Originally Posted by
thom2
Hey Sabotloader,
Didn't check the float with a dollar bill, but I used a sheet of printer paper that I cut similar to the width of a dollar. It slides, but there's some slight tension.
Slight tension is all that it would take when you conside the the pressure you put on the forearm when shooting and expansion of the barrel as it heats.... Usually this would lead the slanted verticle strign of shots...
The time between shots was about 6 to 8 minutes, so I don't believe the heated barrel is the problem, your call. I may make some aluminum pillars to stabilize the barrel.
Really do not think you have to go to as far as the pillar idea unless you just decide to bed the whole barrel which is always more accurate than a floted barrel. You really just need to clear the barrel out of the channel so that when you apply pressure to the forearm shooting off a rest, off you hand, or even off a branch on tree it does not push on the barrel.
I'm use to extreme accuracy with my bench rest centerfire rifles. Guess I'm asking too much from a muzzleloader.
See I think you just hit part of the thought right on the head... is your ML a target rifle or a hunting rifle?
But I can shoot a consistent 2" group @ 100yds using ball & patch with a .50 cal Hawken I bought for a TV commercial I was shot for Hawken Smokeless tobacco.
I guarantee you you can do the same thing with the Omega once you get the wrinkles worked out.
I bought the rifle from a man, since dead, in Colorado. I've been trying to find out if the rifle was a reproduction or original. The only marking is S. Hawken St. Louis on the barrel. No brass only a pewter cap on the stock. A spring and nib broke in the lock, but so far no one, including Dixie, has been able to identify the lock.
I may post pixs of the Hawken on the site. Maybe someone can help.
You will not have any problem finding information about the St. Louis Hawken it has quite a long history and most of it is good.
Here is a start for you...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawken_rifle
Just type st. louis hawken in your search engine and you will have aton of reading material....