too big boolit hurt accuracy??

[enfield]

hello, I'm shooting a swedish roller 12.7x44r with 54 grains 2f goex , card disc, 3/16 grease cookie, card disc and a couple discs of wax paper to keep cookie from sticking to boolit. unless I wipe the bore between shots the accuracy is not good. I shot three shots in an inch by wiping a damp then dry patch between shots and if i shot a second shot without wiping it could be several inches off. the boolit is a lyman 515139 .516 - .517 as cast and a recovered boolit measures .512 - .513. am I trying to force too big a boolit down the bore and the fouling buggers it up ? I can shoot smokeless loads ( 20gr 4759 ) and it is quite accurate ( 5 shots 1.2"). I shoot most boolits as cast assuming if it chambers then it's o.k. maybe I'm living dangerous ?

[montana_charlie]

Wiping between shots is a form of fouling management.
It is about the only option available when shooting paper patched bullets with no lube in the stack.

When lube is present, as a cookie or in lube grooves, blow tubing is another form of fouling management. Have you tried it?

am I trying to force too big a boolit down the bore ?
If the bullet fits in the chamber, it will fit the bore when the charge burns.
If it does not cause leading and is accurate when the bore is wiped, I would say it's a good bullet for that rifle.

CM

[runnin lead]

If you want consistancy you have to be consistant.
You need to blow or wipe the same after each shot .
You can;t wipe after a couple shots , shoot a few ,then wipe.
Same with a blow tube, You are TRYING to keep the comditions the same shot after shot.
If you were to wipe say every 3rd shot you would end up with 3 diferent groups , the group from after wiping , another group from the 2nd shot after wiping & yet another group from the 3rd shot after wiping .
That is unless you have fouled out so bad that your group is more like a pattern & that you have a load that will group.

[enfield]

I did blow tube after every shot and the bore cleaned good with 2 patches , there was no sign of leading and there was lube at the muzzle. I just don't think the shots were consistant unless I wiped after each shot. maybe I will have to settle for that. I will try another one next( different 12.7x44 ) to see if I have the same results. maybe the 45-70 as well to see if its a lube thing. thanks for the advice.

[Multigunner]

I once read a vintage British article on a international match held in England in the 1870's.
The British had been front runners in this sort of competition throughout the muzzle loadr era, but when U S Marksmen using Sharps breech loading rifles joined the competition they cleaned the collective clock of the British shooters.

The consensus of opinion was that the deciding factor was that the American shooters could and did take advantage of the open breech to clear away fouling between each shot.
They were also better able to detail clean the bores without damage to the crown or to the lands near the muzzle.

Other aspects of breech loading made little or no difference, since its recognized that loading the bullet from the muzzle by use of a false muzzle produces superior results even if the charge is loaded at the breech using a un bulleted cartridge case, with this class of bullet and charge at least.

[herbert buckland]

I sHoot a BP military match with a Martini Henry and there is no cleaning between shots(13 shots best 10 count)the first fouling shot is always about 8 inches high,the next 11 are on target,you have to make alowences for the first shot,I would think if you are getting lube at the end of the barrel you will have the same results,woth a try any way,I have found knowing how your rifle behaves after a number of shots is as important as the load ,I have got very consistant acuracy up to 26 shots with out cleaning then I stoped so I have no idear how many it would take before acuracy goes out the window,this is with plenty of lube so the muzell is always greesy

[Chicken Thief]

Think of it this way:

You're making soap, and for that you need three things
Lye = BP fouling
Fat = boolit lube
Water = some amount from the lube if you use Crisco, but the most/rest comes from the air. Here's when blow tubing will change things for the good unless youre in TX, AZ, NM or hell in the summer;)

I had a friend go sour on a Danish RB in "45-70". I handed him 50 rounds BP loaded, a blow tube and instructions to blow 5 full breaths slowly before each shot. MOA at 55yds through the whole session and one single patck to clean after shooting.

YMMV, but more fat and more water will make the soot go away!