32 cal mule ear rifle

[ike]

I have tried to get this little rifle to shoot and group for over two years. Part of it was my sight (astigmatism) and a poor sight picture but I solved that problem. I can shoot it at 25 yards and get a 1 1/2 inch group good enough for squirrel head (20 gr 3f goex .310 round ball and .009n Pillow ticking patch) but when I move to the 50 yd target I cannot keep five shots on a 8 1/2 x 11 paper with a 3 inch stick on target. I am shooting from a rifle rest and have the same steady sight picture ( the same picture as the one used for 25 yd target). My patches are new and well lubricated with bear fat. The rifling is bright and shiny and I swab every 5 shots. Do you have any sugestions?

 

[Carbon 6]

Let someone else shoot it at 50 yards for comparison.. The problem might be you, and if it is, that's what you need to fix or address.

 

[Zonie]

What do the patches look like after they've been shot?

If there are any rips, tears or burned thru areas where the ball met the bore of the gun, the problem might be with the patches or sharp edges in the bore or at the muzzle.

(The area that was ahead of the contact zone often gets shreaded and tattered and that's OK as long as the area where the rifling grooves is in one piece.)

 

[Sam squanch]

Try a wad between the powder charge and the patched ball. Helped me. Cream of wheat, or a wool felt wad, wasp nest, leather.

 

[hanshi]

All are good advice, but I'll just add this possibility. larger ball or thicker patch or both. Tight loads usually are more accurate than looser ones. Take sandpaper and, using your thumb, polish the crown where it leads into the muzzle; that helps with seating tighter loads.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I've often wondered about the cause of the tattering of the edges of shot patches. It's obviously from gas, but the source could be gas blow-by coming from the charge, or, the sudden deceleration from the air as it separates from the ball.

 

[Zonie]

looking at the patch you will see the area where the ball met the bore.
If that looks unburned or uncut, very little of the powder gas got past that area so, things more centered to the patch is what the flame did. The area outside that area was damaged when the supersonic blast of air hit the edges of the patch. With a blast of air like that, it's no wonder the edge becomes frayed and tattered.