Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

I'm not a bad shot, Not by any means, I'm 44 yrs old and been shooting since I was 6, But I can't seem to get any tighter groups with my 50cal.other than about4 inches at 100yds. I was out the other day and took extra time and care, cleaned the bore, and waited for the barrel to cool down, between every shot, solid shooting from a bench. I had only 2 rounds in the 2" bullseye, one 1 1/2" high and 2" left, another 2 1/4" left, and 2 1/2"down. What really bothers me is that with 4 other shots, I had one 5"high and 6" right, and one 7"left and 3"high, and with 2 more that didn't even hit the paper! All shots mind you I didn't do any adjusting on the scope! I'm shooting a CVA Hunterbolt, Leuopold Vari X2, 100grns Pyrodex, and 295grn. Powerbelts. I'm so disgusted with these shots, I'm concidering selling it all. I've shot only one deer with it, 4 years ago, and it ended up a gut shot from 50yds. Not where I was aiming!!!! My question is, Do you think it might be possible that I'm doing something wrong during the shot? I know blackpowder shooting is a little differant than modern firearms, and that you need to follow thru with the shot, but I'mconsiously taking all this into consideration during the shot, and on a bench, and still, I'm winging shots that don't even hit the paper! I don't know what gives, anybody have troubles like this? I mean, I'm really seriously thinking about giving this up. Thanks, Scott.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

if you're using loose powder, 100 grains pyrodex is 20 grains to much.

You can also try free floating your barrel.

Also can try replacing your breech plug, these wear out over time.

Cabelas sells a better breech plug thats made by CVA.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

I should have clearified a little on the powder, I'm using pellets. As for the breech plug, This gun has less than 100 rounds thru it. I haven't thought about free floating the barrel. Is that something I can do, or is it a gun smith thing?

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

You can do it yourself. If you dont feel comfortable, you can send the rifle to me and i'll shoot it, free float it and then get it shooting for you. All i ask is that you'd be nice enough to pick up the shipping charge for the ride back to you.

If the stock needs bedding, i'll also do that for you along with the floating process.

Go to the link to get an idea on how to free float the barrel.

http://www.gbofreeforums.info/ThePow...topic.php?t=17

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

With shots that crappy (sorry), I would be looking beyond the black powder.

When I am using a scoped gun and my groups aren't even consistent, I start suspecting the scope rings. Are they properly tightened? Did you use loctite on the screws? Were you able to bore sight the scope?

I am not familiar with BP inlines, but part of your problem could be similarto a problem I had with a Ruger 17HMR-the receiver was way out of alignment. I should have figured that out when I couldn't bore sight the scope. It took a trip to Ruger repair to get it fixed (which they only got partially right)

Best of luck.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Your right on on the alignment, It was off, I had a gunsmith install off set/adjustable rings on it. the only thing I had to do was after getting my scope back from being checked by Leuopold, was I ended up haveing to shim it under one end, I ran out of adjustment to get it on the paper. As for the screws, they are tight, everything on the mounts and all have all been double checked, like I said, with those "poor" shots, and don't be sorry, I agree, I'm seriously thinking of giving it up.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Frontier Gander, I will seriously consider your offer, and I thank you, and if I do, I will contact you. I will also reimburse you for anything you would do. It's the only honorable thing to do. Scott.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Still have open sights? Give those a try if you still have'em.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

For some reason, I just hate open sights, maybe I need to give them a retry.LOL. I couldn't do any worse right!

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

I would make a couple of changes...First, go to loose powder, I would start with Pyrodex R-S or Goex FFF if you can find it...Second, try another bullet, some guns just don't like PowerBelts...

Remember, you are handloading with a muzzleloader, every load needs to be consistant...That gun will shoot better than that, you just have to find the right combination...

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Have you tried any other projectiles other then the powerbelts? Perhaps your rifle does not like the power belts.

I personally would suspect that the rifle has some problems somewhere else. You could also try sending CVA a email and tell them of your problems and see what they suggest. Although they might tell you that 4" is acceptable. But I agree with you, acceptable to who. That's plenty good for deer shooting if you are sure the shots will hit in that 4" circle..

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Dave, I've tried others, one was the TC, I don't remember exactly which one, but it was worse than the powerbelts.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Sounds like a stock issue to me.

i could probably cut that 4" group in half if not more.

Hows the trigger?

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

trigger I like, seems crisp, no effort in firing at all. I'm not flinching, or I don't think so, I don't think it kicks all that much, esp. when compared to some of my other guns.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Get some Pyrodex Select, Load up 80 grains and dont buy those expensive mler primers, buy a box of either federal or CCI shotshell primers. All my CVA inlines that i had did the best with cci and federal.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Cayugad, I've always heard that these new inline ML are as accurate as modern rifles, esp. with the rifling, or suppose to be,, I've yet to believe that with the one I've got. Unless for some reason I have a lemon. I don't suppose there is a lemon law when it comes to ML's is there? LOL.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

I've tried Winchesters 209's primers and Remingtons one's that are esp. made for the ML's, and still it shoots the same.

also I sent you a pm

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

I have a Magbolt which is basically the same gun. I started out with the 295PB's and never could get them to shoot consistantly. I found the 348 HP PB's shot much more consistently, in fact I went from a 4 to 5" group down to sub 1" by switching from 100gr of pellets and a 295 to 100gr of loose and a 348.

If everything else is tight and lined up and your swabbing between shots and letting it cool down, that is where I would start, a different bullet. I now have many hundreds of rounds through mine and it has settled in such that I can shoot many different bullets with acceptable accuracy but the gun tended to favor heavier bullets for the longest time.

It sounds like your trigger is working for you, mine was a bit stiff so I used some powdered moly on the contact points of the trigger and worked that in. now it has maybe half the pull weight and breaks very nice.

As for the scope needing to be shimed, I tried that on one of my guns and didn't like the results. I ended up going with Burris Signature ringswith the offset inserts to get the scope lined up on paper before ever adjusting the crosshairs. Those rings have self centering inserts that will not mar the scope finish and will nottorque the scope tube. With the offset inserts you can adjust the scope to be on paper without moving the adjustment screws which leaves the full range of adjustablity once your on paper. I highly recommend them.

There may be other things going on but this gives you a few things to check before doing major work on the stock, etc. Good luck with it.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Firstlistento nchawkeye and dump the pelletsand go topowder. Also stop just using one type bullet. Next move over to the 50 yd. range and go back in powder charge. Start with 75 grs. and work up in 5 or10 gr. increments.

Now as tothe bullets.Get some different lead conical bullets ( Maxi Ball, Maxi Hunter, Hornaday Great Plains bullets and maybe someR.E.A.L bullets) andsabot bullets (Hornaday has someXTP saboted bullets as do Barnes expanders just to name a few) andexperiment.

I had a T/C Encore with blackpowder barrel that would only shoot thesaboted SST bullets. I mean nothing else would group out of that gun. I also had a NEF Sidekick and If I could stuff the kitchen sink down the barrel, it would shoot great groups. Everything I tried grouped nicely.

I endedup getting rid of the Encore and gota InvestArms Hawkins Carbine in .54 cal. only because my best buddy uses the Sidekick nowandhas harvested deer for the last four years. I can honestly say that everyBP gun I have owned, I had to work upa good load for it. But isn't that one of the best parts of having a smokepole??? ;)

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Ok, here's my plan, I'm gonna switch over to FFF, and get some differant projectiles, and do somemore testing. I'm also gonna set up a 75 yd target on my rifle range to shoot at first, then out to 100 if groups improve. So should I start at 75grains of FFF? I'm also gonna recheck the scope and mounting and triple check to make shur all is tight. Is there something I can check or do to see if there is a issue of interference with the stock and barrel? thanks again. Scott.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Their are some guns that just dont shoot Power belts well, Have you run the powder ladder? With PB I would start at 70 gr and go up to 90 in 10 gr increments if you feel you must use those overly expensive pellets try a 50 gr and a 30gr with the 30 on the bottom. I suspect your gun just dont like PB's it happens; you might try some Sabor Tooth bullets from harvestor, I personally think that type of bullet was out dated when they invented inlines. I have a set of different thickness sabots and a selection of different bullets I try in a new gun some of them always shoot 6 inch groups but almost always there will be a few that will shoot around an inch and when everything is right get a group under and inch. But you just can not force a muzzle loader to shoot some thing it dont like.
You will have to run the powder ladder with every thing. I even had to switch powders with my new Triumph it just dont like Pyrodex which is what I normally shoot have to use 777 in it but with 777 and a 50/40 200gr SW or a 250 gr Gold Dot it will hold an inch when I am shooting good and there very little wind.
Muzzle loaders take a little time and learning but when you get the hang of it its a lot of fun, Lee

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

My Omega shoots two types of bullets really well. They are the 300 gr Nosler Partition HG PP and the 340 gr DeadCenter by PR. Powerbelts shot like hell and if I could get a 4" group at 50 yds it would have been special. The XTP's, 250 Noslers and TC maxi Balls all shot poorly from my Omega.

The PR's with T7 pellets worked nicely and the 300 Noslers shot well with T7 loose.

So long story short........Experiment more. I've found a new home for the XTP's (with my Renegade)and the maxiballs and hunters are melting material for jig heads.;):D


edit: I forgot the SST's didn't do all that great either at 100 yds.

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Try a different bullet. I'm partial to the precision rifle dead centers but that's just me. I would definitely go with loose powder also. Good luck and let us know what you end up with. Greg

RE: Is it my shooting or something else?....
 

Frontier Gander has agood suggestion when he says to try using the open sights.

If you can get a consistent grouping (somewhere) on paper with the open sights that would definately point you toward the scope/scope rings. It might also eliminate a stock/receiver/projectile issue. But as others mentioned, I would try other projectile and propellant combos.

Set that target to 50 yards so it is nice and easy to sight in on with the open sights and see if you can get a consistent group.

You are bench shooting right, not firing from a standing position?

It sounds like you better pack a few sandwichesfor your next trip to the range, you might be there for a while! But there are worse things in life:)

Best of luck. It is frustrating when you have problems, but as I'm sure you know, that is how we learn.