Kirk.. if you're shooting maxiball out of a T/C Hawkins what I would do is start on a clean barrel.

Load some Pyrodex P ... about 70 grains. Put a wad between the powder and the flat bottom of that conical. If you have no wads, pour your powder, tap the butt of the rifle on your toe to level the load, then dump 20 grains of corn meal (tea spoon full)on top of the powder. Now seat that maxiball and try that. It should tighten up your groups.

The Pyrodex P is a hotter powder then RS and will get that conical moving faster up the bore of that barrel. The wad or corn meal will protect the bottom of the conical and also help so you don't get blow by in the charge..

There are other conicals out there to try as well.

kirk - having your Mr. Wakeman saying that he doubtsthe T/C 1:48 barrel would ever be a real tack driver is not a true statement. I've had a couple of these barrels that were extremely accurate. I have a 54 cal right now that will shoot cloverleaf clusters of PRBs at 50 yds without any trouble.
IMO most all MLs will be good shooters once you find the magic combination of powder and bullet. But to me that's part of the fun in shooting them.

there was actually allot more to that statement about that rifle never being a tack driver bro....we were talking a 100 yards using conicles...he said there are good shootingbarrels and bad shooting barrels designed for different kinds of rounds. the 1:66 with a longer barrel is going to shoot RB a lot better than a 28" barrel with a 1:48 generally. and a 1:28 is going to shoot a sabot with a hot load more accurately...But there are always exceptions to the rule....i can personally testify to this now...

all i know is that Randy Wakeman cut through all the BS and put me on track here...yesterday i went out and used pyrodex "P" , put a musket nozzle on the old girl, and dialed that thing into less than 3 inch groups at a hundred yards using iron sights...i did have a peep sight on the rear, which i shoot much more accurately with... i know many guys that cant shoot that kind of group with a high powered rifle with a scope.....i had that hawken sand bagged ant that is all i';m going to get out of her is 2-3" at a hundred yards using loose powder measures... itook the time to weigh every load plus or minus .05 grains, swabbed after Evey load, and used the set trigger....if i would have Benn using my old 300 sav i could have grouped a half inch hole....i took that much time with it....

I'm very pleased with the results....now that i have my "sweet load" which by the way Dave is just under 70 gr by volume of pyrodex "P" ....you hit that one perfectly.... i intend to burn another box of lead shooting off hand at 50 - 75 yards.... this will be my average shot in the jungle type area i hunt...there could be a rare cross canyon opportunity that i wanted the 100 yard option for a nice standing shot. I'd find me a tree or do a 3 point stance for that...but the conditions would have to be perfect....i'm an old archery hunter at heart, but i can shoot most anything pretty fair...

i still want to know what this corn meal thing is all about Dave...i'm not being sarcastic either...i'm really curious about this.....Kirk

Kirk - Sorry if I offended you. Wasn't meant that way. I am sure your source has had plenty of experieced with MLs. But, as with all gun writers, not everything they say is etched in stone.
Personnally, as had a lot of other guys in this forum, Ihave worked up loads for many a ML. And I have yet to find a GM or T/C barrel that was in good condition that I could not get to shoot well, if not exceptional.
I'm glad you found your rifle's sweet spot and wish you liuck on your future hunts.
ps: Like dave said - the corn meal or wad acts as a cushion protecting the base of the bullet and helping to prevent gas blow by for more consistant pressure - hence better accuracy.

You didn't offend me at all Bronko....i think you are seeing some bleed over of my frustration is all...i've always prided myself as being a pretty darn good marksman at most anything i shoot...these dad burn muzzle loaders will humble a guy right now....

regarding the wad thing....i could see where a flat bottom bullet could perform better using a wad, but these Hornady bullets have a concave bottom, that are designed to flair out as the powder goes off and fill the riflings....do you think using a wad will help this style of bullet too?

i tried a few wads the other day, and just saw one more thing that could screw up myself....how do you keep that wad from going sideways on you getting it down the barrel? i tried sticking it to the bottom of the bullet and still wasn't certain how it acctuall sat on the powder....

i understand now the evolution of centerfire cartriges....these muzzle loaders are a pain in the arse!

Nothing is ever certain in muzzle loading, but in my experance the wad will improve accuracy about 70% of the time in most guns.
I have to put a dry wad on the powder add enough corn meal the way I originally deceided how much was by putting a wad at the lower end of the QLA and filling it level to the top of the muzzle then put a greased wad on top of that, it works. But since I will be shooting the new Hornady bullet for a conical I can get minute of angle by dumping 100gr in and shoving the bullet down.

Well i've shot with the wad...and without it now...and honestly i couldn't see the difference myself...

i'll tell you one thing that DOES seriously concern me is the lubrication from these pre lubed bullets melting in hot weather and fouling the powder...the Horandy greese doesn't seem to melt quit as bad as the TC Bore butter does...THAT stuff is bad! in temps over 80 degrees it turns to liquid completely...i was out in 90 degree weather on sunday and opened up my squeeze tube, and it was about the same as 30 weight motor oil...i could just pour it out of the tube!

so tell me what happens when you got all the lube on a bullet and hunt all day in warm weather? i'm thinking this could be a bad scene here....elk walks out, and all you get is your cap going off and about half your powder....you think having a dry wad would soak up the bullet lube? i got half a notion to do a corn meal load, then a wad and bullet with no powder at all....let it sit all day, then pull the bullet just to see how much of that lube the wad soaked up....i supose i could do the same just putting a dry patch under the bullet and let her set....i'll bet those TC maxi balls would make a mess with all the lube they put on those things.... i'm seriously thinking good old bees wax might just be the best lube out there...you can leave that stuff out in hot weather and it gets pretty soft...but it doesn't liquify.......anyone need some TC Bore butter out there? i'll send it to you no problem....might have to use dry ice though....LOL!

thats why i like powerbelts. Nothing pisses you off worse than dropping a bullet and having to wipe dirt off the grease,deal with the grease period. Even the hornady great plains are messy.

Wish i could use em here in Oregon, i looked at them today... we have an "All lead bullet" requirement, side locks and iron sights only. those powerbelts have that plastic nozzle at the base making them illeagal to hunt with..no inlineseither for the muzzle loader seasons here, but you can use them in general season centerfire rifle season if you have balls enough to go out there and brave the crazy drunk road hunters....i quit high powered rifle hunting 20 years ago...too dangerous and too manyhunters out there in the woods...