Shooting question?

mickeyelk · Apr 22, 2014

When I shoot my rifle in each year for the upcoming hunting season I'll foul the barrel first, then shoot for accuracy. I also do the same thing while hunting. Foul the barrel, run a clean dry swab and go hunting. A friend at work, who I shoot with ocassionally, hardly every cleans his barrel and makes fun of me for cleaning mine so often. When he shoots his gun, its dead on. What's up with that? I'm getting into reloading, finally, and want to know how everyone else shots and cleans there guns to get the most accuracy out of there shots.

440sixpack · Apr 22, 2014

I clean my barrels after each time I shoot them, and I never worry about a foul shot.

I can get sub MOA groups with a clean barrel each shot or on a dirty barrel or a mixture of all so I just don't worry about it anymore. unless you're a competition shooter you're never going to need to.

I'm not sure my OCD with clean barrels does any good but it doesn't seem to hurt.

Stay thirsty my friends

RELH · Apr 22, 2014

Have you ever seen a rifle with rust pitted bore. That rifle belonged to a guy who was like your friend at work and failed to clean his rifle. Also you have to worry about copper buildup that will cause problems with accuracy because you failed to clean it out.
I shoot my guns hunting and at the bench without firing a fouling shot. The first bullet is included in the group to see if the rifle is still zeroed and checking accuracy group. Like Dude I clean it after every shooting session.

Sometimes if you leave too much oil in the bore, that can throw the first shot off a little. To avoid that run a dry patch though the barrel prior to shooting.

If it is bolt action, clean from the rear breech to avoid damage to the muzzle crown caused by a cleaning rod. If you can not clean from the rear, such as a semi auto or lever action, use a muzzle protector to keep the cleaning rod from contacting the crown.

Your friend at work is the type of guy that keeps gunsmiths happy and rolling in the dough repairing their firearms.

RELH

projp · Apr 23, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Apr-23-14 AT 09:45PM (MST)[p]Here are 280 opinions

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/how-often-do-you-clean-your-barrel-129423/

I clean a lot less than I used to.

sageadvice · Apr 23, 2014

"I clean a lot less than I used to."

Me too! I make sure my rifle is clean before and after the hunting seasons and that includes any of them that i'm going to or might use. During the season or after a trip to the shooting range, i use a bore snake with a very light coat of oil.

This has been working for me but one of my pards gives me the Dickens every time he takes a good look at one of my rifles while we are out hunting.

On the topic, my first rifle a Rem 25-06, got a full cleaning every time that i took it out of the case and that was often. I was so anal about keeping that gun clean, i even took the stock off and cleaned all that as well as scrubbing the bore. Maybe i didn't know any better, i didn't, but at the time, i never felt the need for a fouler shot. That rifle once dialed in, stayed point of impact time after time, taking the stock off and on made no difference, it just always seemed to hit dead center, 2" high at a hundred.

Joey

"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

hank4elk · Apr 24, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-14 AT 09:33AM (MST)[p]I'm with Joey on this one.
I usually only really clean them before putting it away for winter. Or when it really gets bad during a hunt. I also use a boresnake.
My 700 seems to be always dialed in.
I do go to the range to check zero after running a dry swab thru couple times a year. But it seems to need that first one thru,fouling it or whatever first. Then it's right on.

My guns are hunting tools,and if you really use your tools they get dirty,worn and dull. Mine may appear dirty while I'm hunting,but it's reliable.

Thunderclapper · Apr 24, 2014

My .300 shoots better after a couple fouling shots.

mickeyelk · Apr 27, 2014

Wow, allot of varied opinions! Thanks again for the info.

2f350s · May 9, 2014

I clean my rifles thoroughly after each shooting session. I keep the barrels pretty cool between shots during practice by taking the time to run a bore snake through to keep it relatively clean. But doing this takes more time than is practical at public shooting ranges so I shoot on private land and am never in a rush (the point is to enjoy shooting your guns)...

The reason I don;t foul the barrel before sighting in is because the first shot I take on game is through a clean cold bore. Keeping

Staying dirty or clean works either way, so your friends gun holds zero since he doesn;t change anything. Might be fine for the short term, maybe a couple hundred rounds. But, the barrel of your friends gun will eventually lose its accuracy due to copper build-up filling the grooves and burnt powder fouling eating away at the bore.

m48goat · Jun 1, 2014

Thats pretty funny to me, I have a friend who never cleans his gun. anyways its dead on.
I personally can't stand to not clean it because i spend my hard earned money on my rifles and take care of them because there not cheap. But I simply clean my rifles after i shoot them.

While I'm at the range i also take my time in shooting and letting the barrel not get too hot. I do not take a foul shot. My rifles shoot fine first shot.

are you also sure you're not just pulling on your first shot?

Goat

Zeke · Jun 3, 2014

Some rifles "settle down" after a couple fouling shots and some gun it matters little whether it's clean or "seasoned".

Your question is like asking a bunch of guys what your wife likes! How the hell do we know? You'll just have to figure it out for yourself since wives and guns have a personality all their own!

And that ain't no bull!

You need to know where your gun shoots with a cold clean bore, a seasoned cold bore and a warm (shot) seasoned bore. Then you'll have YOUR question answered for YOUR rifle. There is no such a thing as a correct answer by us for YOUR rifle. Those who think otherwise are just wrong.

Zeke