Muzzleloader Spraying Bullets

Trophy_Taker · Sep 22, 2014

I was shooting the other day to sight in my gun. All shots were taken at 25 yards and I ran a wet then dry patch between each shot shooting 100 grains of Triple 7 pellets and a saboted bullet. The first 4 shots I took grouped well. Then starting with the 5th shot my bullets started hitting all over the place. 5th shot was 8 inches right and 12 inches low. 6th shot was 8 inches left and 12 inches low and the 7th shot was 6 inches left and 10 inches low. The 5th - 7th shots looked to be tumbling when looking at the bullet holes. Anyone else ever experience something like this and what is the remedy?

FrontierGander · Sep 22, 2014

you swabbing the bore clean between shots? T7 is a very nasty powder and needs the fouling cleaned between each shot.

Cow Tag · Sep 22, 2014

Possibly your rifle's barrel was heating up from the previous shots. My black powder rifle looses accuracy when I shoot it and do not allow enough time between shots. A hot barrel could be your problem.

Trophy_Taker · Sep 22, 2014

Thanks for the reply. I waited about 15 minutes between the 4th and 5th shots (again, it was the 5th shot that started the inaccuracy). The gun was lying on the table in direct sunlight during that 15 minutes (85ish degrees outside temp). Can just sitting in the sun keep the barrel hot enough to affect accuracy? The first 4 were about 5 minutes between shots and the 6th and 7th shots were less than 5 minutes apart.

Fishingkid · Sep 22, 2014

I am new to muzzleloaders and just experienced the same thing with my striker fire. I went home cleaned everything 100 percent spot less went back out with new powder new primers and new bullets I believe for me it was the bullets and to tight of saboths also to hot of a barrel like states before possibly messing up the saboths what ever I changed something helped out huge difference.

txhunter58 · Sep 22, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Sep-22-14 AT 05:38PM (MST)[p]For that kind of inaccuracy, and tumbling bullets, at 25 yards, there has to be something more wrong, especially because he was swabbing with a wet patch, then a dry patch between each shot.

What kind of gun were you using, what specific bullet, what specific sabot, how tight was the bullet/sabot combo when you loaded it, how old was the powder, what specific primer, scope or open sight, any hangfires?

Need more info.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

FrontierGander · Sep 22, 2014

i dont see where he says hes swabbing between shots?

ducksbucksandbulls · Sep 22, 2014

Don't swab betweeen shots.
I find firing the first shot to fowl the barrel works best for me with shots 2-7 following. I get very nice groups with out cleaning.For some reason, I get fliers with a clean barrel on occasion.
When I go hunting, I shoot a shot before loading for the hunt.
I've been on over a dozen elk and MD hunts with great results with 100 gr pellets and a 295 gr PB bullet. In the early days used 300 gr xtp & sabbot.
Not much difference in the groups.

Might check your scope mounts and bases if you go that route...

FrontierGander · Sep 22, 2014

make sure you mark your ramrod to ensure you are actually seating the bullet when the bore is fouled. I've yet to see an inline that did not create a crud ring with 209 primers and t7 or pyrodex.

Cahunter805 · Sep 23, 2014

Get rid of the pellets. I'd try loose powder. Bh209 if your rifle is setup for it.

txhunter58 · Sep 24, 2014

>i dont see where he says
>hes swabbing between shots?

"I ran a wet then dry patch between each shot "

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

txhunter58 · Sep 24, 2014

>Don't swab betweeen shots.
>I find firing the first shot
>to fowl the barrel works
>best for me with shots
>2-7 following. I get very
>nice groups with out cleaning.For
>some reason, I get fliers
>with a clean barrel on
>occasion.
>When I go hunting, I shoot
>a shot before loading for
>the hunt.
>I've been on over a dozen
>elk and MD hunts with
>great results with 100 gr
>pellets and a 295 gr
>PB bullet. In the early
>days used 300 gr xtp
>& sabbot.
>Not much difference in the groups.
>
>
>Might check your scope mounts and
>bases if you go that
>route...

I have always got my best accuracy with swabbing between each shot, especially with 777. I consider a shot/swabbed bore to be "fouled" Swabbing between each shot is not his problem

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

COLOelkman · Sep 26, 2014

Just speculating but perhaps a crud ring has built up after the 4th shot that the swabbing is not getting. So perhaps the pellets are getting caught on the crud ring and not going down all the way thus leaving an air space. I'd definitely ditch the pellets and use loose powder.
I also agree with TX as I've always used a spitpatch (not wet) between shots when using 777 to try to have a consistently fouled barrel.

blackhorn · Sep 26, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Sep-26-14 AT 05:57PM (MST)[p]>I was shooting the other day
>to sight in my gun.
> All shots were taken
>at 25 yards and I
>ran a wet then dry
>patch between each shot shooting
>100 grains of Triple 7
>pellets and a saboted bullet.
> The first 4 shots
>I took grouped well.
>Then starting with the 5th
>shot my bullets started hitting
>all over the place.
>5th shot was 8 inches
>right and 12 inches low.
> 6th shot was 8
>inches left and 12 inches
>low and the 7th shot
>was 6 inches left and
>10 inches low. The
>5th - 7th shots looked
>to be tumbling when looking
>at the bullet holes.
>Anyone else ever experience something
>like this and what is
>the remedy?

Or you using a scope if so. try checking the mounts and ring and the scope. and what bullet and sabot primer. and gun our you using.

Trophy_Taker · Sep 27, 2014

I think COLO's speculation makes the most sense to me. I cleaned the gun and shot it again. It seems to be shooting accurately after cleaning it. I know a crud ring develops when using 777. Is there anything I can do to prevent it other than breaking the gun down for cleaning after every few shots? I have had better luck with BH209 and plan to only use it after getting through the couple of packs of 777 pellets I have.

This is a Remington Genesis shooting Hornady 44 CAL 240 GR HP/XTP bullets.