Yes, very true, there is a good combination of guys who have different guns with different loads and different bullets and different sabots that know the signs of a given problem. I have walked this tightness sabot trail before and know the signs well because the very first time I shot 4198 out of my savage I got the primer going off and the bullet spitting out the front about 20 feet, no bang. I asked on Doug's Savage forum what the problem was and it was sabot tightness and NOT compressing the powder. The TMZ are for a tight barrel like a Knight, so I suspect they are loose in his barrel.


By the way how tight is "just right tight?" in a Savage or any gun shooting Blackhorn? Well it is Goldiocks tight, which is:

not loose enough that you can shove the bullet and sabot down with 1 hand
not so tight you have to pound it down
but a >>lot<< of force on a dirty barrel will push the bullet down

If you can pushthe bullet and sabotdown >>without<< a short starter it is probably TOO LOOSE!!!

Then you LEAN with ALL your weight on the ram rod, best to have an XS Power Rod and not the Lame
Savage rod that comes with the gun. Some guys take a hammer and tap the rod twice after seating the bullet with a lot of weight, I do NOT do that. I have NOT has a misfire, since I started using Barnes Origonals with Crushed rib and a dirty barrel and putting all my weight on an XS Ram Rod.
Chap