Accuracy Tips For Inline Muzzle loaders

I read an article recently that indicated that even with a top end state of the art in-line rifle loaded with the optimum combination of powder, sabot and bullet that in the author's opinion most shooter's cannot keep three shots inside of a three inch circle at 100 yards. That article was from 2005.

I am NOT sure that is still the case today, however I do see a lot of guys frustrated with getting decent groups out of their in-line rifle. Here are some tips:

• Spend time at the range experimenting with loads including different powders or pellets, saboted bullets of varying weights, and yes even primers.
• Be consistent in your loading procedures /again I swab with one wet and one dry between shots.
• Measure your chosen powder carefully /use a good quality powder measure.
• Use the same primers for each group / Don't be mixing Win 209's with Triple 777 or Remington Kleen bore's in any one group.
• Don't sight in off an old car seat or a rolled up towel, or trying to balance on your elbows and jerk the trigger when the cross hairs wander past your bulls eye. USE sand bags or a commercial rest. You are trying to sight your rifle in and find out how accurate your particular load is and not trying to see how well you can shoot.
• Squeeze your shot and if need be have your trigger worked on by a gunsmith.
• Start sighting in at a measured 25 yards, not on a piece of cardboard at 150 if your shots are not even on paper.
• Keep your initial testing loads at 90 to 100 grains of your chosen powder until you find out what your gun likes to eat.
• Use consistent seating pressure.
• TAKE notes and if you have a digital camera, take photos and keep a notebook of your progress.
• If it is during the summer time and it is hot, watch that your barrel does not get too hot as very hot days and hot barrels with wreck havoc with plastic sabots. Keep the sabots and bullets in the SHADE and not in direct sunlight on the shooting bench.
• Learn something about your guns barrel twist rate and what projectiles have been proved accurate in that particular twist rate. As an example 1 in 28 twist barrels normally shoot pretty well with 90-120 grains of powder and a 250 to 300 grain saboted bullet for starters.
• Precision Rifle's website has a rate of barrel twist chart with recommendation's for different bullets.
• Don't believe everything you read about shoot all day long or all season long and never worry about cleaning your rifle, as even the best powders absorb moisture and condensation to a certain degree.
• Mount a reliable, clear, variable scope on your gun or have a gunsmith do it.

Lastly have fun and learn how disassemble your gun for proper cleaning, and put the stock and barrel etc. back together with the same screw pressure every time for consistency.

Dan