Just gave the bore a good cleaning. It doesn’t look as pristine as I imagined when I purchased it, as it has some pitting near the muzzle, but the bore is otherwise bright and the rifling sharp enough, given its age. I also checked the crown with a q-tip, and found no noticeable burrs.
My Midway order should arrive this week. Till then, my revised possible causes are:
- Undersized bullets
- Jump (too short COAL)
- Shaved lead when seating
- Worn bore (might account for some spread, but certainly not all)
Can’t wait to slug the barrel.