronze brush. The rifle isn't easy to break down to the point that I could use a brush.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Caliper RWVA, the alcohol swab was to get rid of fouling.

I've only used real BP and Pyrodex, so maybe some of the other substitutes are different, but water is all I've used for cleanup. From the tap at home, but plain ol' spit in the field. Dissolves fouling just fine and it's one less thing to carry out. (let's face it, there are more things to carry along for muzzleloader shooting than for modern rifles)

 

[Pete D.]

Change your scope. Go to loose BP.
This is three shots (for a contest) - a flintlock, patched round ball, iron sights, 100 yards....


The potential is there.

 

[3212]

With my flintlock I used loose 2f powder and started at 50 grains.I increased loads by 5 grains at a time until I got my best accuracy at 70 grains with a roundball.Above 70 grains the groups opened up.

 

[merrill]

I've only used real BP and Pyrodex, so maybe some of the other substitutes are different, but water is all I've used for cleanup. From the tap at home, but plain ol' spit in the field. Dissolves fouling just fine and it's one less thing to carry out. (let's face it, there are more things to carry along for muzzleloader shooting than for modern rifles)

I use 777 pellets which clean up easily and the fouling is negligible compared to pyrodex and BP which contain sulfur. When hunting, I rarely get a second shot so fouling doesn't concern me. At the range it is a different story.