My SS Encore .45 wouldn't keep any conical I tried inside a bushel basket at 50 yards until it was chopped and crowned (grinding ball crown). Shoots just fine now. QLA isan okayidea - only if it is perfectly done. David White does a pretty good number of TC barrel chops and recrowns - have yet to read of anyone not getting a substantial increase in accuracy afterwards. How tight a bore is has little to do with how well it shoots IMHO. What matters a great deal moreis the internal consistency of the rifling and the geometry ofa well-done crown.If those factors are lacking (my first .45 Encore barrelfelt like a washboard to a tight patch), the barrel is not going to show you much by way of accuracy. Sabot carried bullets are more forgiving of poorly done barrels, apparently because of the verypliant behavior of plastic. But sabot loads will also benefit a great deal when a barrel is properly bored and crowned.

Tightness of bore can have a great deal to do withload selection. Muzzleloaders of even the same brand/model tend to vary from one rifle to the next so far as bore dimensions. That inconsistency is, arguably, part of what makes load experimentation both fun and challenging. Itcan also be derned frustrating. Some manufacturers do much better in holding the line on bore tolerance than do others. TC has not been one of those manufacturers based upon my own observations. Perhaps the Pro Hunter is a turnaround forthem as the few I've read reports on seem to be consistent and very well done.