Was shooting my 28 nosler the other day before I leave for Montana this coming Saturday. I put 20 rounds through it and found a load that it liked pretty well. This is the first 20 rounds through it since last year. Here is the last 3 at 500 with a pretty bad mirage. How often are you guys cleaning during season ?
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To clean or not to clean 28nos
- Thread starter sika64
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CaneBrake
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Shoot it until accuracy falls off, then strip the bore and start over.
Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
Worry about it AFTER hunting season. Then, clean as to what makes you feel good.
Clean it.
Shoot it with the load you are happy with.
Hunt with it.
After you harvest your trophy clean it.
Shoot it with the load you are happy with.
Hunt with it.
After you harvest your trophy clean it.
Joefrazell
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Leave it be since it's hunting season and you don't know how it'll respond to cleaning
nksmfamjp
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Are you going to shoot it a couple of times when you get there?
I always confirm zero and drops before I leave for MT, clean, fly, confirm zero/drops, hunt, fly then clean again. Cleaning before I fly is not needed, but I'd hate to go 40-50 before I hunt as accuracy could begin to slip.
I always confirm zero and drops before I leave for MT, clean, fly, confirm zero/drops, hunt, fly then clean again. Cleaning before I fly is not needed, but I'd hate to go 40-50 before I hunt as accuracy could begin to slip.
Will confirm zero when I get there. It had a good cleaning before I shot the 20 the other day.
If you cleaned it at the end of Last season.
Then leave it alone.
If not I would clean it and take enough ammo with you to not only check your
POI, but to season your barrel.
Then your hunting with confidence.
Hope you have a Great Hunt.
Shane Lindsey
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Depends on your cleaning regimen. Are you in the keep them clean or keep dirty camps. I clean mine so before season I shoot to foul and verify. Usually less than 10 down it. Then…
(1) dry patch.
(10) strokes dry bronze brush.
(1) dry patch.
(1) dry patch.
(10) strokes dry bronze brush.
(1) dry patch.
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I generally leave it dirty the entire season. My worst is a Savage and it will go about 60 rounds before velocity becomes erratic ( ES will go from 10ish to over 20 fps rapidly at that point). That's when I clean it.
We don't know your round count, rifle history, and/or where a cold bore shot goes, a clean cold bore shot, etc... Only you can answer those questions.
As others have stated, if it makes you feel better, and your going to validate at your destination, go ahead and clean it.
We don't know your round count, rifle history, and/or where a cold bore shot goes, a clean cold bore shot, etc... Only you can answer those questions.
As others have stated, if it makes you feel better, and your going to validate at your destination, go ahead and clean it.
It's too late for you now, so leave it alone. What I like to do is shoot mine clean, dead clean, and cold with a super light coat of oil in the bore for rust protection. Shoot at least a 3 shot group, 5 is better, clean and cold. By the time you get it dead clean it will be cold again. Do this at least twice, if you can't get velocity while shooting the group do the whole string over again with the magnetospeed on it. Clean and cold, clean to bare steel between each shot. If you run a super light coat of oil for storage/rust protection make sure you do the exact routine every time. Then I will shoot at least a 3 shot group and 5 is better, to foul the barrel and by the 6th shot it's hot. Now fouled, shoot a couple of 3 shot groups, 5 shots is better, with a COLD barrel and do this at least two times. If you have a magnetospeed do this again to get velocity, if you got velocity from those group shots great. This takes a while with a 28, that 6 shot group gets it HOT. Bring another rifle or 2. All testing is done on separate aiming points. I will compare the targets and see what the difference is in accuracy and precision for clean and cold vs fouled and cold. Look at your velocities and see how much slower your clean and cold is vs fouled and cold. Now you have the information to decide which way will work better for you. If clean and cold is not a big change from fouled I hunt clean and cold, and account for the change in my dope. If it's a big difference, like MOA or more, I will hunt fouled. The important part is to do the same thing so you get the same predictable result, especially if you are going to push the distance much, 300 and in it probably won't matter much. My 28's are Browning, they are good to go clean and cold and only need a couple tenths adjustment. I have a clean cold profile for them and a fouled profile. The zero point and velocity is adjusted to compensate for the minor offset on the clean and cold profile, makes it super simple other than making sure you are using the right profile. I have other rifles that shoot terribly clean and cold and great fouled, there is no choice but to hunt them with fouled bores. One of the Savages I have I wouldn't shoot clean and cold at bow distances, fouled at least 8 shots it's easily under a minute out there a long long way. Like Tim's rifle, it goes to crap when shot too much also, this one about 80 rounds will get wild and start showing pressure rapidly. Don't know till you know.
