Next move to gain accuracy

[mrfritz44]

I'd like to tighten my groups at 75 yards and beyond and would like to check my logic on going to a thicker patch. My available range time will be limited over the next few months so perspective from this group will be useful.

My current combo is 70gr of 3F Swiss with a 530 swaged ball and .018 pillow ticking patch. I'm getting 3 inch groups at 50 yards with this combo benched, although without the bench all bets are off which makes me the culprit.

The patches look "decent" after firing, but they have really frazzled edges and I would not reuse the patch for a 2nd shot. I don't have picture of the patches because I didn't think I needed to check my understanding of what was acceptable until I read a bunch of posts on this forum today.

Could anyone post a picture of their used patch they consider highly accurate along with the patch, powder, and ball specifications that comprised the load?

 

[hanshi]

Patches with frizzled edges don't matter and any & all loads produce them. Polish the crown on the rifle with your thumb and sandpaper so you won't cut patches when you start them. I like fairly tight loads but not so tight I can't seat the prb with the wood ramrod. Find a good lube (I prefer Hoppes BP patch lube) but spit patch, mink oil from TOW and a few others will work well. Start with a ball .010" smaller than the rifles bore. I use patches of .024" in most of my rifles and something a little thinner with a couple. Only change & test one variable at a time so you know what is most accurate.

 

[mrfritz44]

Are you saying you seat the ball only with the wooden ramrod with no short starter assist?

 

[Phil Coffins]

Here’s my patches from a Woods Runner shooting .530” ball over 80 grains of 2FG GOEX with .022” pillow ticking and Mink oil. Fine accuracy. Coarser powder gives a longer push.
Loaded with out a short starter and with the wood ramrod.
IMG_0709 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[stubshaft]

Whenever I change any component in my load, I start again with ladder loads to assess the change.

 

[rbeave]

Heres apatch and a 4 shot group with my .50 cal woodsrunner. (Special patch lol) Make sure I orientate the patch the same way everytime I load. "Smooth side" lubed. Blue stripes horizontal to the bore.. idk if it makes a difference or not.. coming from reloading the more variables you can repeat usually the better results. My patches are a little scorched and frayed and I would not reuse them. Group size measure 1.06" which is plenty good for me. 75 yards is a LONG shot here

 

[bldtrailer]

10 oz denim (bull denim) .20-.21

cheap way to try is to cut patching from a pr of men's jeans (make sure 100% cotton) men's jeans 10oz women's 8-7 oz

 

[LME]

10 oz denim (bull denim) .20-.21View attachment 373680View attachment 373681View attachment 373684View attachment 373685cheap way to try is to cut patching from a pr of men's jeans (make sure 100% cotton) men's jeans 10oz women's 8-7 oz

10 oz denim (bull denim) .20-.21View attachment 373680View attachment 373681View attachment 373684View attachment 373685cheap way to try is to cut patching from a pr of men's jeans (make sure 100% cotton) men's jeans 10oz women's 8-7 oz

Once you get the right load it is sighting technique! Aim small hit small!

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Some info on your rifle would be handy. Before I started changing components, I'd try different powder charges.

 

[justinoldguy]

I'd like to tighten my groups at 75 yards and beyond and would like to check my logic on going to a thicker patch. My available range time will be limited over the next few months so perspective from this group will be useful.

My current combo is 70gr of 3F Swiss with a 530 swaged ball and .018 pillow ticking patch. I'm getting 3 inch groups at 50 yards with this combo benched, although without the bench all bets are off which makes me the culprit.

The patches look "decent" after firing, but they have really frazzled edges and I would not reuse the patch for a 2nd shot. I don't have picture of the patches because I didn't think I needed to check my understanding of what was acceptable until I read a bunch of posts on this forum today.

Could anyone post a picture of their used patch they consider highly accurate along with the patch, powder, and ball specifications that comprised the load?

I use an over powder patch or wad in all my rifles. Is it necessary? With some rifles and some loads, yes. So I just load that way all the time, an extra 7 or 8 cent patch per shot to assure accuracy is cheap insurance. Especially so if you are like me, hunting public ground, and are fortunate to get one shot per season. My load in all my .54's is 60 grains of 3f Swiss, a .530 rb, over powder patch or wad, and a .015 linen patch. Get great accuracy in every .54 caliber rifle I own with that load, and it kills deer dead, along with paper targets. I will occasionally up the load to 70 or even 80 grains in my 10.5 lb. Hawken, as the weight reduces recoil and I still get great accuracy with its 1 in 65" twist barrel. That's my method, and I've done it that way for 50+ years. Other have great success without a overpowder wad or patch, you will just have to find what works in your rifle.

 

[Spikebuck]

Here are two four-shot groups at 50 yards (2nd lower 4 was after sight work) with patch examples and load info. For this rifle, the change from .570 w/thicker patches to a .575 with thinner patches is when the magic happened! Until you experiment you just don't know exactly what that perfect combo is.

Same load @75 yds. Had one flyer.

All but one of my .54s likes 90 grs 2F, .530 ball, .018 ticking with mink oil to get these kinds of groups. The other rifle, with a 1-72 twist eats 105 grs 2F, same ball and patch. Don't know why, it just does so I use it.

 

[Art Caputo]

A few of my accurate rifles. All using GOEX 3F and Hornady Swaged LRB’s, Ox-Yoke patches, TOTW Mink oil lube. My most accurate Rifle, a Kibler Colonial 58, ….I didn’t have a photo of the spent patches for the 58cal, but, they are near identical in condition to the shown Kibler 50 cal photos. Actually, most all my recovered parches from my rifles have a similar appearance to the pictures shown below. I generally will choose a ball/patch combo that wil enable me to achieve at least 6-12 accurate shots before having to swab the bore.

 

[flatcreek]

I have found no matter what I try a 2" group is about as good as it gets for me at 45 yds (that's where my target is in the backyard). I think at 76 it's me more than the rifle. One thing I did do that improved my constancy, but maybe not my group size was add a peep sight.

 

[LME]

I have found no matter what I try a 2" group is about as it gets for me at 45 yds (that's where my target is in the backyard). I think at 76 it's me more than the rifle. One thing I did do that improved my constancy, but maybe not my group size was add a peep sight.

You may be expecting to much? 2" groups at 45 yards is better than most people can get?

 

[flatcreek]

You may be expecting to much? 2" groups at 45 yards is better than most people can get?

Meant to say as good as it gets, by no means all of them.

 

[LME]

Meant to say as good as it gets, by no means all of them.

I got you! LOL! Even the best marksmen have a bad day!

 

[Sam squanch]

Try a felt wad or something like cream of wheat between the powder and patched ball. Works for me.

 

[Pete G]

I got you! LOL! Even the best marksmen have a bad day!

And even the worst can have a good day.

 

[LME]

And even the worst can have a good day.

You must have seen me on a good day? They were as rare as hens teeth! LOL!

 

[mrfritz44]

Thanks all for the confirmations and advice. I'll be headed to the shop to pick up at least additional patches even with the confirmation that mine look good as a bit more material between the ball and barrel could still help.

Next question....... do you find significant variations in accuracy depending on how the rifle is held?

I don't mean groups that predictably open up by shooting offhanded versus the use of a bench.

I'm referring to the movement of tight groups when a shooting stick or a vertical brace like a pillar or tree are used versus the use of a bench.

I need more range time to confirm, but my groups seem higher when I'm fully benched than if I'm prone or using a shooting stick.

Anyone experience that variance?