CVA Hawkin with a 1 in 48 twist

[flipajig]

I picked up the CVA at a garage sale shot it some last year pulled her out to shoot. Accuracy went to crap look like I was shooting a 50 cal shot gun
I was shooting a Lee 320 conical and a hornady 365 Great Plains sitting on 90 grains of FF black powder. I was swabbing the barrel every time after 3 shots.
Any ideas on what happend. I haven't changed anything cince last year the accuracy I had last year was very acceptable.
Thank you Flip

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hopefully you cleaned your rifle barrel well when you stored it, so rust hasn't degraded the rifling.

Are these the same projectiles you fired back when it shot well? Not the same type, but actually the same from the same box? You never know if there was a size change from one run of projectiles to the next, and some companies offer slightly different sized projectiles ...just as you can find Hornady .530 ball and .535 ball, the same can be true for slugs. Plus the manufacturer might retool the size of their ".50 cal slugs" and not mention it on a container..., but sometimes a few thousandths of an inch counts.

Is the brand of powder the same? Not all black powder is consistant with velocities, and with heavy slugs variations in muzzle velocity tend to be more obvious downrange. Not all powders are the same from the same company. "Red can" Goex is better for target shooting than say the "gray can" reenactor powder.

You might want to try 3Fg, as it tends to pour more consistant, and won't hurt your rifle, and you might want to step down your load to around 70 grains. If a 405 grain bullet launched with 70 grains of BP from a .45-70 cartridge will take a deer, then your rifle with 70 grains of powder and those slugs will do fine too. (Try patched round ball as well when you get the chance.)

LD

 

[flipajig]

The bullets were the same from the same mold and the same box. She was clean and stored right no rust is present the powder is from the same batch.
Elk opens this Friday so I need to get it ready or bag the hunt and I was hoping to be able to strech it out to 100 yards.
Do y'all think 70 grains would push the bullets hard enough to be ethical at 100?
I've never taken one with the smoke hole and Idaho's laws state it has to be with a traditional ML not a inline.
Flip

 

[BigG]

That's a round ball twist. Shoot a patched round ball in 1:48.

 

[flipajig]

I have read that a 1 in 48 is a universal twist for a 50 eather a round ball or a conical
Flip

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

Have you had any changes in your vision?

 

[flipajig]

Very good point 351 Winchester. I'm 49 and I have to use reading glasses to read anything now. Also I was using a rest and sand bags towards the end a Lead sled the old girl packs a punch.
Flip

 

[frontiergander]

#1 do a nice warm " baby bath temp" cleaning in the barrel, dry it well and then follow up to 75 + strokes on a tight cleaning patch with Remington 40X bore cleaner. This stuff will clean out all the lead build up.

Another deal I found on my Hawken " I installed a 58cal barrel on mine" was the tang screw after only 6 shots was loosening up and my accuracy would be all over the place.

I used Acraglas and fully bedded the tang and rear section of the barrel, as well as under the trigger since the tang screw pulls the trigger assembly up into the wood. ZERO trouble now and my best group at 100 yards today stands at 1 1/8" for 3 shots.

 

[Noz]

1-48 is considered a universal twist, between patched round ball and conical.
My CVA will NOT shoot a patched round ball but will shoot a conical with great goodness. I does not like saboted round.

 

[frontiergander]

The 1:48 twist 50cal Hawken I have loves Pyrodex P with a patched round ball. I find moose milk patch lube works best, that bore butter stuff is just garbage and doesnt do anything for accuracy.

 

[flipajig]

Well I just gave her a bath all cleaned up checked everything just to make shore it's all tight
Adjusted the trigger (it was horrible)everything seams ok now I'm going to go and cast me some more Boolits and try again tomorrow we will see.
Thank you for the replies hopefully I will get it figured out.
Flip

 

[slumlord44]

Still suggest you try a round ball. My CVA's never liked bullets, prefer round balls.