I have a Hawken's 50 cal and it's pretty accurate at the ranges I've sighted it in at. No matter what load I put in it, it behaves the same way.
Sighted in at 100yds. If I shoot at 5Oyds or less the maxi ball drastically climbs higher. I don't mean a few inches I'm talking 18 inches or more. 100 grains of 777 it should be flying pretty flat and at most from what I've researched a maximum of 6" or less. I've even changed it from the standard iron sights to a peep and globe set up. And it still behaves this way. I have a lyman .54 and it does not behave this way. Beings I've shot muzzleloaders most of my life this is news to me. I've not come across this before to this extent. Am I crazy, uneducated, or could it be I have a barrel drilled off angle? I'm scratching my head on this.
Enlighten me please.
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The first thing I would do is to clean the bore back to raw steel. Use some Hoppes # 9 and swab the bore, then dry patches, re swab # 9 then dry patches. When you get clean dry patches, reswab with # 9 and let the barrel set over night. Reswab with a dry patch next day. You may have to do this for a couple of days. This will dissolve and remove any lead in the bore. Maxi Balls, and Maxi Hunters do have a tendency to lead the bore. I shoot them, and have found this routine works. Next, if possible I would try using Goex. Amazing what a difference in accuracy Goex has over subs. Try shooting 80 grains, and work up loads. I find my T/C Hawkens shoot best at 90 grains FFG. Also let the barrel cool between shots. I find that as the barrel heats up, accuracy decreases. Good Luck !
Well that's a puzzler Blackelk, given that you say it's doing it with a variety of loads. If your load is anywhere around 70 grains or more, I just don't see how a gun that shoots a reasonable group sighted in at 100 yards can be that high at 50 with the same load and sight adjustment.
I can't think of a solution, or even a place to start checking. Does it do the same thing with bullets other than maxis? Ordinarily I would suspect you are taking a different sight picture at the two different ranges, but the peep/globe sight arrangement should pretty much eliminate that. Still, you could try having someone else shoot it to see if they get the same results.
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I'm interested to see what the issue is. I can't see anything that would cause that trajectory. My 54 cal Renegade is a couple-three inches high at 50 and on at 100. This is with 435 gr maxiball and 100 gr loose pyrodex.
By chance, is the gun rested on the same object and in the same manner when you switch distances? For example are you resting on a hard object when shooting at 50, but resting on a soft object when shooting at 100?
I also cannot fathom the problem you describe. Getting decent groups out of you gun at 100 yards but not at 50? All thing being equal rest,load, etc I think it would be impossible to have the results you're describing. I never had that much variation going from a prb to a maxi.
so its dead on at 100 yards and 18" high @ 50? If i read correctly. That is extreme but if its dead on at 100, i dont see how it can be that high at 50!
Boil the barrel first. Then while it is still hot, use a brush and solvent and scrub the bore. Then some solvent patches. After that oil the bore.
Check the sights and make sure all the screws are tight. It sounds like your not a beginner in this sport. When I go to the range, I would sight the rifle dead on at 50 yards.
Now once it is dead on at 50 yards try it at 100 yards. See if the load still wants to climb. There is really no reason I can think of that it would be shooting that high but then there always seems to be a surprise with that rifle.
See what it does when it is sighted in at 50 yards. It should be a couple inches low at 100 yards. If that is the case, sight it in one inch high at 50 yards then do the same thing all over again.
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Define pretty accurate. Get someone to watch you shoot the rifle on a sunny day. See if they can see the bullet going down range... it must be moving just a little faster than a thrown rock. Somehow you have to be losing a great deal of energy.
50 cal dilemia
