overshot barrel

[Mr Hawken]

has anyone ever shot out a barrel or heard of it being done? i have a thompson center hawken 50 cal that i bought used some time ago and i have put about 1000 shots through it.it has 1 and 48 twist and seems to hold about 4" group with balls or conicals at 50yrds. is this about average for a barrel with that twist?

 

[sidelock]

Nope---- aint average, and aint shot out. Someone may have ruined the bbl. but almost impossible to shoot out one. Try some other loads and/or components til you get it right,--say about 1 1/2 " or less at 50. good luck-- it can be done. :thumbsup:

 

[Lone Carabiner]

If you're shooting off a rest should do better than that by about half. You might try some 3M -ultrafine Scotch Brite hand pad over a .45 cleaning jag. Damp it with Rem-Clean or JB or Simi-Chrome and run it in-out 40-50 times then clean up and shoot. may well help it.

 

[FallingCrows]

What Type and Amount of Black Powder are you using?

I have Lyman Deerstalker 1:48 twist. I use T/C Maxi Hunter 350 gn conicals and 60 Gn. of Goex Black Powder. Since I bought in 2000, I've shot about 700+ rounds out of it. I get a 1.5" three shot group at 50 yards.

I've found that if I use BP sub's I get no groups, shots are all over the place. They fire to clean and I need to fire mine dirty.

hope this helps.
- FallingCrows

 

[JWP]

I know of a couple guys that shoot at least 3 times a week (100 rounds plus) - they shoot this every week throughout the year. They shoot at Friendship and are very competative.
Green Mountain sponser's them - good thing as they go through a couple barrels a year.
I had the chance to shoot against them a few years back at the West Virginia Primitive - it was one of those days that I couldn't do anything wrong and took first place. Didn't settle good with one of them as he doens't like to be beat - I just claimed my prize and smiled :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

has anyone ever shot out a barrel or heard of it being done? i have a thompson center hawken 50 cal that i bought used some time ago and i have put about 1000 shots through it.it has 1 and 48 twist and seems to hold about 4" group with balls or conicals at 50yrds. is this about average for a barrel with that twist?

Should shoot a ragged hole/cloverleafs from the bench at 50yds.

From your post I can't tell if it's always shot that way from day one or if it's a condition that's developed.

If you've been using bore butter and have not been cleaning it out with hot soapy water & a bore brush after every use, you could have buildup (invisible) taking place and that build up will gradually affect accuracy.

If that's the case, get a bottle of Birchwood Casey's Blackpowder Cleaning Gel and get everything dissolved out of there...back to the bare, raw metal.

 

[ss1]

I beleive that there are some t/c 50c 1/48 that will not group very good.[ I have one ] This probably applies to all twist, AND CAL'S. I have a 50c, 39", 1/48, that will shoot 5 shot groups, 1"/1" to 1'/1 1/4', C TO C, all the time. However you have to brush after ever 15 shots. 50YDS. I think the rifle will do better.