Try this! This is a tip I learned from Eric Cortina, THE National Champion F-Class, 1000-yard shooter, using modern centerfire rifles, as when not shooting MZL’drs, I shoot sub-F-Class out to 600-yards. But I applied it to black powder rifles, and it works!
Many MZL rifles or muskets will NOT shoot the 1st shot from a clean/cold bore to the same impact spot as the rest of the shots fired that day. I have had some BP arms shoot to the same spot, but not all.
Anyways, after the bore is clean and dry - Eric’s trick is to push a few swabs of ‘Lock-Ease’ solution on a clean patch - and swab the barrel. It is a colloidal graphite in liquid solution product. He believes this pre-conditions the bore, as a fouled bore from any firearm will have graphite in the bore, as modern and even black powder are coated with graphite.
I’ve experimented, and for application to our BP realm, after doing the ‘Lock-Ease’ patched, I will then put 1 patch down the bore using the Track of the Wolf mink oil lube that I use as a hunting lube.
I have tested this now, 3-shots from a cleaned/cold bore, every WED for the last 3-weeks. It works! Yes, I need to tap the front sight to the left a bit to move the group to the right, on my 54-cal hunting rifle, but that is 3-shots @ 50-yards, where the 1st shot was from a clean/cold bore, but one treated with ‘Lock-Ease’ and then my ‘paste’ form lube.
Note, I am not sure this would work with a liquid patch lube …
Many MZL rifles or muskets will NOT shoot the 1st shot from a clean/cold bore to the same impact spot as the rest of the shots fired that day. I have had some BP arms shoot to the same spot, but not all.
Anyways, after the bore is clean and dry - Eric’s trick is to push a few swabs of ‘Lock-Ease’ solution on a clean patch - and swab the barrel. It is a colloidal graphite in liquid solution product. He believes this pre-conditions the bore, as a fouled bore from any firearm will have graphite in the bore, as modern and even black powder are coated with graphite.
I’ve experimented, and for application to our BP realm, after doing the ‘Lock-Ease’ patched, I will then put 1 patch down the bore using the Track of the Wolf mink oil lube that I use as a hunting lube.
I have tested this now, 3-shots from a cleaned/cold bore, every WED for the last 3-weeks. It works! Yes, I need to tap the front sight to the left a bit to move the group to the right, on my 54-cal hunting rifle, but that is 3-shots @ 50-yards, where the 1st shot was from a clean/cold bore, but one treated with ‘Lock-Ease’ and then my ‘paste’ form lube.
Note, I am not sure this would work with a liquid patch lube …
