What Did I Do Wrong? Rookie

nitroxdan · Nov 5, 2002

I was hunting in the rain. I took a latex glove like an examanation glove and cut the finger off it and put it over the barrel of my muzzloader. I shot at a nice buck at 70 yards and did not hit anything. I forgot to remove the latex before I shot, I did not think it would have cause a problem. I had been target shooting for a couple months prior to the season and feel very comfortable grouping shots at 100 yards 4-6 inches, consistantly. I know the shot should have been good. I shoot saboted conicals. I am thinking the latex went on to travel wrapped around the bullet, preventing the sabot's release, causing deflection in the normal bullet's travel path. Does this sound right? I could not find the latex. I shot from an elevated position over a green field and no latex....

bluelk · Nov 5, 2002

nitroxdan: Nope, that wasn't your problem.

Henry · Nov 6, 2002

Corect me if I'm wrong, but dosen't the gases from ignition push that latex or tape for that matter off before the projectile get to the end of your barrel?

Nitroxdan, maybe it was the angle of your shot ie. uphill/downhill that cased your miss. Just a thought.

nitroxdan · Nov 6, 2002

What do you think the problem was?

nitroxdan · Nov 6, 2002

I shot a doe 2 hours later from the same position at 85 yards, perfect hit. I did put another latex on the barrel to see if it came off esily. It is a Thompson Center Arms Black Diamond, with a high front sight I put the latex over the sight, which is 1/2 inch high. Then I pulled on it from the front to see how easy it would come off, It was incredibly hard to remove. It finnally came off and my finger tips are still red from snap....Can the ingnition gases get past the saboted bullet to push the latex off? Or is it the air btween the bullet and the latex that is suddenly compressed - it is a very small amount of air, I dont think it would have pushed it off with it over the sight...

Henry · Nov 6, 2002

I am not sure, I was just thinking that the latex blew off no problem and your trajectory was not calculated correctly because of a steep angle? Just a thought.
I'm not sure how steep an angle it has to be to have an effect. (maybe bluelk could anwser that)
As far as covering the barrel, I use tape but I have always remembered to remove it before I made the shot, but I have been told that the tape will have no effect.
I am just learning this stuff too, and don't even pretend to be an expert.

DeerKing · Nov 6, 2002

I put a small balloon over the end of my muzz during wet weather and have never had a problem with it affecting accuracy during a shot. Its probably something we call "a bad shot". I've made a few, probably every one else has to, your time came. It happens.

Weasel · Nov 6, 2002

Next range session, try a few shots with the latex in place. Nothing like experimenting to prove or dis-prove a theory.

Did you check and recheck for blood or hair after the shot? Did you follow the path of the deer looking for sign? A lady I know shot at a buck the other day. She was sure she missed, so she didn't bother to look for sign until she was ready to leave the area. She walked in the direction that the deer ran, and found it dead as a doornail. No blood was found on the ground. She said the deer ran as if it hadn't been hit, didn't buck-up, kick, anything. In your case, hopefully it was a clean miss, but you should always follow-up on any shot.

nitroxdan · Nov 6, 2002

Thanks guys for all the helpful advice. I did track the deer and search for hair blood etc... I followed the tracks and seen where he first jumped at the noise of the shot. It was a clean miss. I am just disappointed this was the first time I ever shot at a deer with my muzzleloader. Not to mention I had been hunting this deer for 2 years now and he finally came..Oh well thats why they call it huntn I guess...

Weasel · Nov 9, 2002

I put
>the latex over the sight,
>which is 1/2 inch high.

This might be the problem. If the latex was over your sight, it may have altered your sight picture. Also, being hooked over the sight, the latex may have expanded, allowing the gases to escape behind the latex as opposed to pushing it off of the barrel. When the bullet exited, it may indeed have pushed the latex off, interfering with the bullet path. I don't think the latex would have clinged to the sabot/bullet though. I think some range experimenting is in order. If you follow-up on this, let us know what you find. Maybe we can all learn something. Good luck!

bluelk · Nov 10, 2002

nitroxdan: You guys are beating a dead horse. There is no way in hell that the latex contributed to the problem AS LONG AS IT DID NOT COVER UP THE FRONT SIGHT. I have used muzzle covers like this for years and they have no affect whatsoever on the performance of the bullet. Think about it! It's simple physics. Just the fact that the very thin latex is absolutely no match for the amount of pressure, fire, and velocity of the bullet coming out of barrel should be the first clue. It would take a lot more than a piece of thin latex to have any affect.

stinky · Nov 13, 2002

I see the theory...but, I have a few problems w/it.

What did the bbl of your gun look like?

was the finger still there w/a hole blown in it? Or, was the hole thing gone? If the finger was gone, MAYBE, but I REALLY REALLY doubt it.

The sabot will come down the bbl, and the gas trapped between the bullet and the latex will more thatn likely blow a hole in it. The is going to be a real large rush of pressure on the latex, too large for the latex to hold back.

I use electrical tape on my .270. It has a hole blown in it, Maybe that is why I hit my elk about 3" low at 200 yards, this year, I hit the top of the heart, instead of the lungs.

400bull · Nov 13, 2002

Here is my theory.

You blow the shot and the bullet went sailing over the bucks back.

Take an average group size of 4-6 inches at 100 yards; add on to that 2 inches for being sighted in 2 inches high at 100 yards. You now have an average group some where between 6-8 inches high at 100 yards. The average chest size of a deer is about 18 inches. Split that distance in half because you are aiming at the middle of the chest and you are left with nine inches to play with. If your aim was slightly off center, shooting uphill or down hill, or simple pulled the shot, you could have easily accounted for that last inch allowing the bullet to sail right over the top of the buck.

Solution: Get your average 5 round group size below 2 inches at 100 yards. Anything over 2 inches is completely unacceptable in my opinion. I don't know what you are currently shooting, but the first step in getting you gun to shot tighter groups would be to very you powder charge. I have found that some where between 80 and 110 grains have worked best for me. If that does not get you groups under the two-inch goal try several different bullets and powder charges until you get one that does.

400bull