So here is the deal...

[CliffordN]

A few years back, my TC 50 cal was about as accurate as could be, using three pellets and Shockwave 250 grain projectiles. Then MS changed the regulations for the primitive season, and most of us switched over to using modern centerfire rifles. The 35 Whelen option was just too tempting...
My move to Nashville opened up the world of using the muzzleloader again. So I drug the front loader out of mothballs, and went to the range last year, where I discovered that I couldn't get six inch groups out of the same set up, using fresh pellets. When I addressed this here last year several people caught the part where I mentioned using bore butter on the sabots...
I could not remember if I had included it in my shot regimen before. But my thought process had been making the loading process easier, seasoning the bore, etc... And I never got back to the range after reading those comments, because regular firearms season opened, and I put the other barrle back on.
The barrel has been meticulously cleaned after every use, and has probably had less than 50 rounds through it over the entire lifetime...
Could the bore butter really be causing the total loss of accuracy? And will the sabots actually load readily without using it? I would like to feel more confident that I could hit the vitals of a whitetail at more than about 50 yards again...
And it is time to hit the range once more.

 

[Bell3wv]

A few years back, my TC 50 cal was about as accurate as could be, using three pellets and Shockwave 250 grain projectiles. Then MS changed the regulations for the primitive season, and most of us switched over to using modern centerfire rifles. The 35 Whelen option was just too tempting...
My move to Nashville opened up the world of using the muzzleloader again. So I drug the front loader out of mothballs, and went to the range last year, where I discovered that I couldn't get six inch groups out of the same set up, using fresh pellets. When I addressed this here last year several people caught the part where I mentioned using bore butter on the sabots...
I could not remember if I had included it in my shot regimen before. But my thought process had been making the loading process easier, seasoning the bore, etc... And I never got back to the range after reading those comments, because regular firearms season opened, and I put the other barrle back on.
The barrel has been meticulously cleaned after every use, and has probably had less than 50 rounds through it over the entire lifetime...
Could the bore butter really be causing the total loss of accuracy? And will the sabots actually load readily without using it? I would like to feel more confident that I could hit the vitals of a whitetail at more than about 50 yards again...
And it is time to hit the range once more.

It's ok to swab the barrel with a lil bit but don't put it on your sabot. If it's still shooting all wonky check your scope.

 

[Harold Money jr]

A few years ago I had a new accura mr that wouldn't group for anything near hunting accuracy. Some great folks on here suggested I try some different sabots, harvester crush rib sabots specifically. I was very sceptical but, I tried them and they loaded so easily my little boy could push em down the barrel. They were wonderfully accurate as well. I had sworn by knight sabots before and the shot awesome in my tc guns but, like pie plate groups at 100yds in the CVA. Sabots believe it or not can make a huge difference. As far as the bore butter I've used it religiously for the past 30 years but, I've not used it like you are as a bullet lube. I've used it as a protectant in the barrel after cleaning while the barrel is still hot. My Muzzleloaders load easier with it in my barrels and the fouling comes off much easier when cleaning after shooting.

 

[Remi]

Ditch the bore butter and clean it good. You probably have "seasoning" build up in the rifling.



My Encore went to pot a few years ago after always being accurate. I plugged the bore, filled it with acetone and let it sit for 24hrs. When I pulled the plug there was a nice ball of plastic that came out of the barrel and accuracy returned.


Harvester crush rib sabots are excellent.

 

[mike243]

I only used the bore butter for storing, always a dry clean barrel for hunting . crud ring is real though. BH is $$$ but probably worth it

 

[CliffordN]

Ditch the bore butter and clean it good. You probably have "seasoning" build up in the rifling.



My Encore went to pot a few years ago after always being accurate. I plugged the bore, filled it with acetone and let it sit for 24hrs. When I pulled the plug there was a nice ball of plastic that came out of the barrel and accuracy returned.


Harvester crush rib sabots are excellent.

That sounds credible... It sure can't hurt to try it... Someone else mentioned the scope. Hadn't really thought about that, but it will be harder to determine if that is the problem...

 

[Remi]

Could definitely be the scope but I'd clean it really good, ditch the bore butter and retest for accuracy. If accuracy is back then it was junk in the rifling Like I had with plastic. If accuracy doesn't return I'd look at trading scopes. I thought my scope went bad but before I pulled it I did the acetone soak.

I had a friend go round and round with one, bad scope, etc etc. His turned out to be a leaded bore from TC maxiballs. Once the lead was removed accuracy returned.

My muzzleloader barrels aren't made by Lodge cast iron so I can't see them seasoning. Gunk builds up in the lands and grooves just like on cast iron pans and pretty soon you don't have enough engagement to promote accuracy.

 

[CliffordN]

I looked up the Harvester Crush Rib, and found that they offer a 260 grain projectile/sabot combo. Has anyone tried those? I am trying to keep this simple, but open to options if there is an easier way to go...

 

[Remi]

I looked up the Harvester Crush Rib, and found that they offer a 260 grain projectile/sabot combo. Has anyone tried those? I am trying to keep this simple, but open to options if there is an easier way to go...

I've only shot the 300gr Scorpion PT Gold. It's an excellent bullet. I would imagine the 260 is just as good.


Here is a test if the 260: https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/260-grain-pt-gold.27122/


300gr test: https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/300g-pt-gold.35388/

 

[CliffordN]

Expanding the information and options... I just saw that I have two different TC combos here. One is the yellow saboted and tipped projectile, the other is black saboted with a blue tipped bonded projectile, which I recall was much harder to load and may have led to the use of the bore butter or buying the yellow ones. The yellow ones are also labeled controlled expansion. It has been a while, and this stuff was all packed up last year from the move, and recently drug out... So, I am starting from scratch trying to get back to where I was a dozen years ago up in Illinois. My memory is good, but not that good.

 

[CliffordN]

I'm not against dropping back to two pellets either, because accuracy counts more than trajectory since I hunt in the woods. A long shot to me is 100 yards...

 

[Harold Money jr]

I generally buy the sabots and bullets separate, it's ALOT cheaper and you can custom match them. I'm an XTP man myself. I've killed with everything from .44 180gr-.45 300gr which is what I prefer now. The 240gr .44's never let me down one time, I just wanted to experiment. All of this was 90 grains/volume pyrodex fffg and 777 fffg. I used 63gr/weight of buckhorn and got the same performance. So your 2 pellet thought and the 260gr would be consistent with my results.

 

[THE DUKE]

I buy Barnes bullets and harvester crushed sabots separate.

 

[41Magnum]

It may be a buildup of plastic from the sabots. If so I used Barnes CR-10 and a bronze brush on a friend of mine's CVA Optima and it restored his accuracy. My .02

I also use Harvester Sabots in mine. Easy to load and accurate.

 

[square]

I had that problem a few years back that turned out to be a damaged crown on the barrel.

 

[MUP]

I've brushed out a CVA Kodiak Magnum before after years of use when the accuracy fell off. It came back in to decent accuracy after that. Plastic fouling that I scrubbed out with a bronze brush. Oh, and as others have said, I wouldn't be using any lubricant on a sabot, and bore butter for long term storage only.

 

[LanceS4803]

A few years ago I had a new accura mr that wouldn't group for anything near hunting accuracy. Some great folks on here suggested I try some different sabots, harvester crush rib sabots specifically.

I'd grab a pack of red and a pack of black. (One fits a little tighter.)
They are cheap and having both at the range will let you try them out side-by-side. My Vortek prefers black, while the Knight likes the red.

 

[Harold Money jr]

I'd grab a pack of red and a pack of black. (One fits a little tighter.)
They are cheap and having both at the range will let you try them out side-by-side. My Vortek prefers black, while the Knight likes the red.

The black sabots shoot 1" groups at 100yds out of the accura, I didn't consider the reds because they were a biatch to load.

 

[LanceS4803]

The black sabots shoot 1" groups at 100yds out of the accura, I didn't consider the reds because they were a biatch to load.

Tough to be that accuracy.

 

[Bell3wv]

It's ok to swab the barrel with a lil bit but don't put it on your sabot. If it's still shooting all wonky check your scope.

If that doesn't work send pics of the Thompson, someone will buy that hunk o junk In all my years I've never seen anyone throw a TC or Knight over the hill for not being accurate.