I checked my records and the Black Diamond XR had not been shot in a long time. Actually there is a reason for that as it normally shoots very well each time to the range. Today was no different.
I knew it was sighted in at 75 yards approximately,with the 375 grain Buffalo Bullet SSB and 100 grains of Pyrodex RS. The first shot on the clean barrel was out of the group. This is a constant with the rifle. That is why I hunt on a fowled barrel with the Black Diamond. The next three were real tight, then I must have flinched on the fifth shot a little. I was swabbing between shot with a alcohol/windshield cleaner solution and even giving the barrel time to cool.
I then swabbed the barrel as clean as possible and brought out some Barnes Expanders in a red sabot. I loaded the 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and was kind of surprised when the first shot hit as high as it did. So I shot the next and touched the first. The third was almost there. At a dollar each I decided that was enough of them.
I then swabbed the barrel clean and loaded 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and a Speer 250 grain Gold Dot hollow point is a smooth very long I believe a HP-12 sabot. They loaded a little tighter then the others so far. Could have been the sabot. And they also shot higher then I thought they would.
So I swabbed the barrel clean and loaded the Speer Gold Dot in a crushed rib sabot. These loaded VERY easy down the barrel. Almost too easy I thought. I then changed my POA and was actually shooting about three inches under that bulls eye. While it hit the bulls eye, I would have liked a tighter group.
I then swabbed the barrel as clean as I could and checked. I had five of the Buffalo Bullets left in that box. So I decided to shoot as fast as I could without swabbing. After the fifth shot, that barrel was HOT!!! (I learned the hard way). Although they sabots loaded really a lot easier then I figured they would. It was almost like the Pyrodex RS and the hot barrel made them slide in easy. Also the group was more then acceptable. I was aiming at six o'clock on that bulls eye...
By this time the temp had climbed, the horse flies had found me, as did the mosquitoes and I think the bug juice was wearing off... I decided to call it quits.
That Black Diamond XR is a very consistantly accurate rifle but of all my rifles, has to be the very worst rifle to clean. Maybe that is why I do not shoot it more...