Leading/Accuracy Problems

[OldFart]

Greets fm Co
Need to get some info fm ye old timers. I own a T/C Hawken .54 cal I built fm a kit about 20 yrs ago (30 some odd coats of hand rubbed oil finish). I used to be able to shoot 2 in gps at 50 yds and 5 in gps at 100 yds w/open sights. But now I've lost accuracy, I'm doing good to get 6 in gps at 50. I'm shooting the same loads, 100 gr Black Powder and a T/C MaxiBall or 80 gr BP w/round ball. I highly suspect leading as my problem.

1. What is the best method "to get the lead out"??

2. I've shot this gun abput 100 times with lead conicals and round balls? How many times can I shoot lead conicals without leading problems??

3. Any other ideas??

Thanks Ray

[cayugad]

Have you been a old die hard bore butter user as well? That could be the problem. I had a T/C Renegade do the same thing to me, just like you're describing. To get the rifle back shoot;

I took boiling hot water, and dumped dish soap into it. I then gave that rifle a boiling water/soap bath. Be sure and wear gloves or the barrel will burn you. After that I dumped some solvent down the bore of that hot barrel and then using a bore brush took a strong solvent like Hoppies, or Birchwood Casey (at the time it was Hoppies #9) and scrubbed that bore with solvent and a brush. After that I ran solvent patches through it. This removed all the bore butter, all the lead build up, and anything else in there. After a lot of dry patching, I then oiled the bore up and it shot just like it always used to do.

There are a lot of solvents on the market that will remove lead from the bore. Read their labels and it will mention which ones. Also J-B Bore Paste will remove leading from the bore. After you get the barrel and bore back to normal and shoot it, let us know how it behaves. We must have one of the same kits....

[lemoyne]

Also some times an older rifle thats been shot a lot will get ramrod ware at the muzzle have had to cut off and rebutton a few to get them back to grouping again but most of the time its loke Cayuqad said. Lee