Smokeless Frustrated-advice

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Smokeless
PickettSFHunter

PickettSFHunter

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I've never had this much trouble getting a ML to shoot. Traditions Vortek Strikerfire. I've tried 80,90, and 100 grains of BH209 with 290 gr Barnes T-EZ and 295 gr Powerbelts. I am swabbing dry patch between all shots. I literally can't get better than 4-6 inch groups at 75 yards with any of these combos. Very frustrated. I shot out of bullets today trying. I am using a lead sled. I was shooting great groups with a rifle right before this. Was thinking I would try different bullets now and maybe even try some 777 but I'm not so sure it isn't the dang gun.


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You might want to get this thread moved over to regular muzzle loaders instead of smokeless.may get more help
 
You have plastic residue build up in your lands and grooves. I would use some special plastic removal cleaners and scrub with brushes repeatedly. Then, try shooting again. ML are disposable weapons. I hate putting plastic in my barrel.
 
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Fairchaser may be onto something if you've shot it a bunch. I really don't understand how or why but it may take a good scrubbing to get it all out


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You get very little if any plastic with powerbelts unless you bore is rough, no knowledge with the vortec but cleaning never hurts and if too much powder it wont never group,start low work up til accuracy drops
 
I have ran a 50 cal wire brush through it. I noticed that Barnes paper in their bullets says to use 1:16 to 1:26 for 300 gr bullets. For others it says to use 1:16 to 1:34. My gun is a 1:28, so I picked up some 250 gr TMZ's to try.


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300gr copper bullets are usually pretty long. You may need to "spin" them faster. Only way to do that is use more powder or get a new barrel. When i shoot the Barnes 458 300gr SOCOM i start at 110gr of BH209 in a 1-28. That comes out to right around 1900fps.

A wire brush alone wont do much to sabot residue IF that is your issue. Personally i dont think that is the problem. I shoot some pretty hot loads and the only time ive seen it is if a sabot failed. Traditions have notoriously tight bores from what ive seen. You might want to try a Harvester black Crushrib with that 290gr TEZ bullet.
 
fairchaser":26d171xi said:
You have plastic residue build up in your lands and grooves. I would use some special plastic removal cleaners and scrub with brushes repeatedly. Then, try shooting again. ML are disposable weapons. I hate putting plastic in my barrel.
Click to expand...
thats what it sounds like to me also ,asfar as getting the sabbot out of the rifeling go get some acetone at lowes and it will remove it and it will not harm barrel
 
Well guys here's how it went this morning. I put in 90gr BH209 and a 250gr TMZ, shot two 3 shot groups at 2-2.5 inches @75 yards. Big improvement over yesterday. Then I loaded 100 gr of Pyrodex pellets with the 250 gr TMZ and shot several 3 shot groups at 1-1.5 inches at 75 yards. I can't explain it but the pellets are shooting much better. I'm using a volume charge tube from BH and eyeballing it for my volume charges. I don't know but I at least feel comfortable heading to the woods Saturday now. No more time to work on it between now and then so I'm going with Pyrodex and resuming tests next year I guess. Yes the bore on my gun is extremely tight, to the point it's a pain in the rear. If the rifle didn't fit me so well, handle so well, and have an AMAZING trigger, I would have thrown it in the lake by now! I am most definitely going to a thinner sabot next year!


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Just remember Pyrodex is VERY corrosive and needs to be cleaned with a water based cleaner. DONT USE HOPPES #9 for cleaning Pyrodex.

I'm using a volume charge tube from BH and eyeballing it for my volume charges
Click to expand...

That is probably a huge part of your problem with getting accuracy and BH209. Weigh it or get a decent powder measure. They are only about $15 at Cabelas, BP or nearly any shop that has ML supplies.

BTW that 2 pellet load is a dog when it comes to fps and tipped Barnes like the TEZ/TMZ have been know for sub par expansion with light loads. Keep your shots close or risk poor expansion. Switch to the Expander MZ or XPB bullets for better expansion. Those tipped Barnes wont do you a bit of good at closer ranges. BC is basically meaningless at 100 yards.
 

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