I have been shooting a 45cal Blk diamond for 8 years. I have shot a number of different powders (pyrodex, goex black powder, T7, and BH209) and tried different primers, including variflame by Precision Rifle. Just to give an example shot last saturday with BH209 and Fed 209A primers. After shooting, I cleaned w/ Hoppes # 9 and then a patch of Balistol. Also thoroughly cleaned breech plug (removed). When I shoot next (today) I first clean with alcohol and then dry patches. The first two shot are almost always 5 inches to the left and 4 inches down at 100 yards. After that I can usually shoot consistent groups around an inch and half right at the bull.

I clean the guns religiously and hate not to do it immediately after shooting. When hunting I always shoot the bullet even if hunting the next day. I don't like to leave the powder in the barrel. That is my question when applying to hunting, without shooting the gun the morning of the hunt is there any ideas that I am missing. I have tried shooting primers as well to no avail.

Interestingly enough, my .50 cal Encore is not like this at all. The first shot is right in the group and everything else as far as cleaning is the same procedure as the .45cal blk diamond. I can't figure it out.

I just recently found this sight and enjoy reading many posts with valuable information.

Thanks for any help.

Welcome to the site. I believe you're explaining about a fowled barrel for the accuracy. I have heard of fowled VS clean barrel but that is a little extreme. That far off from the rest of the group sounds like a lot. Still all rifles are different.

I really do not know what to tell you. I have a few rifles that are a little bit off on fowled VS clean, but nothing as drastic as you describe. If you get a chance, try this.. load the rifle on a clean barrel and then take a patch and put a small amount of bore butter on it, and swab down to the projectile and then shoot it. See if that does not bring the shot into the group. I have heard of it working for others. Whether it will work for you, who knows, but it is worth a try.

Welcome BD45. I was thinking exactly the same as Cayugad. That's an extreme difference. Doesn't seem to be anything you are causing, since you don't have that happening with the Encore. I think Dave's bore butter suggestion has the best chance for success.

I believe that's a bit to extreme for fouling the barrel, but if you are taking the gun down to clean it you could be having a problem with not getting the recoil lugs seated all the way back in the direction it recoils in , if taking the scope off make sure it also is seated all the way toward the but of the gun and be sure you have the same tension on the screws; some guns are more touchy to these things than others and some have enough better design that they don't show it. Lee

Thanks for the help. As for taking the gun down, when keeping records for this problem I only clean the barrel and breech. I do not touch the scope and leave everything else alone until the end of the season. As for these flyers my first indication was perhaps using hoppes #9 after shooting BH209, but that doesn't hold true with my encore. So I am not sure what the problem might be. I will say that the gun has always shot quite well after those one or two shots. I am certainly not a great shooter but have shot some real good groups recently with BH209.

Funny indeed.

If the bore butter idea does not work, and you are shooting BH 209, you could foul the barrel and hunt with it that way. Or, foul, hunt and then clean each day.

Like most of the other guys stated this is a big difference. If the bore butter trick doesn't work, the only alternative you have is to sight in with a clean barrel. It would be nice if you had someone to help you.
Shoot the first shot out of the clean barrel being extremely careful your sight picture was correct. Then with you holding the rifle steady on the rest with the crosshairs on the bull, have your friend adjust the crosshairs to the bullet hole without you moving the rifle. Now, give it a good cleaing. The same as you would at home.
Try the shot again. Hopefully it will be on target.Normally we only get one shot. So why go through the hassle of fouling a bore nad worrying about corrosion when we can shoot from a clean barrel with good results?
Hope you get this problem resolved.