IAhunter said:
RW- I have read many times on this forum that Sav10ML users will clean their breechplugs after 100 shots, but do you wait to clean your bore after 100 shots?? Maybe this explains some of my struggles to get consistent groups. My best groups tend to be my last sets of groups before I clean the gun, while my worst groups tend to my my first sets of groups after cleaning the gun. However I always dry patch before my range sessions to remove any oils.
Yes.
That said, there are far too many variables to say what might be the best, or even better approach for an individual combination of powder, bullet, sabot, primer, and ventliner.
5744 does not burn quite as clean as the single-base N110 and N120. However, it is the least sensitive powder to flash hole diameter change and breechplug fouling that I've seen-- and is the easiest to ignite. With 5744, I've gone through well over two pounds of powders without touching anything, something I wouldn't do with any other propellant. Still grouping 1 inch or so @ 100 yards.
Use of .033 ventliners cuts down breechplug carbon considerably. I have not measured it to give an exact percentage; Savage Shooter believes 50% less carbon.
The sabot acts as a wiper, so the bore condition change from shot to shot is very small. I have tried dry-patching from shot to shot, but I can't say it makes any difference. Maximum deviations in 10 shots strings with no swabbing and 5744 have been in the 2-3 fps range. That's max., not standard. Even though the 5744 isn't the cleanest powder in the barn, it sure works well. Still, it does not leave the greasy mung that Alliant 2400 does.
Most of the accuracy problems I've seen, and have been reported have been due to an incorrect or older formulation sabot, too much powder, or insufficient barrel cooling time-- sometimes a combination of all of them. That seems to be a clear trend, anyway.
It seems every gun has its own personality to some extent, any type of gun.