I agree with the other guys here who dont put much stock in a limited sample size and a one time test. A series of tests with multiple ten shot groups is needed before any proof will be evident. You're always going to get some results no matter how limited your sample size, but getting results that will repeat requires more shooting. Dutch Shoultz's method did not repeat for me in half a dozen tries but I know alot of folks who swear it worked. But when I ask them if they went out and tried to repeat the test, not one did. If you shot 10 10 shot groups all with the exact same load, one of them is going to be smaller than the rest. Alot of tests fall into the "significant but meaningless" category. It just takes a whale of alot of shooting to prove something like whether or not patch lube has any effect on accuracy. (how'd yall like that "whale" I slipped in there?)
The smallest and largest are generally not important its the AVERAGE of a large number of shots. In the 19th century there were people shooting 100 shot targets.
I have a 15 pound 45-100 Sharps that is capable of throwing a shot out 3-4 feet at 900-1000 yards (or less) due to a small error in holding. Usually from concentrating on the wind. If the recoil feels a little funny the shot will be a flier. Even at 15 pounds with a 100 gr of powder and 530 gr bullet the gun moves before the bullet clears.
The fact that ML shooters ALWAYS change position from shot to shot when shooting from a rest is a factor in shooting small groups. Changing position in a modern BR match where the shots all go through the same hole will usually loose the match. I have seen people loose long string records this way in BPCR Silhouette.
But I seldom see any mention here of consistent shooting position here. Partly, I assume because the ML simply does not allow it to the extent a breechloader does.
I know that almost any lube will work fairly well. Its up to the shooter to do the research that will give best accuracy.
For example I am pretty confidant that a 50 caliber rifle with a .005 bore ball, a .018 patch and 1/2 ball weight of FFF (Swiss powder may allow a 10% or more reduction) with Neatsfoot or Sperm Whale oil will shoot well enough for hunting and the vast majority of the shooting done here. But experimentation may show that 5-15 grs change in powder or a switch to FFF might shoot better. Some 50s may shoot better with as much as 110. But I used about 1/2 ball weight as a starter for 45-50 caliber and 100 for a 54. Why? Its been proven over time that these charges work pretty well.
The old "one grain per caliber" formula will not work very well over 40 caliber and is marginal even then. Its a "squirrel rifle" formual 32-36 gr in a 32-36 will do pretty well. Of course my son shot his first deer with a 45 using 45 gr of FFF. Killed deer dead....
Lubes? If Sperm Whale oil was readily available I think a lot of people would use it today just as they did in the past.
I am using and liking beef tallow right now for hunting, triple boiled to clean it well. It seems to be completely non-corrosive ( guns left loaded for weeks and the ball pulled) and handles fouling well.
The value in discussions of this type is to get people to think of other ways of doing things.
Disagreement?
I am a member of a Gunmakers Guild. We have a number of people that qualify as "Masters". We have about that many different ways of doing things as we have makers. So the discussions are useful to us all in that we learn other ways of doing things.
This forum serves the same purpose.
Dan