Accuracy Tips

[Legnip]

With the wealth of knowledge out there, I would like to hear some of your rituals or tips for making sure that you get the most accuracy out of your one shot smoke pole. Here is my tip.

Tip #1: Thou shalt foul thy barrel.

I've heard folks recommend shooting 3 caps, but I would recommend dropping a 50 grain pellet in the barrel and fire it into the air. Do not load a bullet and do this! This does a couple things. Now your barrel is just as dirty as when you last sighted it in. A clean barrel is a loose barrel and will scatter your first shot. Have you ever wondered why you've missed an easy shot on opening morning?

Good Luck!

[SoIll Dawg]

I have heard to "foul the barrel" before, but when I did it my barrel started to rust by the end of the 3 day hunting weekend.

Plus, the bullets are harder to load in a barrel that has residual gunpowder.

What am I missing?

[prohunter]

Im not with you guys on this, i want my barrel clean when take that shot ,maybe im wrong but i keep my barrel clean when i sight it in .I clean inbetween shots and i have good tight groups.
Why would i want to hunt with dirty gun, no rust pitts for me !! (no thanks)
jim

[Legnip]

How clean is clean? Does your first shot out of the case match your last one shot while sighting in? Just like in baseball, if it works then stick with it. Shooting with a shiny clean barrel didn't work for me in the past. The first shot always ended up as a flyer. If I was shooting my rifle, then I would agree with you. A muzzle loader requires enough wiggle room to make loading possible. The wiggle room allows pressure to escape around the bullet. The fouling acts as a gasket to make the pressure more consistent. If the conditions are the same, then I can repeat the results.

As for the rusting and pitting after 3 days. I'm not sure what to do about that. Muzzleloaders are a little more high maintenance, but you raise a good point.

[prohunter]

All im saying is i can pull my rifle out of the case and check it before i hunt ,that it will hit at 1 1/2" high at a hundred yards in a 1 to 2" groups ,so i guess i'll keep shootin from clean barrel. And im not tryin to be smart im just saying this works for me . but all rifles shoot differant , thats why some shoot great with magnum loads and some dont.
Keep it clean or dirty what ever works you! jim