Lube made drastic change to pattern

[roundball]

Finished load development this morning for a dove load in my GM .54cal Flint smoothbore barrel, and had a surprising change of pattern when I switched wiping/lubing regimen.

I had settled on a load that throws a terrific pattern of 7.5's at 30yds...70grns Goex 3F and two Oxyoke wonderwads. Wiped after every shot with both sides of a patch well dampened with TC #13 cleaner, followed by a patch lubed with TC NL1000.

As I was nearing the end of the session it occurred to me that I could save a step in the dove field by just using both side of a Hoppes No9 PLUS patch which is a cleaning AND lubing solution (it always gave excellent results with PRBs) and not have to use two different patches with #13 and NL1000 out in the field.

Only about 25% of the pattern even hit the paper.
Shocked, I thought, OK I screwed something up, let me try this again...same results...most of the pattern was missing from the paper...as if a major POI shift was occurring. Went back to the #13 & NL1000 regimen, and the perfect pattern was right back where it had been.

Trying to figure out what happened...the Hoppes patches were not 'wet', just a normal damp so there wasn't anything excessive about it. And even if there was, the pair of Oxyoke wads would have wiped any excess off the bore walls.

I was tired by then and didn't want to essentially start all through a re-adjustment series to find out where the pattern was and left things the way they were with a known excellent pattern, but evidently requiring these particular wiping/lubing steps for consistency.

Intriging though...any ideas?

 

[Blizzard of '93]

no idea, do use a shot cup, if not have you ever tryed them?

 

[roundball]

no idea, do use a shot cup, if not have you ever tryed them?

No, a conscious decision not to use shot cups...while no one would ever confuse me with being even a 3rd cousin to a purist, I'm trying to keep some things in their simplist form to at least attempt some of the ways it was done back then...ie: powder, wad, shot, card...I know shot cups offer multiple benefits but like when I filled my turkey tags this spring, it was a little bit of a special feeling using a flintlock and powder, wads, shot, & card...hoping to have similar results with doves...for sure there's no equipment or pattern problems...if I miss'em it'll be all me :grin:

 

[Dave K]

I have tried shot cups of various styles and just never liked the luck I had with them. Sometimes they worked good, but more times than not, it would hit the patterning board as a slug and not a pattern.

I messed around years ago with different lubes and patterns of loading. Once I found one that worked for me, I stopped experimenting. All my shotguns like the same way I load the cards and cushions. The only thing that is variable is the amount of powder and shot. I do not get a change in patterns, but not wiping between shots, so I don't.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

it's funny how some BP guns have a noticeable preference for a certain load/technique ain't it?

 

[roundball]

I suspect switching to the single Hoppes patch wiped on each side changed something enough.....compared to wiping both sides of a #13 patch and both sides of a NL1000 patch..... to throw off the center of the pattern at 30 yards...It seemed the pattern was still centered left to right but dropped down so the lower half missed the paper.

In all probability those "hoppes" patterns would be consistent, I just didn't take to time to start experimenting all over again to find and pull the pattern back to the center using the single hoppes patch.

If the prelubed Circle Fly wads I have on order for the .20ga let me shoot without wiping between shots, I can order some prelubed .28ga cushion wads and go that route...would just as soon not have to wipe between shots on a dove or skeet field if I don't have.

 

[spottedpony]

I get the same thing happening in my .50 with prb's a lube change from my normal lube will move the poi and affect group size.
i'm not sure why, but i think its a similar effect as one sees in centerfire rifles when changing brand of bullets for example. a different material causes a different "drag" in the barrel, perhaps affecting barrel harmonics.

 

[roundball]

I get the same thing happening in my .50 with prb's a lube change from my normal lube will move the poi and affect group size.
i'm not sure why, but i think its a similar effect as one sees in centerfire rifles when changing brand of bullets for example. a different material causes a different "drag" in the barrel, perhaps affecting barrel harmonics.

Yes, or like changing patch thickness...if we change the recipe something's gonna change somewhere else

 

[spottedpony]

I get the same thing happening in my .50 with prb's a lube change from my normal lube will move the poi and affect group size.
i'm not sure why, but i think its a similar effect as one sees in centerfire rifles when changing brand of bullets for example. a different material causes a different "drag" in the barrel, perhaps affecting barrel harmonics.

Yes, or like changing patch thickness...if we change the recipe something's gonna change somewhere else

exactly. As ive always said, every firearm is a rule unto itself.
years ago, my son and myself bought a pair of identical rifles, (centerfire) one number apart in the serial number. and its amazing the different personalities these rifles have. about the only thing they have in common is they both prefer the same primer. powder and bullet's they have vastly different preferences to produce sub moa accuracy.