Musket help

[Lithuanian artillery]

I have a repro 1861 springfield. I have been shooting it for about 19 years and it has been dead on for both the 50 and 100yd sights. For the last two skirmishes, it has been shooting high. I mean to the extent that I have to hold on the bottom of the paper at 50yds to get me in the black. It is consistent but when you go to the team comps, it gets a little hard to hold that low consistently.

So...what happened? I size the ball at .573 nothing changed there. No change in the lube. No change in the powder or caps. I started shooting Fred's Lead, I had been shooting plumbers lead etc. Probably Fred's is a little purer, but I can't believe that could be the problem.

The one clue I have is the musket seems to foul more often than before. It gets scratchy when it goes down about a third of the way. Never did before.

I looked down the barrel with a light, and do not see anything unusual. I tried to clean it with a de-leading patch and saw nothing on it.

Any ideas before I change the sights?

Thanks
Andy

[ian45662]

When was the last time you had the crown re done?

[Rob FreemanWBR]

Andy,


No change in powder?

Are you using a new/different powder lot?

Although you may still be shooting the same manufacturer & grain, powders do in fact vary from lot to lot and may very well be changing the grouping of your piece, esp. if you've bought new powder...

That's why some folks I know buy up to two kegs of powder from the same lot, so they'll have consistent powder charges for as long as that much powder will last 'em.

Just a though/possibility.

[bobanderson]

Do you make your own lube? I'd say your lube has gotten dryer somehow and the decreasing moisture in the mix has allowed the barrel to foul out, increasing pressure and causing a delay in ignition that is raising your point of impact. If you pan lube your bullets, it is possible to cook the moisture out, for instance. The difficulty loading is the clue.

Sounds like voodoo, but I've seen it happen.

[ms3635v]

Several years ago I switched to MCM lube that Northeast Trader sells. I used to make my lube from beeswax and Crisco and adjusting the Crisco for the time of year, but the MCM keeps the fouling soft throughout the match.

[Lithuanian artillery]

Thanks for all the input guys. I am leaning toward the lube. I have mixed up a batch of emmerts with 50% beeswax 40% crisco and 10% canola oil. I lubed up 15 minnies and will try them out on Wednesday at the range.

BTW semper fi right back at you. G bat 3rd BN 14th Marines

[bobanderson]

Here's my lube recipe. I got it from a 1000 yard black powder cartridge rifle shooter about 15 years ago when I was having fouling problems in my 45-90. I use it summer and winter in all my guns. I also use it as a top cylinder lube in my revolver.

N Lube
8 oz beeswax
8 oz Pure Neatsfoot oil (not the compound)
1 bar of Neutrogena unscented soap

Melt together and lastly add a few shavings from a bar of Ivory soap, which will prevent the ingredients from separating as they cool. If you don't have or want to add this, cool the mixture down until it starts to congeal on the sides of your pot, then pour into stick moulds or whatever shape you need. If you don't do this, the mixture will separate as it cools and your lube sticks will look like a parfait. (This last part came to me from a soap chemist by way of Chuck Fugate - Thanks Chuck, that was a big help.)

I cast this into sticks for my lubrisizer and into small tubs to use in the revolver. Because of the cooking problem, I don't like pan lubing.