shot some round balls from my TC Greyhawk today for the first time, I started out with 80 gr. 2f goex .15 prelubed patch and .530 ball. shooting 50yds my group was about 4 inches, not good. Tried a different patch an old cotton patch that I lubed with CVA patch grease, stuff is probably 20 years old. Powder and rest of load the same only now I had a group size less than an inch. I never would have guessed that the patch could make that much difference. Anyone ever have this happen to them? Something so small make such a difference.

yeah i used bore butter, wonderlube, crisco and each one my patches were shredded and my group suffered. I used birchwood casey barricade, sprayed down the patches until they didnt soak up any more, squeezed out the excess and the patches came out of the barrel perfect, almost could reuse them again, groups shrunk greatly too.

Its always the small things

Yes I discovered that patches, lubes, almost anything will make a difference.

All of the variables make a difference to some extent - patch, lube, seating pressure, bore condition (wipe/no wipe), powder (type & volume), trigger control, sight picture, how the gun is held (tight/loose/straight/canted), shooter's condition (relaxed/up tight), etc., etc. It's a damn wonder we ever get good groups.

Yep, that's typical...