About every muzzleloader I have had and thats been 4 have changed POI at 100yards and 150yards after taking out of the stocks and cleaning them. Does anyone else see this. I have a T/C hawken, Knight disc elite, knight wolverine, and traditions sidelock. I can't seem to keep them assembled (in stock) and get a good cleaning. The POI change is only like 2"-3", but its more than I want.

I have noticed with my Wolverine that one time it will shoot dead one, and then after I remove it from the stock and clean it, it might shoot 3/4 inch to the right. I never even considered the stock as the cause. I always figured it was just me... I feel much better now bigcountry..

Never experienced that...I shoot a .45, .50, or .54cal TC Hawken flintlock at the range almost every Saturday year round, pull the barrels for cleaning every time, accuracy never changes.

Sights are fixed on the barrel in relationship to the bore.
Doesn't matter if the barrel lays in it's bed .010" off from where it was last week...sights are still in the same place on the barrel with respect to the bore.

And big, thick strong barrels like TC's don't "bend" if there's an ounce difference in pressure on one side compared to the previous week.

Same principle on Remington's cantilever scoped rifled slug barrel for the 1187...take the barrel off for cleaning...scope is still attached to the barrel...put it back on and POI stays the same

Yes. That's the reason my stocks get removed only after the season is over. The only guns that don't get that treatment are a sidelock and my ML shotgun. After the season is over I'll remove the stocks and clean them fully and oil them well. After another 6 months (early summer) I'll do it again and that's it until after the season. I just see no reason to risk it. Just another reason I love stainless steel. I haven't had a problem yet with this method.

big are you making sure everything is the same? The tension on the screws is key to getting consistent accuracy. Next time you tighten everything up make marks on the screws and their mating surfaces (the stock, the trigger assembly etc) and you shouldnt see any appreciable difference. A difference of 2"-3" IS excessive if you ask me. My old Wolverine wouldnt shift one iota and that included my removal of the scope. But I always returned the screws too exactly the same point each time and my scope was mounted with a quality Warne quick detachable system.

I wouldnt want to do the same "complete dis-assembly" of my centerfires and expect them to return to zero. But the much larger, less stressed and more forgiving components in the modern in-line should allow you to do such. Afterall you MUST dis-assemble them to properly clean them. (Unless you have an Encore or Omega!)

Good luck,
RA

Something to consider is that mosture affects wood stocks and if the barrel is lying on the wood then as the wood swells and shrinks it places pressure on the barrel affecting point of impact. Though I have not noticed it on my Hawken I have seen this on some of my center fire rifles. A lot depends on the finish on the stock and on the realtive humidity.

That is why most rifles have floating barrel. I have not checked my Hawken yet to see if the barrel is floating or not yet.

Eric

Well, it makes sense to me. Just wondering how many other people experience it. If I take my benchrest rifle (1" OD Kreiger barrel 300RUM) and take the action out of my H-S Precision stock and put back in and torque the front allen screw to 32 in/lbs, yes my POI will be off usually. It has to do with the harmonics changing and barrel whip roundball. Its hard to tell with my hawkin cause it only gets 2"-3" groups at 50 yards, not near like my elite getting <2MOA at 150 or 200 yards. Easier to tell with the elite and wolverine.

I guess my point I was trying to make is, a ML usually has to be taken apart to get a good cleaning, and be mindful that when you put it back, you might not be able to make that 150 or 200 yard shot, you did at the range.