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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Rifles, Bullets, Barrels & Ballistics
Clean bore vs. Fouled bore?
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<blockquote data-quote="J E Custom" data-source="post: 1686328" data-attributes="member: 2736"><p>Good question. I will try to answer based on my experiences.</p><p></p><p>Using Logic. The most consistent a barrel will ever be is clean. Any fouling can/will change the bore from one group to another because fouling by nature is not consistent.</p><p></p><p>If you intend to shoot once while hunting, a clean barrel or a fouling shot before the second cold bore will be the most repeatable and will always be the most consistent If zeroed this way. After the first or second shot depending on the barrel bore quality, the accuracy may hold for 3, 4 or more shots.</p><p></p><p>There are basically three types of accurate barrels. The ones that will always shoot the first 3 or 4+ shots best with a clean barrel.</p><p>The second type is a barrel that needs one fouling shot to free the bore of any oils or other foreign objects like dust and moisture.</p><p>The third type will only settle down after so many shots, again depending on barrel quality. Most of the time these barrels will shoot very well the first few shots, with the exception of the first fouling shot.</p><p></p><p>I hunt with a clean dry patched barrel and can always depend on the zero to remain the same. Other barrels/rifles I hunt with are more predictable if I shoot One fouling shot and dry patch for the hunt.</p><p>I have hunted over 50 years and never needed a second shot (I don't consider my self anything but just a good shot but I am very good at judging if I can make the shot or not and if I don't have 100% confidence, I simply wait or pass.</p><p></p><p>My match rifles are required to shoot up to 100 shots without being cleaned so my Best load for this condition if based on a fouled barrel.</p><p></p><p>This rifle will consistently shoot SUB MOA groups with iron sites, But if I clean it to bright metal, for the first 6 or 8 rounds it will shoot sub 1/2 MOA with the same sights and ammo. If I were going to hunt with this rifle, I would utilize the clean barrel system.</p><p></p><p>All of my best groups have been with clean barrels (Less than 6 shots)</p><p></p><p>I clean for many reasons one being for hunting accuracy and the other for barrel life. Every time you shoot a bullet through your barrel the carbon left by the previous shot will abrade the barrel. In the field, I carry a bore snake just to sweep this powder fouling out of the barrel so I am ready for a second shot later (It wont remove copper fouling if used this way, but it does remove powder and carbon deposits that can harm/ware the bore.</p><p></p><p>Find out which type of barrel you have and hunt it that way.</p><p></p><p>J E CUSTOM</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="J E Custom, post: 1686328, member: 2736"] Good question. I will try to answer based on my experiences. Using Logic. The most consistent a barrel will ever be is clean. Any fouling can/will change the bore from one group to another because fouling by nature is not consistent. If you intend to shoot once while hunting, a clean barrel or a fouling shot before the second cold bore will be the most repeatable and will always be the most consistent If zeroed this way. After the first or second shot depending on the barrel bore quality, the accuracy may hold for 3, 4 or more shots. There are basically three types of accurate barrels. The ones that will always shoot the first 3 or 4+ shots best with a clean barrel. The second type is a barrel that needs one fouling shot to free the bore of any oils or other foreign objects like dust and moisture. The third type will only settle down after so many shots, again depending on barrel quality. Most of the time these barrels will shoot very well the first few shots, with the exception of the first fouling shot. I hunt with a clean dry patched barrel and can always depend on the zero to remain the same. Other barrels/rifles I hunt with are more predictable if I shoot One fouling shot and dry patch for the hunt. I have hunted over 50 years and never needed a second shot (I don't consider my self anything but just a good shot but I am very good at judging if I can make the shot or not and if I don't have 100% confidence, I simply wait or pass. My match rifles are required to shoot up to 100 shots without being cleaned so my Best load for this condition if based on a fouled barrel. This rifle will consistently shoot SUB MOA groups with iron sites, But if I clean it to bright metal, for the first 6 or 8 rounds it will shoot sub 1/2 MOA with the same sights and ammo. If I were going to hunt with this rifle, I would utilize the clean barrel system. All of my best groups have been with clean barrels (Less than 6 shots) I clean for many reasons one being for hunting accuracy and the other for barrel life. Every time you shoot a bullet through your barrel the carbon left by the previous shot will abrade the barrel. In the field, I carry a bore snake just to sweep this powder fouling out of the barrel so I am ready for a second shot later (It wont remove copper fouling if used this way, but it does remove powder and carbon deposits that can harm/ware the bore. Find out which type of barrel you have and hunt it that way. J E CUSTOM [/QUOTE]
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Clean bore vs. Fouled bore?
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