txhunter58A

It’s hardly ever just one thing. If it has been the sights all along, you would have gotten good groupings, but they would have been not in the bullseye. You were not getting good groups, so wasn’t all the sights fault.

What amount of powder are you using now?

jnicholes

Good point. I didn’t think of that.

I’m using 90 grains now. When I used 70 grains, my grouping was terrible. When I started using 90 a few days ago, my grouping started to improve. Wasn’t dead center, though. I think that part was the sight.

Now that I think about it, there’s one detail I failed to mention. My grouping has been reasonably good with 90 grains, but it has not been dead center. Sometimes, it even misses the target completely and hits a different part of the board.

I’m going to do further tests and see if the problem is resolved. I will keep you and everyone else updated.

txhunter58A

I would drop to 75 gr and try 3 shots, then 80 gr and try 3 shots, then 85 and try 3 shots:

clean between each shot!!!

that is how I experiment with each new gun, bullet, and powder I try. Maybe you can get even better groups with 75,80, or 85 and use less powder (less expensive!)

it is not unusual for the group to move significantly with each change. That explains why the group moved to the left when you went from 70 to 90 gr. Don’t worry about moving your sights until you decide for sure on how much powder you will use to hunt with. Then move your sights.

txhunter58A

Let’s review on what you have learned so far:

70 gr powder doesn’t work for this gun.

90 works much better but you still don’t know if that is this guns sweet spot. You need to experiment some more

center the ball in the patch (not sure that was a major problem)

clean between each shot. I use a wet patch followed by a dry patch

changing amount of powder changes your POI (point of impact). Any time you change the amount, you will have to adjust the sights.

Always experiment at 25-30 yds. Don’t move back until you have the best accuracy you can get, then change your sights for longer distances.

txhunter58A

To be clear:

when I work up a new load at 25 yards, I DONT CARE where the bullets are hitting in relationship to the bullseye, just whether they are close together. ONLY after I decide which load is most accurate do I adjust the sights and move to longer ranges.

Semisane

And THAT my friend, is the correct way to do it. Frankly, when shooting from the bench at 25 yards, if you are not getting five shots into a center-to-center group of 1-1/4" or less you need to continue with load development.

Also, unless I missed it, I haven't seen any mention of the type/amount of lube being used. Once you get the best accuracy you can with load adjustment using your current ball/patch combination, it's time to experiment a bit with lube. Some of my guns like a fairly damp patch. Others shine with the dry patch method.

jnicholes

Apologies for not posting for days. A family emergency came up and I needed to make a trip to Spokane, WA. I am back now.

I’ve been thinking about what you said, about how you don’t care where the bullets hit in relationship to the bullseye, and all that matters is how close together they are.

Question, why is that? I was under the impression that you needed to be accurate on the bullseye as well as have good grouping. Was I wrong?

I am going out today, and I’ll report how it goes.

Jared

Oldtimr

I shoot 90 grns of black powder in my 50 cal flintlock and it is not too much, it is just right. It is not necessary to swab between shots either. I used to take my flintlock to youth conservation camp annually and teach the kids how to shoot flintlocks along with another guy. We loaded down to 70 grains for the kids and i really made little difference in accuracy and we would have as many as 6 different kiids shooting before we ran a swab through the barrel. Muzzlel loaders are not a one size fits all, you must find what the rifle likes and stick with it, there are no absolutes.

Oldtimr

You are correct! it matters not if you have a one inch group if it is 6 inches from your aiming point which is the bullseye. The whole point of the bullseye is to provide an aiming point and it does for sure matter where the bullets hit the target.

txhunter58A

Fact: whenever you change something (powder, bullet, even primers), your point of impact will change.

ALL you are looking for when you change powder amounts or try a new bullet is how close the bullets are to each other. That is accuracy. At this stage accuracy has nothing to do with how close to the bullseye they hit, only how close the bullets are to each other.

So I shoot 3 shot groups with each change. Each group will be all over the paper because of the above fact: you changed something. What you are looking for is that three shot group that is smallest. The smallest group is the “sweet spot” for your gun. It is the most accurate load that you have tried so far

Now that you have found an accurate load, NOW you change the sights so it hits the bullseye! THEN you move back to 50 and 100 yards. You usually will have to tweak the sights a little more. Only then, are you ready to go shoot something!