nchawkeye

Last night after shooting the Optima, I decided to check my Knight as well...I let the fellow that owns the Optima use it last year on a few hunts with me while I used my flintlock...

Now, here is the interesting part...I had her sighted in at 100 yards with 80grs of FFF Goex and the regular Harvester green sabots and .430 Hornady .300gr STPs...I decided to move the group up 2 inches so I made that adjustment and shot a 5 shot group...I ended up with about a 4 inch group with two shots on top of each other but a inch and a half to the left...Time was running out, so I quit for the evening...

I went back this evening, shot 3 more shots with 80grs and just wasn't happy with the group...I lowered the charge to 75grs, not better...I went up to 85 and the dang thing tightened right up...

Here is the question...Why in the heck does that gun prefer 85grs this year and 80grs last year??? Inflation...

Have any of you guys ever seen a gun do this??? I'm using the same powder, bullet, sabots and 209 primers...

The only thing I could venture to guess is maybe it's from a different can of powder...I did refill yesterday and the powder I started with had been in the gun case while the other can had been in my gun cabinet in the house...Other than that, I don't know...

On another front...I may not be able to shoot open sights anymore... I had cateract surgery in July and that really takes away your up close vision...I'm very lucky because after wearing glasses or contacts for almost 50 years, I now have 20/20 vision, except for the reading thing...

I shot my .54 flintlock 5-6 times and simply didn't do well...I'm going to continue to work with her but right now I'd be uncomfortable taking a shot at a deer...Oh well, I guess I'll convert to the inlines totally now...

cayugad

It could be the powder and maybe the change in your vision. Hard to say. But I have had rifles do the same thing. What worked one year, took a little more/less the next year to make the same group. One reason I test my rifles so much.

nchawkeye

I just reread my post and realize I didn't mention that the Knight wears a Leupold 3x9x40 scope, so my vision shouldn't be a problem with her...I'm just hoping it's like you said, she needed a little tweeking to get her perfect...