209X50 Accuracy Tips
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by Eben Brown,
For Reference Only - Use This Information at
Your Own Risk
To begin with, we're a company that specializes
in accuracy for the TC Encore... But until a few years
ago, that did not include the muzzle loader version. We
just weren't into muzzle loading. Well, enough of
our Encore rifle customers began ordering muzzle loader
barrels that we started getting requests for help in
solving accuracy problems. Yes we've had customers
who have had accuracy problems... and learning my way
through it, I had my own share of accuracy problems,
too. But I would say the problems have never been
exclusive to the TC Encore... Rather that muzzle
loaders are just a different type of rifle that
requires a handload by design. Most hunters don't
handload, so they bring no basic knowledge to this. Add
into that the fact that muzzle loading is different...
the powder burns differently and you have to deal with
barrel fouling. And finally, add into this that many
states require muzzle loaders to use iron sights which
are harder to master than scopes and usually are not
even very good sights to begin with as installed by gun
factories. The key to success is to get some knowledge
and proper equipment in all of these areas. So,
let's begin...
The First Problem is that modern muzzle loading
rifles have been pitched as flat shooting
"Magnums" with the advocacy of up to 150
grains of powder in the loads. As it turns out, these
magnum loads are usually the ones that have the most
accuracy problems. And for good reason. Back at the
height of black powder accuracy... when they were
shooting it in long range cartridge guns like the
Sharps, the most powder they would use was 120 grains.
We've all heard of the 45-70, 45-90, 45-110, and
45-120 cartridges? The second number in those names
refers to the powder charge. And if you talk to modern
muzzle loaders who know their sport, they will tell you
the best accuracy comes with loads in the 80-120 grains
of powder range. Back in the old days that was enough
to kill buffalo the size of Volkswagens so don't
feel like you have to make your rifle work with any
more... in spite of folks telling you to shoot 150
grains.
The Second Problem is Related to the First...
"Flat Shooting" is associated with magnum
charges of powder. But if you really want flatter
trajectory, you have to shoot sabots. Sabots shoot the
same weight bullet at the same velocity only in a
smaller caliber. This configuration has a higher
ballistic coefficient and shoots a flatter trajectory.
So for hunting deer with my 209X50 Encore, I shoot TC Shockwave 50 caliber sabots with a 250 grain 45 caliber
pointed bullet. Now, in the last year or so a lot
of folks have hunted with 50 caliber (low ballistic
coefficient) PowerBelt™ bullets and Triple 7
powder... The main reason has been that the undersized
Power-Belts are easier to push down into a fouling
encrusted barrel and Triple 7 isn't quite as dirty
as Pyrodex. But neither of these approaches address the
goal of a flatter trajectory and consistent, shot after
shot accuracy.
Third, Accuracy Requires Consistency. If you
don't clean between shots, the bore fouling keeps
changing the bore from one shot to the next. And
consistent accuracy becomes impossible. A lot is made
of shooting from a CLEAN barrel but the barrel must
also be CONSISTENT. If there is any solvent or
lubricant residue after cleaning, it will screw up your
accuracy. Add into this my personal experience with
cleaning was that I'd run a patch down the bore and
the jag would stick in the fouling down there and end
my shooting session. So for the best Accuracy,
what's needed is a way to clean the barrel between
shots, without getting the jag stuck, and leave the
bore in exactly the same condition from one shot to the
next.
Here's what I do: For a 50 caliber bore, instead of a jag I use a 45 caliber bronze cleaning brush. Wrap a TC "Seasoning" Patch around the brush and scrub it down the bore all the way to the breech plug. Seasoning patches are impregnated with borebutter that loosens the crud while seasoning the bore surface. Scrub the ignition area at the bottom especially well until you can feel that you are scrubbing smooth, bare metal. Usually its about 20 strokes. Next, wrap a DRY cleaning patch around the brush and scrub the barrel like before... about 20 strokes. This method results in a clean, consistent barrel that also loads easily and consistently. And the brush/patch combination never sticks in the barrel. Now, refer to the TC Muzzle Loading instruction manual for details of loading muzzle loader rifles, fully seating bullets, marking your ramrod for depth reference, etc... Then adapt that information to the following load at your own risk. For Pictures, Click Here.
My Tack-Driver Deer Load - I discovered this loading
method while cleaning my barrel (as described above) in
our shop and test firing out back at a 28 yard 3" bullseye. The load is 90 grains of Pyrodex RS with my
TC Shockwave 250 grain sabot and a Remington 209 primer.
For the first three shots, I thought I had missed twice
because there was only one hole... all three shots went
into just one hole in the bullseye. The next 10 shots
went into the same hole and only widened it slightly...
13 shots into the same hole! I'd never seen this
thing shoot so accurately before. I cleaned the barrel
one more time the same way, loaded it once more with
the same load and packed it out to the woods for an
afternoon of deer hunting. Long story short, I got a
chance at a doe at 80 yards and my Encore put that
bullet right through the heart.
Note: - This 250 gr TC Shock Wave load at 1623 fps, uses ED value .0667 in the BRC (Ballistic Reticle Calculator) software with Hawke Ballistic Scopes . Zeroed a 150 yds, it hits 4" high at 100 yds and 9.8" low at 200 yds.
The Fourth Problem is Shooting with Iron Sights,
it's a lot harder than a scope and takes a lot more
practice. To make matters worse, the sights they put on
muzzle loaders aren't very good... they have a
short sight radius and they suffer from alignment that
changes with the angle and intensity of available
light. Fast action iron sights were perfected with the
peep sights of World War Two Garands. Ask anyone who
knows them... they could shoot as accurately as modern
scoped rifles with those peep sights. I installed a
peep system on my Encore (see https://www.eabco.com/tcencore209X50.html)
and credit it with the aiming portion of my ability to
shoot accurately with the TC Encore 209X50 Muzzle
Loader.
Accuracy Products for the Encore 209X50 Muzzle Loader
Info/Order 207-7003 Encore Seasoning Patches (100)
Note: The above supplies will get you by just fine in
the field. But for convenience and speed of loading
while you are working up your load and practicing at
the range, I recommend you use a separate, standard
cleaning rod and brush to do the cleaning between shots
and use your ramrod just for seating bullets... |