On the range with Swiss

[exMember]

It's hunting accuracy, but I am not to pleased with it. This rifle normally keeps pyrodex and goex loads in to a 1" or less 5 shot group at 50 yards.

This Swiss 3fg is some super hot powder and on the range yesterday, saw that it was blowing apart my .020" patches with ease.

The fouling build up near the breech is also a huge issue I have with Swiss. It's no cleaner than the supposedly "dirty" goex. IMO, I find Swiss to be filthy compared to the nastiest of nasty.... Pyrodex. At least with Pyrodex and my anti rust lube, I took over 30 shots at rendezvous without the bore getting tight.

Again, it's fine hunting accuracy, but not a match winner by any means.

I plan on going out later this evening when the sun dips behind the mountain and this time, up the charge to 70 grains 3fg swiss but this time... Use a wad and see how that does for accuracy.

I'll also use my anti rust hunting lube and swab between shots.

 

[exMember]

Well that's a real big pisser! 70gr Swiss 3fg, .490" round ball, lubed felt wad. Indeed, accuracy shrunk down to reasonable size, but that 6 shot group at 50 yards just flat out sucks! I have one more trick to try tomorrow, and that is to switch to musket caps and see if that improves accuracy with this powder. Driving me crazy! I get better accuracy from that cheap $10 Black MZ than this stuff. Very big disappointment.

 

[exMember]

This is exactly why I don't touch my sights until I have developed a good shooting load! Just by switching to the musket nipple, Not only have I shrunk my group, the group is now center.


Not I am not 100% sure if the musket cap is the thank for the better accuracy today, or the fact that I ran the hottest tap water I could and kept scrubbing the bore until nothing came out but white patches. Every time I used super hot water, I kept pulling out more blue/black fouling from the breech of the rifle.


Also, today I did not swab! Every shot reloaded nicely with my wood ramrod and a tight fitting .020" patch.


Recovered patched were also in excellent condition.


Next? Install the <a href='/tags/11' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #11'>#11</a> nipple and retest to see if its the cause of the previous poor accuracy with Swiss.

 

[Marty1]

Lots of useful information FG with this range report.  Range outings don't always turn out the way we expect them to...but therein lies the knowledge.

 

[exMember]

It must have been the super hot water that I used to clean the rifle the last time. Now shes shooting consistent and without having a major issue with crud in the breech area.

5 shots late this evening from 50 yards. No, its not what I would expect with goex, BUT, shes on target and did not even have to swab the bore this time around.

I'll flush again with hot water, flush multiple times and hopefully she'll be ready for 100 yards in the next couple of days.

And Pete, heres a damn pic of the gun you keep asking for

 

[Muley Hunter]

Are you saying the difference in accuracy is using hot water to flush instead of super hot water?

 

[exMember]

It must have been some fouling build up in the breech pete. I used the hottest water i could get from the tap and blue/black fouling was still coming out. At rendezvous I put 150-170 shots through the gun and the fouling must have embedded. At rendezvous I cleaned with cold water and Im thinking it didnt remove everything.

I cleaned with hot water again, took it to the sink, dry patched it then used the hose and ran more hot water down the bore until it was uncomfortable to touch. Next dry patch pulled more black fouling from somewhere.

My recovered patches also look excellent.

 

[exMember]

Covered holes are 60gr 3fg Swiss.. The fresh 3 shots are from today! 80gr 2fg gearhart owen. I'll be using this old powder come hunting season!

 

[edmehlig]

Have you tried 70gr of Swiss 3F?

 

[exMember]

Have you tried 70gr of Swiss 3F?

Yes, same results. Poor accuracy.

I do plan on chronographing the swiss to see what kind of numbers its putting up. Then I will try it in my flintlock.