First Shot?

SWAMPFOX

Senior Member
Opening morning of Georgia General Gun Season, Oct. 13, 2018...your first shot at that nice buck gonna be through a dry, clean barrel or through a one or two shot fouled barrel?
 

creation's_cause

Senior Member
Clean barrel...everything I cuurently own likes a clean bore. I am open minded however; if I discovered I could getter better accuracy from a dirty bore...it would go to the woods dirty. Good issue to ponder.
 

Jester896

Senior Clown
I hear the most accurate shot is from a cold clean bore...I don't intend to clean mine after every shot so mine will run dirty as long as it is repeatable.
 

Mr Bya Lungshot

BANNED LUNATIC FRINGE
Probably clean to start unless y’all can convince me not to.
Just now was reading up on this. Someone said the shots are hard to load at 3,4 and 5 then get easier all the way to shot 25. Who shoots 25 shots through a muzzleloader before cleaning?
I’ve always cleaned after 3,4 or 5 maybe 6 if 5 was smooth and easy.
I think I’ve stretched it to 10 before on a junk barrel that needed lovin.
Cleaned it and traded up.

Now I’d like to get more details about fouling and loading more after 5th shot. Something always told me to clean it when the last bullet was tough to push. I always heard the second shot was best, but still begin the hunt with a shiny clean barrel anyway. How many shots do you shoot before a clean?
 

wareagle700

Senior Member
Cold bore doesn't matter. Thats a old shooters excuse.

A clean bore however will almost always throw the first shot slightly off your rifle's natural zero (some rifles show it more than others) due to oils and residue left in the bore after cleaning, creating a difference in friction. While at typical hunting ranges in GA it won't matter, I still like a fouled barrel.
 

Thunder Head

Gone but not forgotten
I had a problem rifle a few years ago. Learned a few things from that fiasco.

I have found that for one cold bore shot. A semi clean barrel works very well. Every 20 rounds or once a year I clean them throughly. When I want to use it I put a 2-3 shots thru it. I run a bore snake thru it twice after. For the rest of the season I keep it this way.if I shoot I bore snake it again.
 

Buckstop

Senior Member
Will clean each I plan to hunt with just before the season, then shoot two 4 shot groups to check zero and foul the bore. I don't shoot them again till its at a deer. I have a couple rifles that shoot the same from a cold, clean bore as a fouled bore. But most others take a few shots to settle in.

Muzzleloader is a different thing. I shoot every shot from a clean bore. Sighting in and hunting. Its the only way to get consistency, as you can't carry it all season with a fouled bore.
 

GT-40 GUY

Gone But Not Forgotten
My AR-15 will have a clean dry barrel and my 30-06 BAR will have a fouled barrel.
 

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Darkhorse

Senior Member
I start each season with clean barrels, then fire 3 to 5 shots to check the sights and foul the bore. Except for my muzzleloaders the CF's won't be cleaned again until after the season ends. Each rifle is different but 5 shots will cover the bases.
My 7mm Mag. shoots the first shot from a clean bore dead center of the group, no fouling shots are needed. My .300 Win Mag. needs 5 shots on a clean bore before it settles down to buisness. I take extra care with these 2 rifles as they are only used for long range opportunities.
 

rosewood

Senior Member
Probably clean to start unless y’all can convince me not to.
Just now was reading up on this. Someone said the shots are hard to load at 3,4 and 5 then get easier all the way to shot 25. Who shoots 25 shots through a muzzleloader before cleaning?
I’ve always cleaned after 3,4 or 5 maybe 6 if 5 was smooth and easy.
I think I’ve stretched it to 10 before on a junk barrel that needed lovin.
Cleaned it and traded up.

Now I’d like to get more details about fouling and loading more after 5th shot. Something always told me to clean it when the last bullet was tough to push. I always heard the second shot was best, but still begin the hunt with a shiny clean barrel anyway. How many shots do you shoot before a clean?

I believe the topic is smokeless as the OP said general gun season. However, Oct 13 is muzzleloader and general gun season starts Oct 20. So I can see the confusion.

Now I am confused....

Rosewood
 

pacecars

Senior Member
Fouled
 

Mr Bya Lungshot

BANNED LUNATIC FRINGE
I believe the topic is smokeless as the OP said general gun season. However, Oct 13 is muzzleloader and general gun season starts Oct 20. So I can see the confusion.

Now I am confused....

Rosewood

I just went with the Oct 13th plan since there was another thread about cf fouled bore.
Still I’m wondering how many times people would typically shoot their muzzleloaders without cleaning the bore. Also wondering if people would rather start the hunt with a fouled/shot muzzleloader. Multitasking per say. If the Op sees this he or she will be reminded that Oct 13th this year is muzzleloader unless of youth age.
 

rosewood

Senior Member
Unless you are shooting 300 yards, I don't think it is necessary myself for a muzzleloader. Same goes for smokeless at even longer distances. Bullseye shooting, yes it matters, but when you have buck fever and are shooting most likely off a less than ideal rest or even offhand, the accuracy improvement will never be realized. I keep my muzzleloader bore clean. And typically run a boresnake with rem oil through my smokeless to keep a little bit of lube in the barrel to prevent rust. Can't say I could ever attribute a missed deer to a clean/lubed bore.

Rosewood
 

killerv

Senior Member
My shot will be 250 yards at most...so it doesn't matter.

I clean mine before checking it, so there are a few rounds through it before opening day regardless
 

Darkhorse

Senior Member
I just went with the Oct 13th plan since there was another thread about cf fouled bore.
Still I’m wondering how many times people would typically shoot their muzzleloaders without cleaning the bore. Also wondering if people would rather start the hunt with a fouled/shot muzzleloader. Multitasking per say. If the Op sees this he or she will be reminded that Oct 13th this year is muzzleloader unless of youth age.

If you want to know about muzzleloaders you'll get better results by asking questions in the Muzzleloading section.
http://forum.gon.com/threads/fouling-shots.924028/
 

NCMTNHunter

Senior Member
I only have one rifle that has a different poi clean vs dirty. So it is always sighted in and hunted with a dirty barrel. I usually only clean my barrels once after season anyways. I always hunt with my muzzleloader clean. Not for accuracy but because after just a day or two things start corroding up on it if not kept clean.
 

JWF III

Senior Member
I learned my lesson. A wet patch every once in a while, otherwise I don’t clean bores anymore. I have a .300 Win Mag that would reliably put it’s preferred ammo inside 3/4”. And sometimes 1/2”. Granted, it liked Fed Prem w/ 150 gr TBBC, @ about $50 a box in the 90s, but it shot them great. I got the crazy idea to do a thorough, copper removal, cleaning. The same gun hasn’t shot much under 2” since. Even w/ reloads w/ each bullet sorted by weight and each powder charge weighed twice, it won’t do any better.

Wyman
 
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