Accuracy problems with .58 Zouave rifle?

bdft

bdft

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I just picked up a .58 Zouave copy by Antonio Zoli. The first range trip yesterday was quite disappointing. I tried .570 roundball with a .015 and .010 patch and Minie bullet over 50-60 grns of FFFG. Everything I tried hit all over the paper at 50 yds. Nothing that could be remotely considered a group. The barrel appears in good shape with good rifling. The patches I retrieved showed the rifling. All the loads went down the barrel reasonably tight. The short barrel carbine I have shoots this load just fine. Should I try FFG? Could the FFFG be too fast and stripping the rifling? Any thoughts?
 
my fav load for the 575 in my italian copy was 575 minie ( 505 grain) lubed with wheel bearing compound, and 100 grains of fffg- it's a stout load that groups slightly under 2 inches at 100-i've gone up to 120 grains , but it spreads out- and no 11 caps- if you go to ffg, you get a better load group with less powder- and use a MUSKET CAP- i just use fffg b/c it also works in my revolver, so i don't have to carry 2 horns
i can only go that high b/c it's a modern steel barrel and i worked up from 60 in 10 grain increments- actually went up to 120 and then backed off to where it became comfortable and would group decently-and i cast my own using a lee 58 mould
 
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Yup, that is a stout load.:eek:
I'm surprised the minie's skirt isn't being blown open when it leaves the muzzle.
bdft - try using some of the hollow based conicals. There are different patterns. You might find they work better for you than a patched round ball.
 
I tried 460 grn hollow based conicals. (Minie bullets) Same result. 100-120 grns of FFFG seems a bit excessive to me for punching paper. I thought you had to use more FFG because it burns slower. I've always used FFFG in all my muzzleloaders and pistols.
 
RB in Zouave

bdft

In my P-H two bander, I shoot .564 RB with a diaper cloth patch. .570s were just too tight a fit.

I shoot shot for shot with the Hawkens. Play with the powder charge (FFg) to suit.
 
bdft said:
I tried 460 grn hollow based conicals. (Minie bullets) Same result. 100-120 grns of FFFG seems a bit excessive to me for punching paper. I thought you had to use more FFG because it burns slower. I've always used FFFG in all my muzzleloaders and pistols.
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who says i'm shooting paper-?- i got that from an old blackpowder handbook that was published in durban, africa, in about 1875 or so- only difference was it was a DOUBLE muzzeloader
 
bdft said:
I tried .570 roundball with a .015 and .010 patch and Minie bullet over 50-60 grns of FFFG. Everything I tried hit all over the paper at 50 yds.have shoots this load just fine. Should I try FFG? Could the FFFG be too fast and stripping the rifling? Any thoughts?
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I think that minis can be quite fussy and if chosing another style, you need to be giving consideration to the skirt thickness. I would suggest starting at 50 grains and going up in 5 grain jumps with 5 shot groups and use a soft lube like 50% bees wax 50% animal fat (grease). I am surprised that the round ball does not shoot well and while you might want to try 2F, I don't believe that 3F is too fast a powder to use in your .58 cal.

cheers mooncoon
 
Just some off the wallers---. Are you using pure lead or an alloy of some kind? Is your lube keeping the fouling soft? Is the crown of the muzzle in good shape?
 
Well, I would definitely try Fg or FFg and leave the FFFg alone. I use Fg in my Sniders with .589" round balls and it shoots well but then I'm not stuffing it down the tube from the front. Try your round ball again with a tighter patch and a slightly higher load of coarser powder.
 
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