fouling shot

B

born2quak

New member
Does anyone take fouling shots? After I clean my rifle and go to the range my first shot is always an inch or so out. After a shot or two they come right in. I clean the rifle and then put 2 rounds through it or I don't have confidence in the field.
 
Born2quak, I never clean my guns before a hunt for this reason. I have 3 rifles and they all take a few shots to settle down after a cleaning. My Remington takes around 6-10 rounds to settle down, then groups nice. Not sure why this is, but maybe someone else knows.

Have a good one, sleddogg
 
I have an old 788 that takes about 10 shots to settle in. But, my M77 only need about three. All depends on the gun, caliber and what you're cleaning with. With the 788 I have to shoot jacketed bullets to clean, if I try moly coated it never seems to settle in.
 
I really think it just depends on your rifle. My rifle doesn’t have a first shot flyer (probable because I shoot moly bullets) the first five rounds seem to always be the most accurate. This is not usually the case though most rifles do shoot flyers first couple of rounds because as the barrel gets dirty the friction on the bullet changes (remember consistency equals accuracy). This emphasizes the fact of keeping a log of your targets from the range. You should keep a target of your flyers so you can study them to see if they are consistent and if they are, this will help you to shoot the first shot accurately. Another alternative is as you mentioned to shoot a couple fouling shots (I would go to the range to see how many fouling shots you will need usually between 1 and 5 shots).
 
It is usually a question of how smooth the bore is. A top quality barrel, that is not worn much will usually put the first shot in the group. A barrel that is rough, either manufactured that way, or has been shot a lot, can take quite a few shots to settle down. I have seen many overbore chamberings, such as the 22-250, take 15 shots to settle down when they are burnt(alligator hide through a borescope) pretty good. They still have good accuracy once settled, but long before that point I loose patience and rebarrel.

Jack
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif A lot of you mention fowling shots, my question is, do you leave the barrel dry and and not oiled until going hunting? or do you oil after the fowling shots to prevent rust? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Good Hunting...Emilio...Pico Rivera, Ca.
 
I used to have the problem you are talking about. You could assume that the first few shots are "off" because the rounds travel differently down a clean barrel than they do one that has had several rounds through it. The way I solved the problem was by using a bore snake while at the range. I clean my bore about every 5 rounds. If the first shot has a POI different from the normal group it is negligible at best. Using a bore snake also has another great advantage. It GREATLY reduces the time it takes to really clean your rifle when you get home. I went from using countless patches to usually around 8 or 10 to get a spotless barrel. Hope this helps.
 
Greybeard, I only oil a bore for storaqe, never never never shot an oily bore, dry it first. The oil will not compress and can damage the bore.
I think
I also like to foul the bore prior to hunting, where I live I can do that in the back yard.
Carl
 
I sight in my rifle and then don't clean it until the season is over or it gets wet. I drag a dry bore snake through it after every hunt. This does not create a need for a fouling shot.
I check my sight in every morning before I start hunting.
I usually go about 3 months in coyote season without cleaning or oiling the barrel. Haven't seen a rust problem yet.
Accuracy always stays good. I probably put a couple hundred rounds through it before the season is over and then I give it a good clean and oil.
 
I run a patch through the bore to make sure it's free of oil, then fire off a fouler before shooting my groups. My first shot after drying the bore will usually be about an inch off. Then, more often than not, I'm okay. It's a bit different in the field as I don't want to fire my rifle near the area I'm going to hunt. To each his own I guess. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
 
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