Free: Contests & Raffles.
Got some good shots with the scope at 100 yards.Feeling satisfied that the rifle and load were good, I removed the scope to try the NECG peep site at the 25 yard mark for the first time! I also gave the bore a good swabbing (just patches and windex, no brush).
My first shot was encouraging, considering I've never used this site. But since it's Sabotloader's site, I figured it would be pretty close. Second shot made two holes. One was the sabot I guess. I didn't swab between any of the shots. First and last shot are through the same hole.
Ever see so many keyholes? It was a hot day and what was weird was that the hotter the barrel got, the harder it was to start the bullet, but the easier it went down after starting. I don't get it; what could cause this?My 100 yard target is below.120 grains 777Barnes Spitfire TMZ 290s
I am glad you got some good shots in with the scope on... but now I am wondering why you might have run a windex patch if you had not been running them and was having success... and just so you know I run a patch after every shot just to be sure that the bore is in the same condition from shot to shot. Actually at the range I use the same patch over and over until it dries out.
It certainly is possible that the sabot may have traveled 25 yards, but if it did I would suspect a much larger hole through a paper target. My sabots are normally off and on the ground by 15 yards or there about.
I hate key-holes. Key-holes normally occur because the bullet never reach stabilization. The powder load certainly should produce the velocity you would need to spin the bullet to stabilization... IF the bullet did not slip it's way up the bore or the sabot and bullet road up the bore correctly.
I am curious which color sabot you may have been using?.
Barnes sabot are made by MMP, they use the 3 basic models of MMP - the HPH-3p-EZ load, the HPH-24, and the HPH-12, with the 12 being the thickest - BUT they have a contract with MMP to build then sabots molded for a 'Boat Tail' bullets + plus they contract for flat based sabots also.
I would bet... you were shooting in +75* temps and the barrel was a bit warm... The tightness at the crown of the barrel was probably a bit of a build up of fouling, especially if you were not patching. The crown of the barrel cools quicker than any place else along the bore and traps the fouling easier.Did you notice... while you were pushing the sabot in, I would bet that the petals were stretching and even distorting as they went through the crown. Combine that with the heat of the barrel it is highly likely that the sabot could not grab the lands of the bore - so rotation speed required for stabilization did not occur before the bullet was lunched out of the bore.
I personally do not have the patience to wait for the bore to cool - so I avoid shooting in warm weather or when I do I get what I get...
Hey Sabotloader,Thanks again for taking time to help me out. Without you I may have pulled out my 30-06 and swore off muzzleloaders as a bad idea.Quote from: Sabotloader on July 03, 2013, 06:05:05 PMI am glad you got some good shots in with the scope on... but now I am wondering why you might have run a windex patch if you had not been running them and was having success... and just so you know I run a patch after every shot just to be sure that the bore is in the same condition from shot to shot. Actually at the range I use the same patch over and over until it dries out.I'd decided to run the patch to keep the bore clean, as the last time I was at the range my accuracy went downhill as I kept shooting. Plus that's what I thought you did. I'd decided that keeping the bore clean....but not too clean was the answer.