Here is another reason muzzzle loaders are so much fun.....

[centershot]

Bright sun shining on the target "washes out" the black in the direction the sun is shining from. The old High Power shooters used to say "Light's up, sights up!' meaning that as the sun traveled east to west (North-facing range), the edge of the bull would wash out from 2 to 12 to 10 o'clock correspondingly. The zero you put on your gun first thing in the morning would be too low by noon because you could not see the washed out top of the bull. You would hold lower and hit lower if you didn't correct for the changing light conditions. If a cloud suddenly covered the sun, the glare on the target was eliminated, you could see it as it actually was, and you would then be shooting high! This also applies to windage in matches that span several hours. Add to that the effects of mirage that can displaces the target image in the direction that the mirage is running and can disappear if the sun is covered suddenly, and it's a wonder that we can hit the target at all!!! Voodo, it's all voodoo!

[oldracer]

Well it could be the light hitting the target but our range has the target stands sitting so the targets face is South. Sun is on it all the time, my backer is plain white paper and I use a 8.5x11 inch home made shoot n see target painter flat black with a 4 inch flat white circle in the middle and we very seldom have any clouds.

So yesterday I did the shooting at 100 yards. First shot, no hit anywhere? Shots 2 and 3 were 2 inches right and left of the white center. Shot 4 was done after a cease fire and was 1 foot high, next two were just to the left of 10 oclock at the edge of the white center. Next shot about 3 inches lower. Another cease fire then 5 more shots just to the left of the white center. I decided the barrel needed a good looking at with my bore scope so I stopped.

Wiped the bore with Ballistol patches and dried before leaving the range and then used my 3 part cleaner flushing the barrel well and wiping with a bit of RemOil. The bore scope showed some copper like spots all along the barrel both in the grooves and on the lands which must have been rust stops? So I used my Chore Boy mesh wrapped around the end of the cleaning rod and a liberal amount of Kroil to flush the internals and next inspection showed the barrel was nice and clear. There were some rough spots on the lands so I used a couple unsized bullets that were drilled and tapped and put on the end of the cleaning rod and a liberal amount of Clover valve lapping compound and then about 15 minutes of slow lapping followed by a liberal flush with 3 part cleaner and application of some RemOil and the bore scope showed no rough spots and all was smooth and shiny. I remembered the barrel had been sitting for quite a few years before I bought it and the previous owner had kept it oiled and all but I do not remember a bore scope inspection. I did wipe the barrel well when the rifle barrel and assembled Allen lock came from Petatonica River so I am still wondering why it shot so well initially and then fell apart after sitting? I plan to try again on next Tuesday or so and use 100 yards again to see what happens. I'll keep everyone posted.
John