I bounce around to half a dozen ML forums and seem to constantly see posts from guys that get 100-yard one-inch groups on a regular basis, some of them with brand new guns and the first loads they tried. Well,I gotta' tell 'ya - that's not me.

For example: I bought my first and only in-line about a year ago - a Lyman Mustang.Over the last year I've shot just about a hundred five-shot groups with the gun, mostly at 100 yards but sometimes at 50 when I didn't feel like walking to the 100 yard target. I've shot Gold Bonds, XTPs, Barnes Spitfires, Lee REALs, Hornady Great Plains, and a few other bullets, in various weights, in various sabots, and with various powders and powder charges. Regulars on this forum have seen a number of my test targets.

What I've proved to myself is that this gun is not a "one-hole-shooter". I can only count on an honest three inches at one hundred yards - yet I still like the gun a lot. For one thing, I can get that three inches with almost any bullet and any powder if I play around with the charge.On the other hand, I've seen posts from guys who got rid of a gun because it shot groups like I'm getting.

Now, I know you're wondering whether it's the gun or the shooter. I assure you Ican shoot one-inch five shot groups with my 45-70pretty consistently, and with loads that would turn the faint-of-heart a pale shade of green.

I've seen a lot of targets posted. Most of them are totally believable and posted by people I have no doubt are reporting facts.Still, Iread about a lot of one-hole groups yetnever see a target, or never hear how many shots were involved, or never hear the distance, or if that was one group out of five groupsshot that day.Sometimes I wonder if those one-holers were nothing more than two shots out of ten fired at 30 yards.

I know my gun is a "three-incher"because I shoot five-shot groups, mostly at a measured 100 yards. To me, two shots is not a "group". Three shots is a group, but sometimes a lying group. I'm pretty sure a five-shot group is honestly telling me what the gun and load can do.

So, my final thought is this. My hunting load with this gun is 90 grains weight (103 grains volume) T-7 and a 300 grain Gold Dot at a little over 1800 fps.It's an honest three-inch load as shown in the target below. Doesn't look very tight, does it? Yet, the worst shot on that target - shot #3 - is only 1 3/4" from the point of aim. IfI don't kill a deer out to 150 yards, it's not the gun's fault.

Well, that's the way I see it anyway.