Question for you folks. My father and I were sighting in my TC Omega this past week. I put a Leupold 3-9x40 Scope on there. I started out with a clean gun shooting 300 grain Hornady SST bullets. I put the target at 25 yards to see where it was on the paper. We performed a cheap man's bore sighting on it and the first shot was real close (about an inch low and inch right). Second shot was in the bulls eye. Not a bad start. So we're at 2 shots. Moved the target to 50 and we're right on the money there as well. I clean the gun after I think 3 shots at 50 thinking I'll shoot one after the cleaning to verify the placement. I shoot the one and it's off by like 4 inches. OK, so perhaps I pulled off. Shoot another and it's off. Shoot another and it's off. Have my dad shoot it and it's off. At this point we clean it again and still off. This whole time I was shooting the SST bullets. I switch over to 325 grain XTP Hornady bullets and clean the gun. First shot is close and we make the adjustment to bring where we want it. We shoot two more right where we want them. We clean the gun and shoot one more, you guessed it, off again. We don't get it. It's like after dirtying the gun a bit it shoots right where we want it. I would think it would be just the opposite, the clean gun shoots best.

I'm looking for thoughts or help on this matter. My father and I were a bit befuddled by the whole matter. I just don't get how it can be right on the money and go through a cleaning and be off that much. All this shooting was sitting at a table with a good rest and all that stuff. We've talked a bit about it since then and I believe we may purchase a gun vice to help eliminate any human error next time. Thanks.

Are you spit-patching after every shot?

What kind of powder are you using, and how large is your charge? How do you seat your bullets? That can affect it too.

We don't spit patch after every shot. Is that suggested? We're currently using Triple 7 pellets. We load 3 pellets (150 Grains) with the 325 grain XTP Hornady. We've been using the ram rod with a shorter jag on the end. Basically we sit the bullet in the muzzle and push as far as it will go with the finger then ram rod the rest of the way. We don't have a jag that spins, I've been doing some reading on those. Thanks again. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Loose powder is a far more precise way to work up a load. Two pellets has always given me better accuracy than just going ahead with three.

The only was to have consistent bore conditions from shot to shot with T7 or Pyrodex is to spit-patch between every shot.

I personaly think that TC guns shoot more consistantly once they have had a shot or two put through them. I have two , A new englander sidelock,and a firehawk inline.they both shoot better once fouled. Just personal experience.
Also I agree with some of the others , loose powder is the way to go when working up loads.
Again I think its a TC thing.


"Revenge is a dish best served cold"..Klingon proverb

Consistancy is the key !!! Everything the same every shot. Same load, same pressure seating, same barrel conditions. I swab with a wet patch after every shot followed by 2 dry patches. That way the bore is the same for every shot. My Knight consistantly shoots 1 1/2" at 100.

Even in cartridge rifles,the shots will do this after cleaning. Especially the first shot.A lot of muzzle loader will notice this,and its called foul shooting. You might try cleaning your barrel with a dry patch before shooting,then use a wet patch on balls,and use crisco rather than bore butter on sabots. van