Boats,

Long ago when I hunted with 54 calib muzzle loader, I was happy with at least 3,0" 3 shot groups at 100 yds, no wiping, for hunting. Never used 2nd shot hunting. Only powder I could get that perforance with then was Pyrodex and TC's MaxiBalls with those huge lube grooves. First shots from those loads, totally clean bore, were as good as I could shoot that rifle -- more like 2,0".

Years later, with 44-40s and original Ideal 427098 44-40 bullets, Swiss or 777 ffg, SPG lube, at least 50 shots per day from either rifle or revolver with maintained group size was SOP. Read stuff by John Kort to learn how it is done. 

An old Swedish kombi hunting gun, rifle barrel 12,4X44R (for moose), would hold 3 inch 5 shot groups at 100yds, 10 inch 5 shots at 300 yds until I was no longer willing to take recoil of that 8lb gun. Same principles, 777FFg powder, ancient design bullets for BP cartridge rifles.

Principles for nice grouping BP rifle cartridges have been around for maybe 200 years. You do need quality components, especially BP, and rifles.

Grisen

svartkruttgris#369 wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2016 at 7:52pm:

What kind of ML rifle? My Green Mountain 54 flinter would put RB in 3" at 100 as long as the flint wan't worn out.

I had a TC Hawken 50 that shot RB well.  I think nit had a 48 twist, but could be wrong. 

Never shot an elk or billy goat with my 54 flint.  Coujldnb't get in rane for RB, but deer and a 350 pound black bear.  That bear made me decide Griz were Ok where they were and I'd be OK where I was, 

It brought more meat home form the matches than the field 

I used to just blow through the barrel each shot and very seldom wipe shooting Goex FFg. We have mild weather and not low humidity very often.