Wow didnt think it matterd this much

[Boar]

I went to range today to site in my ML after puting on a peep an new fiber optic on the front site, now i usually always suck a patch an swab the barrel after each shot an fire a primer to dry the barrrel, I had four shots an was getting dial in at 50 yard before moving to a hundy, but on the fifht shot I was 8 inches to left an 4 inches low an the bullet left an impression in the target of a perfect silloette like it was standing on end an went thru the paper. It was tumbling. I forgot to swab the barrel. I was told form the begging to swab the barel an fire a primer wen siteing in, cause its eaasier to load an the fouling can effect accuracy, wholy smokes, this much? wow. I swabed the barrel before the next shot an was back in the group. Just didnt figure that it would only take one missed swabing to effect acurracy. I guesse I have to do it afeild to after a shot. Anyone else experience this?

[Archerysniper]

Boar we you reusing a sabot? It sounds like you had a sabot malfunction causing it to tumble.

[Boar]

Nope all my sabot's are new, I can agree tho that it seems odd but dont know wat else that could cause something like that unless the sabot was deformed and I didnt catch it.

[Random guy]

I had one type of sabot that would do that. Had to clean every couple shots or they would go wild. All others would be fine.

[Boar]

Hmmm got me thinking jonny, I did hae some black ones from a different package, if they got mixed in the number of pettles might be different which coulda causeed it, gonna check.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Boar, I had the same thing happen last weekend while shootin in my T/C Encore. I intentionally didn't clean the barrel or do anything just to see what would happen after a few shots. The 3rd round did exactly as yours did, hit the target tumbling! The 4th shot however was right back on straight. Shooting T/C Shockwaves w/150gr. powder. So Is it good practice to swab the barrel out every time, I would say yes. IN the event I would shoot more that 2 shots in the field on any given day I would definitly make provisions to take some patches along to clean the barrel out a little otherwise I wouldn't worry till I got home to clean it back up! Good luck!

[Random guy]

LOL now the T/C Shockwaves are the one I swear don't require as much cleaning. Goes to show you how every gun is different. Now power belts, I need to clean the gun every shot then the deer after they blow up and fragment all over.

[Moose-Hunter]

The other factor that causes erratic behavior is overpowering. Too large of a charge can do exactly what's being described. As well as projectile design, sabot design and bore fit.... The list goes on.

I have yet to find ANY pre-packaged bullet/sabot combination that is any where near consistent. Thompson make a great muzzle loader but couldn't make ammo to save their lives! Of the all shockwaves I purchased, not one package had the correct combination of bullet/sabot to fit my .50cal Encore. Some had the wrong caliber bullet, some the wrong sabot. Combinations that are both no where near accurate but quite dangerous! Yet all were labeled as being for my .50 caliber.

The only way I've found to have both effective and reliable performance is to go beyond "normal" pre-packaged rounds and make my own. If you're running a .45 caliber gun, you're limited a little bit. But with the .50... The sky is the limit. Rifle bullets, handgun bullets, balls, shaped lead rounds....

Using a sabot of the correct outside diameter then matching the inside diameter with the round you want to try. For example, the two rounds I like in my Encore, one uses a.44 caliber handgun bullet, the other a bullet originally used in a .450 Bushmaster AR styled rifle. One pushed by (2) 50 grain pellets, the other 90 grains of loose powder. Both use the correct Harvester sabot. Both are laser beam, REPEATABLE loads. Yet neither use a maximum charge.

Double and triple check all your components. Inside and outside diameters of your sabots. Also, if you can, mic the actual outside diameter of your bullets. Do they match the inside diameter of the sabots? If all appears correct, down size you charge and see if that changes anything. Good or bad. The difference of 150 to 200 feet per second isn't going to change the result if your shot is accurate. The deer will be just as dead.

[Boar]

Thats interesting nama, cause I have been shooting 150 grains of pellets an 200 grain tc shockwaves for 3 years now, an this is the first time anything has happened like this. Moos thats great info, thanks, I think Im gonna look into some other amo after this season. Ive never incountered this problem before an pretty confident that as long as I keep things clean I'll be ok, but that kinda explains why i missed a nice buck last year at 75 yardswide an to right saw the bulet hit the dirt. crud, no time or money to mess with thing now gona just keep thing clean, ya know Im running 150 grain pwoder an 200 grain shockwaves is the bullet to light for that charge maybe? Again its the only time ive eever encountered this on the paper.

[flipper]

Sounds like too hot a load to me.

[Boar]

Yup I thinks so too, been talking too others an wat moose said too large a charge could do it. Gonna drop to 2 pellets stick with the 200 grain for this year but go up heavier on the bullet next year Thnaks for the help guys.

[lakevet]

Boar,

We have shot a lot of deer, A LOT with 80 to 100 grains of loose powder. Good to 100 yards, even on deer over 200 lb dressed. None of us ever had bullet tumble issues, even the round ball shooters

And who wants to be spitting and swabbing at -20 below.

Boar, if you freeze yer mouth parts to the barrel trying to thaw the wet patch that froze to the muzzle, be sure to post a picture

lakevet

[swamptiger]

Quote:

Sounds like too hot a load to me.

+1.

If your getting wild hits after just a few rounds, you're probably fouling the barrel, and not utilizing the charge anyway. Go back to using loose powder, and work up the proper charge for the bullet.

[Boar]

Lol Yea Im sure picture time will be the first thing i think of doing with my lip stuck to the barrel.

wel I went to the range today an drop my pellets down to 2, an not one tumbler. The fisrt sesion ended when i started this post at 50 yards an on the money with 3 pellets, but i had that thumbler.

So I decided today that I'd go to 75 an see where it was hiting with 2 pellets, 6 inches low with 2 shots. so I cranked it up an put two shots 4 inches high an a little right.

So i went over to a hundy to see where it was hitting from 75 at 4 inches high. Boy thats tuff stuff right there when the front site covers the target. but 6 shots later i was inside the ten ring with two shots an all six were in the small dinner plate. so i think I'm pretty good for a hundy. And no tumblers, totaly feel it was over charged for the bullet size. next year tho i feel i will go up a little in bullet size. Thanks for your guyzes inputs. Later boar

[lakevet]

Boar,

You can get fine bead front sights from Williams sight company. Or file 'em down. But have to give up the fiber glo stuff to get a good long range front bead.

Get a life size deer target, or a dead deer and set er up at a hundred yards. See how much of the chest the front bead covers. Good poor man's range estimator if you are good at judging deer ages. Kinda like using how much your shotgun barrel covers on a duck.

See boar, now you gotta go shoot some more!

Have fun!

lakevet

[Boar]

A dead deer huh, think I'll stick with the target. Wat i had done with my front sit is put in a green fiber optic from a bow site which is a smaller in diamerter an it dsent give off the starburst efect, u can actually see the mettel circle housing that supports it but still is sufficient, plenty of glow. Thanks vet

[Black_Bay]

A dead deer huh, think I'll stick with the target. Wat i had done with my front sit is put in a green fiber optic from a bow site which is a smaller in diamerter an it dsent give off the starburst efect, u can actually see the mettel circle housing that supports it but still is sufficient, plenty of glow. Thanks vet

I think he was just saying to see how much your sights cover a real deer at 100 yards. He didn't say us it for target practice.

[Boar]

Thats why i put in the wink

[Archerysniper]

Bring it on down and you can check your sight on my pet deer at diffrent ranges Just bring some treats or she get's crabby.

[Boar]

HeHe I'll raid my kids halloween bag an... wait already did that.

[swamptiger]

Quote:

I think he was just saying to see how much your sights cover a real deer at 100 yards. He didn't say us it for target practice.

Not a problem if you use a 6 o'clock sight picture - works great with open sights once you get used to shooting that way. I really like the fiber optic sights for low light conditions.

[lakevet]

A dead deer huh, think I'll stick with the target.

I thought you liked hamburger

lakevet

[Boar]

lol!

[Gordie]

I went with the Williams glow sites on my muzzy and they are real small in diameter but it really does make a difference down range I seem to hold a tighter group and I have taken a deer at 150 yards with it with no worry's the gun can get the job done.

I have also shot up to 5 times with out cleaning between shots with out any accuracy differences to speak of,but I have found that once I had a case of weak/old powder and couldn't figure out what was going on so I went to new pyro-dex pellets and problem solved. The old powder was a Shockey Gold and was not impressed.