Traditional Rifles Swab VS no swab in .58

[cayugad]

I wanted to check my .58 caliber Green Mountain Barrel today that is mounted in a Renegade stock. My normal load is 110 grains of 2f black powder. So I decided to use Graf's & Sons. Also I broke out two boxes of Speer .570 roundball, some pillow tick patch and some moose milk.

I brought the target up to 25 yards to check the sights..



that looked pretty good so I started shooting as fast as I could. It was then I noticed that the rifle was really getting hard to load.



I fired eight or ten (I really was not counting) rounds and noticed the more fowled the bore got the more the shots started a downward trend.. but I was still satisfied.

So I swabbed the bore CLEAN. As in a nice clean patch. I used pure alcohol and prepared the rifle again, just like I would at the time I hunt. I moved the target back to 50 yards and took my first shot..



Again, I was pleased.. So I shot four more. The next two were real good. Then the rifle started to throw them.



Well this had me thinking.. should I swab a traditional rifle as well. So I got a new target out.. and shot then swabbed, shot then swabbed.. on another corner I just shot six rounds. Sure enough, when I swabbed it did a much tighter more consistent group then an unswabbed shoot. I would have took pictures of those results, but the camera batteries when dead on me again. These rechargeables are great, but you get them in the cold they do not last.

It was 46 degrees, a slight few drops falling from time to time, over cast, and a little wind. The rifle is ready!! but I will swab between shots.

[cayugad]

That is a rifle there people..

T/C Renegade stock
32 inch Green Mountain 1-70 twist .58 caliber barrel

It usually is the most accurate open sight rifle I shoot.

[martin.8]

Nice looking rifle. Have you hunted with it? Mike

[cayugad]

Yes I have but have yet to take any animals with it.

[martin.8]

Forgot to mention, Great shooting also.

[sabotloader]

cayugad

Couple of things... quit showing pictures of Renegades...they are addicting - I do not need another one... but I have found nevermind...

I would like to concurr with your findings on swabbing between shots... and as you already know I do not do the alcohol thing but use regular windex, which works very well for me. It is still my contention that if the barrel bore is in the relative same condition from shot to shot - then the accuracy should be relative - shot to shot. It only seems natural the more shots fired with BP or BP subs the fouling in the bore would/will change somewhat shot to shot. Using a tight shot card might push a lot of this fouling to the top of thepowder and reduce the fouling somewhat. I think Doc White was once working on this theory with his self cleaning conicals.

And as usual nice shooting...

[cayugad]

I got a chance to pick up another one also, MAYBE. It is in bad shape " in the barrel" but the rest of it is supposed to be real good. I have a couple more Green Mountain Barrels I can throw on it, so I will probably get it. The price they were talking is too good to pass up.

[sabotloader]

cayugad

dang!

[thumper50]

GOTTA LOVE THOSE TC SIDLOCKS!!! Good shootin there Dave!! Black powder and big pieces of lead!!

[Semisane]

I agree Cayugad, you get better groups with swabbing. I think Sabotloader has it right, having the bore in as close to the same condition as possible for each shot it the way to go.

You already know I'm a 91% alcohol convert. That's all I use for swabbing now regardless of whether I'm shootingT7, Pyrodex, and real black. At the very least, it saves you the trouble of dry patching and eliminates any worry about whether your swabbing patch it too wet. An alcohol patch can be just about dripping and still won't leave you with a wet bore or a contaminated charge.

Dang, that.58 Renegade looks good. I have a new .54caplock barrel with a 1-70 twist on the way from GM formy Renegade (couldn't help myself).I thought long and hard about waiting until GM goes back in production with the.58 flint barrel. But, what the heck, I don't have a .54 caplock.Anyway, I suspect a flint barrel will still make its way to my door sooner or later.

Yep, Thumper

GOTTA LOVE THOSE TC SIDLOCKS!!!