Educational Zone #5 - Solving Accuracy Problems with Handloading

The problem is that, like almost all examples of this rifle, the bore is pretty well shot. This rifle was manufactured and used during the days of corrosive primers, and the users usually didn't wash the bores with soapy water as required before oiling for storage. This played havoc with the rifling.

I cleaned mine as best I could, but looking down the bore would make you want to cry. The only way one of these rifles will have a good bore is if it was either never shot or it was properly cleaned (not likely), or if it has a replacement barrel. Mine has the original.

Well, I loaded up some 147 gr Military Ball Spitzers, just like the original loading and went to the range. It didn't shoot "groups", it shot "patterns".

Some of these patterns were 12 to 18 inches at 50 yards. I even noticed a couple of side-ways holes that indicated the bullets were tumbling.