What About The Fouling Shot for a ML?

Psalm 14:1 KJV "The fool sayeth in his heart, there is no God"

I have read a lot about fouling shots over the years for muzzleloaders and I know for some it works, however I think it depends on the rifle and the set up. I have been doing some serious range time with my TC Encore 209/50 this summer. During those times I have tried a multitude of saboted bullets in the 250 to 300 grain weight class. I also experimented with loose Pyrodex RS, loose Triple 777, Pyrodex pellets and bullets from Precision Rifle, Barnes, Hornady XTP's, Harvestor, Black Belt bullets and others.

Bottom line is that my particular Encore seems to like (2) 50 grain Pyrodex pellets behind a saboted yellow tipped TC 250 grain Shockwave bullet. My groups at 100 yards are usually around one inch and on good days three shot groups will cut 3/4 inch. This is not to say the gun will not shoot several of the bullets listed above into two inches or less; it is just the 250 grain TC Shockwave is very consistent.

I have always hunted with a cold clean barrel, however I just had to know for my own satisfaction if a fouling shot mattered. I have often read that in many cases, the first shot out of a cold clean barrel will be outside the group by perhaps an inch or two.

I wiped the bore twice with a clean dry patch before visiting the club today. I fired one shot off the bags at exactly 50 yards. The shot was 1.75 inches high and absolutely dead center. I am totally satisfied with that, and my three shot groups at around 160 yards last session were running about 2.5 inches center of the bull. From now on, I will go back to hunting with a clean cold barrel and not worry about it. I DO swab the barrel with two DRY patches prior to loading and that seems to take any possible residue of the "Clenzoil" product out of the bore. Perhaps it is the remant of whatever lubricant folks are using that requires a fouling shot or two in some rifles. I am sold on the "Clenzoil" product which can be purchased from E. Arthur Brown & Co. It does a great job of lubricating and preventing rust and one or two dry patches seem to take 95% of it out of the bbl before loading. For more information and tips on ML, visit my website at http://www.gunsandoptics.com/ If you live in NYS, good luck on Saturday and I hope you get the buck of your dreams.

Dan