Quote:
Originally Posted by John Rogers
When I had my Sharps and also my long range 45 caliber muzzle loaders to find or get close to the "sweet spot" I would oil the barrel very well and then shoot. Since the had straight sides you could look down the barrel and actually see the sine wave from the shot. I would measure the wave then experiment where to rest the barrel. Strangely enough none of the rifles have the same measurement!
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Some guys put baby powder on them and hold them horizontal then give them a good rap with a soft mallet. Same idea, just different approaches.
Interestingly, all three of my match rifles are exactly one foot back from the muzzle. My big '74 shown above, my silhouette legal weight '75 in .45-70, and my original Ballard Pacific, also in .45-70. All have heavy octagon barrels, the two Sharps are 34" and the Ballard is 30".