Probably a pretty basic question

[DaveCampbell]

OK, I need to pick your brains...

I was shooting in our local CAS match last Saturday, and things were going well until the third stage when my rifle accuracy went to hades. I mean like missing seven out of ten easy shots at 30 yards or so. I'm shooting a Uberti 1873 in .44 WCF, 30 grains of Goex FF and a 212-grain FP boolit. When the problem started I had 20 rounds through the rifle. I just returned from the range where I put up a paper target. Had a heck of a time even getting on the cardboard and when I did the boolits went everywhere, including keyholing. I've had this rifle for three years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened. I'm assuming I have a fouling problem, but why all of the sudden?

Any input from you folks would be appreciated.

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Participating in a gun nuy-back program because you think the criminals have too many guns is like castrating yourself because your neighbors have too many kids.

[Bullshop]

You stated BP so I am going with the fouling getting hard. Those are the symtems. What lube are you using? This post was not ment to be a plug for NASA lube but perhaps it should be.

[Don McDowell]

Could be the fouling got set up on you. Might try 3f and see if it'll shoot a little cleaner.
Could one or more of your bullets of had a bad base or an air bubble etc that got some leading started and then things just compounded from there?

There's some outfit called Bullshop that makes a lube called NASA, and it is one of the finest lubes a person can get for blackpowder cartridges. Might be worth your time to see if you can locate some somewhere.

[NickSS]

Sounds like hard fouling and/or leading to me. I had the same thing happen to me when my lube failed during a match all of a sudden my shots were all over the place and some not even coming close to the target. The culprit was the lube and the fact that I had the ammo in the sun on a hot day. I cured the problem with a better lube and running a wet patch through the bore after each event shot.

['74 sharps]

Sounds like a leading issue.

[SharpsShooter]

50 rounds is about where mine goes downhill. Like the others, I suspect you "fouled out"with the possibility of leading as well.

SS

[John Boy]

I mean like missing seven out of ten easy shots at 30 yards or so.

I've had this rifle for three years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened

and a 212-grain FP boolit.

What's the bore show when you cleaned it with a brush and patches?
What solvent do you use to clean the bore?
Are the bullets ones that you have not used before?
My guess is a severely leaded barrel
Edit: Also look to see if the crown of the muzzle has a ding
Dave, you tell us what your patches look like and if there are any flacks of lead in the bore. Believe you'll make the determination yourself for the cause

[DaveCampbell]

Thanks for the input gentlemen, and you were spot on. It was a case of severe fouling, both powder and lead. I'm guessing there was a lube failure because this is the worst I have seen. Exactly how the lube failed I cannot say. It should be the same lube I always use--beeswax with some peanut oil and a dash of STP. It's a soft lube, and up until now I haven't had any issues with it. In fact, cleaning is usually a breeze. I still have about 600 rounds of this loaded, so I believe I'll be carrying a cleaning rod and some pre-aoaked patches with me to the shoots.

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Guns have two enemies: rust and politicians.

[Chicken Thief]

Lube failed due to low humidity!

Ideally you want to make soap.
Lye/ash + fat + water = soap.

[cajun shooter]

Your problem is your lube first!! You are using a petroleum based lube with BP which is a BIG NO NO!! If you are going to make your own lube then use one that is meant for BP.
I shoot the same rifle and caliber that you shoot in SASS matches. My rifle will shoot MOA at all SASS ranges. I suggest that you also slug your bore. My rifle is about 4 years old and slugs at the correct .427 measurement. Some Uberti rifles will slug as much as .432 and that would call for a bullet that is much larger than those sold for the 44WCF.
I cast my own bullets from a 20-1 alloy. If you are using commercial bullets then that may be the second problem. Missouri bullets sells very hard bullets that are in the 22BHN range and these will not obturate the amount needed to seal your bore.
From your posting that says you have both leading and fouling tells me you have more than just a lube problem.
You may want to consider contacting Bullshop and buying some of his NASA lube. I have used it for years and consider it to be one of the best. It does as good as SPG for me and is priced at a better price.
As I said I shoot the 44WCF and have done so for about 4 1/2 years now. It is a great cartridge when fed the correct componets. Don't give up on the caliber and good shooting. Later David

[L Ross]

Dave, it's no big deal, you fouled out. I've seen it happen several times and had it happen to me one time. I decided to clean every other stage, but how to quickly? I took 3 ft. of string trimmer cord and tied a knot in it, heat welded the knot with a Bic lighter, then I cut the threads off a plastic, (nylon?), 44 caliber jag and drilled a hole thru it and slid it on the cord. I keep it rolled up in a Copenhagen can with a few cotton patches. The string trimmer cord is cut with a sharp diagonal point at the unknotted end and it easily pierces the patch. I simply load up the patch with spit and pierce it on the string. I push the string in from the breech until it protrudes from the muzzle and pull it out. One wet one dry and I'm good for two more stages.
I do the same thing with my 32-20 Stevens Ideal Model 44 for bp squirrel hunting. Just a knot in the string trimmer cord is big enough for the bore. Quick, easy, and cheap for field expedient cleaning.

Duke

[MT Chambers]

SPG lube works good too, keeps fouling soft, and the next round helps remove that soft fouling from the previous round, that's the theory anyways.