The dreaded clean bore shot

[Darkhorse]

When I started shooting blackpowder with a caplock back in 1976 nobody ever told me the second shot wouldn't hit where the first one did. All mine were in the same group. Same POA, same POI. Now all I shoot are flintlocks of my own making and it's still the same, same POA, same POI. I don't do anything special to achieve this and my first shot whether hunting or plinking is from a squeaky clean, alcohol wiped barrel.
Don't overthink this people. Learn to shoot. Forget all the old wive's tales and secret formula's because it's all BS!
This is fact. A rifle will never shoot a 1/2 inch group if the shooter can only shoot a 1 inch group.
Now tell me, which one of these shots is the first one?

 

[Juice Jaws]

The chicken has to be alive, you can't bottle its blood.

Ideally you jump up and down while whilst circling the afflicted item just like the African pygmy people's the Werrthefecarrwees of the tall grass lands chanting werrthefecarrwee, werrthefecarrwee, werrthefecarrwee.
The result is usually a positive one and helps to focus the positive energy on the problem

My dear friend, you have made my evening, I was sitting here sipping on some Jameson Black Barrel Whiskey neat,(your Irish cousins know whiskey) and reading your post about the Werrtheecarrwees brought me back 10 years around a campfire with dear smokpolers passing around a jug of apple pie. And two dear friends who have since pass on began a story about the Werrtheecarrwees, all adlib and had us just rolling with laugher. As Bob Hope would have said "Thanks for the Memories"

 

[Griz44Mag]

Just catching up on this thread. I have several smokepoles of different make and model, and none of them exhibit any radical differences in point of impact on the first round as compared to the shots that follow. Could that perhaps be because I shoot only PRB? Maybe the patch makes "cold bore" a non-issue...

 

[Darkhorse]

I only shoot patched round balls. Some things seem obvious to us old timers but to others maybe not. I've always done a lot of testing of lubes, starting with Crisco through to Wonder Lube, Lehigh Valley and Mr. Flintlocks. And different patch material and thickness's. A finding here....as long as I use the same lube and the same patch material then all shots from first to last (within reason), and the same powder charge, stay in the group. If you vary even one then that shot or shot's will shoot to a little different POI. That's just basics.
I've narrowed down my patching to just two thickness's, .015 for messing around, .0175 for hunting. True cotton pillow ticking only for hunting. I've got some .015 from Maine Shooting supplies that's a dense weave and holds up well so far.
I use Wonder Lube for deer hunting. It shoots well and won't rust your bore even when left loaded the entire season. I use Canola oil for hunting turkeys. And right now I use Mr. Flintlocks lube for plinking etc. If I was still match shooting I would use it for that also. As with anything in this sport you must shoot these lubes and patches enough to learn the little tricks for each one. Wonder Lube especially. Mink Oil works well also and I've used it in the past.
For this shot the rifle was taken from the house, swabbed with a dry patch then with alcohol patch, then a little poured in the barrel and forced out the TH with a tight fitting patch. It was swabbed again with a dry, clean patch and allowed time for the alcohol to evaporate. Then it was loaded and fired just once to check my sight picture.
First shot, clean cold barrel.

 

[smo]

Good Shootin’ Ron

 

[Darkhorse]

Thanks smo.

 

[Idaholewis]

I use a Magspark 209 nipple when preparing My Sidelock Muzzleloaders to hunt, Swab the Bore Good and Clean of any Oils, As Stumpkiller mentioned 91% isopropyl alcohol works very well. Pop 2 Federal 209 Shotgun Primers Straight through, Then Run a Patched Jag in til it Stops at the Breech, Pop 1 more 209 Off against the Patched Jag (Creates Back pressure) Pull the Jag, Replace the Magspark with your No. 11 Nipple, Load your Rifle, Your Cold Bore will shoot identical to your Fouled Bore Now

This is a very simple process that takes about 2-3 minutes of your time