dakine999

This isthe 3rd season with my T/C Black Diamond and I haven't been able to get it sighted in this year. I have yet to take a shot at a deer, however, the last two years had no problem getting it sighted in at 100 yards. This year, however, is a different story. I've been to the range 5 times with it this year and have given up. I had the local shop check out my scope and had it re-bore sighted just to be sure. I can't even get it to shoot consistent patterns at 50 yards. One shot will be dead on and the next can be as far off as 8-10 inches. I did switch from Shockwaves to PowerBelts this year. When the problems started I switched back and it didn't help. I swab the barrel after everyshot and run a bore butter patch down as well. Should I not be applying the bore butter? This is what I have always done. I'm ready to totally give up and by an Omego! Any suggestions?

sabotloader

dakine999

You wll not find many people supporting the use of Bore Butter - but I am one of them... I use it in everyone one my barrels including my trap gun barrels. It really does reduce plastic fouling.

However, I would not use it the way you are - the barrel, for sabots, really needs to be clean and dry (you actually might be increasing your possibilities of fouling the barrel) - the sabots will lubricate themselves. Clean the barrel with a good solvent and a scrubbing - then lightly oil with a quality product. When you get ready to shoot it - dry swab and get it as clean and smooth as you can. Then try sighting in your gun - you may need to damp swab in between shots, there is a ton of different solutions for this including old fashion spit. Sighting in or recreational shooting I use a zip lock bag of prepared patches treated with windex - then a dry patch, hunting, just an old fashion spit patch.

good luck - there will a ton ofother people that will add lots of ideas...

I am sureCayugad will jump in here he has a Black Diamond and is quite fond of it...

cayugad

Clean your Diamond right back to metal. Use a good bore solvent and brush and scrub that bore butter out of there. After you have brushed it a few times, start running solvent patches through it. Use a solvent by the way that removes plastic, copper and lead fowling. I use Birchwood Casey or Hoppies most the time.

Once your sure that rifle is back to bare metal, then oil it with a quality gun oil. Leave the bore butter out of the rifle This is my opinion mind you, but bore butter and sabots are not a good combination according to Thompson Center Arms.

Before you shoot it next time run a damp swab down the barrel to get out any oil that might be in there. Then pop off three 209 primers through the nipple to clear it and to "kind of" fowl the bore. Now load as normal.

I would load 100 grains of FFg powder (your choice). Thompson Center will tell you Pyrodex RS. I use Goex FFg. And a 250 grain Shockwave and it should shoot excellent. I also have real good luck with the 200 grain Shockwaves, 240 grain XTP's (Thompson Center Mag Express brand), and 375 grain Buffalo Bullet SSB sabots. Also if you want a conical, shoot a 460 No Excuse Conical... they might surprise you with 80 grains of Triple Se7en or Pyrodex P. If your shooting good groups, then work your load up from there.

Some things to check besides your scope and load.. on your locking lugs by the trigger, make sure you have not lost your washers. Also try to tighten the lugs the same amount. I will many times run a paper test to make sure the barrel is floating. The paper should slide all the way up the fore arm to the first locking lug.

Also when shooting off a bench as I am sure you know, never rest the rifle on the barrel, only the for arm of the rifle. If you rest on the barrel you throw the floating barrel off..

You are swabbing between shots I hope... other then that I have no idea why your Diamond will not group. Mine will shoot almost anything (and I mean anything) I stuff down it with very good accuracy.

ruffhunter

I feel your pain. My friend loaned me his .45 XR to tweak the scope. I was with him last year when he attempted to sight it in, with thesame jumping patterns. He was unable to load anyT/C sabots into the barrel. He switched to Powerbelts and would keep themscattered on target. I was shooting 150pellets and 195 power belts. Wow what a kick! First four shots were left and right. Swabbed the barrel, dropped down to 100 grains.Went to1600, then to a perfect 1800 shot, next was a perfect bullseye. Next four were scattered of the target and one 3 inches off. Scope was not the problem. I suspected it may be one of the older 1/20 twists. I'll try a 295 grain next due to tight twist. PS what a pain in the a$$ design to remove the breech plug and striker. My very old LK-93,gave a 1 inch, four shot cluster using 90 RS and a 300 .45 XTP..

dakine999

I hear you. My last attempts were with 100 gr of Triple 7 and I tried both the Powerbelt 245 & 285s. All over the place. It is a pain to clean and even more of a pain to to remove the breech as you said. I'm gonna give it one more try and try Cayugad's recommendations and go from there ..... after the season. I borrowed a buddies Omega for opening day here in VA and have sat in the woods with my bow ever since.

cayugad

Powerbelts might not be the best choice for your Black Diamond. They were mediocre at best for accuracy out of mine and went veryeradicate at longer ranges out of my rifle.




I got much better results with Shockwaves. Something I forgot to ask was is this the 22" barrel model or the XR with the 26" barrel. If it is the shorter model, try starting your Triple Se7en loaded out even lower at say 85 grains, just to see what happens.



If you want to shoot a slip fit projectile, I would suggest a slip fit conical. I shoot the 460 grain No Excuse Conicals out of mine, and as you can see I only use a 85 grain of 3f or 80 grain of Triple Se7en load. I was told I could get even better accuracy if I stuck a wad between the powder and the conical. I admit I have not tried that option yet, but will in the future. This was shots off a set of shooting sticks and I never swabbed the barrel.

I am surprised the Black Diamond is being so hard to find a load for. Normally the rifle will shoot about anything you stuff down it. You might want to try lighter loads and if that does not work, then kick the charge up a couple times and see what happens...

Cheap Shots were also a very good shooting projectile out of the rifle. I was shooting them for fun mind you, but with the bullet design they would be more then able to take deer down for you.

Good luck with your rifle. There is nothing more frustrating when you can not get a rifle to shoot... Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

cayugad

dakine999 that problem with the breech plug is not new to me also. The first day I had mine I stuck that plug so tight I broke the wrench that comes with the rifle trying to get it free. After seven to ten shots, take that tool and give that plug a twist back and fourth just to make sure it is not seizing up. It will make it a lot easier to take out at the end of the day if you check it every ten shots or so....

dakine999

Cayugad:

Thanks for the tips. I do plan on switching back to the shockwaves, which is what I always shot until this year. A guy at the range was swearing by Powerbelts and how easy they were to load so I tried them. Also, good tip on the breech. I don't know what I was thinking and tweaked mine so tight last time I cleaned it that I broke the 209 nipple. Do you separate the stock from the barrel everytime you clean it?

By the way, I shoot the 22" barrel. I'm only 5'4" and the 26" wasn't comfortable to swing and shoulder.

cayugad

Yes, when I clean the rifle the first thing I do is remove it from the stock. Just be sure not to loose them washers on the locking lugs. I think it was Roskoe that said to glue them in place which is not all that bad of an idea. Also when I put the rifle back together, I do not crank on those locking lugs. I tighten then with fingers on the screwdriver, then give them all just an additional little twist so they are snug but no binding.

Keep an eye on your trigger assembly also. Every one in a while I spray mine down with a good solvent and then take an air hose to it to make sure there is no gunk collecting in it. After that I spray it with Birchwood Casey Sheath and then wipe the excess off.. Mine sure has a nice trigger.

dakine999

Well I finally had an opportunity to get to the range with my Black Diamond. I didn't have much time because the sun was going down, however, I am happy to say I'm back in business. After just9 shots Iwas shooting 2" groups at 100 yards. Thanks for the cleaning and loading tips. I ended up staying with 100 gr of Triple 7 and going with the The 240 gr XTP's. I also made sure to use a dry patch after swabbing which could have been one of my biggest problems. I know 2" isn't great, however, far better than my previous 50 shots this year with it. Now I'm ready to sit in the woods again with my T/C. I've been carrying my bow in the woods the last couple of weeks because of my BP issues and have seen a few deer that were out of my range but certainly in BP range! It's snowing here in VA and is suppose to continue until tomorrow night. I'm going out tomorrow afternoon for my 1st hunting experience in the snow!