Accuracy starts on 2nd shot?

[cynthialee]

When I practice I use a moist alcohol patch between shots. I try to maintain as clean a bore as possible between shots because when I hunt I get one shot from a clean barrel. So my clean barrel shots must be at least minute of deer at 50 yards. {I don't shoot any further than that as we just don't have many places in this forest that are far shots.}
My CVA Mountain Stalker can't stand a clean barrel, so it is out for hunting. But all of my T/C barrels will put a shot in the 9 or 10 first shot, so I hunt with the T/C's. Now my hunting pistol {a CVA Hawken Pistol .50} will shoot well on a clean barrel up to 20 yards.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I say eliminate the variable of going from a clean barrel to a fouled barrel by keeping the barrel clean from shot to shot....

 

[RC]

younger brother has a flinter, custom made 50 that shoots way high on first shot,but right on from then on.as a hunter he wanted first shot outa clean barrel to work,,barrel maker said try thicker patch..we did that gun is right on first shot then we went to regular load for next shot..in this case first shot was .030 (blue jeans) after that .020's it works! got his buck last year right in the heart...good luck!

 

[Keb]

I've always fouled the gun before I take my 1st shot on a woodswalk. Always. That's about all the shooting I do any more. I don't hunt or shoot paper, just clangers at unknown distances and the fouled gun seems to repeat from the 1st "scored" shot to the last. Just to clarify my routine, I don't shoot a ball or a normal powder load on a fouling shot. I usually dump a half measure of powder and a cleaning patch down the bore then prime and set it off. I may be hardheaded but I will not change my routine at this stage of the game because somebody says it's foolish or a waste of time to dirty a gun before the 1st shot. I think my routine is best for my shooting style. If I didn't, I'd do something different.

I don't know if this makes a difference but I only shoot smoothbored flintlock guns. I don't know much about cap locks or rifled guns. They just don't interest me at all.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Fouling shots set up a consistent bore condition for all the following shots.
It's as simple as that

Um..., do you really think that the amount of ash never increases in thickness as you shoot each round without cleaning? OR are you relying on the patch removing a certain amount of crud as it's rammed down with the following patched ball? Thus you get consistency?

LD

 

[Dr5x]

This pre fouling blank shot may not apply to you.
When your experimentation is giving you rather consistent groups.
Shoot your first shot bench rest from a clean barrel and then fire four or five more everything being the same with the quick wipe between each shot.
Did you first short not quite land where the subsequent hit.

I noticed that my first shot tended to land about an inch or two at a seven o\clock spot away from where the other shots were landing.
This will only work if you are getting groups of an inch or so
I admit it's nit picky and of little interest to the hunter who harvesting game bigger than chipmunks.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I agree with you, I never fire a fouling shot, and I don't see any change in point of aim, maybe I have just luck out with guns that don't need to be clean between shot.

 

[Vaino]

After reloading for 4 different CF cals and checking the accuracy of both the rifles and my reloads, I've never cleaned between shots for any of the rifles. My 5 shot groups started w/ a clean bbl and the remainder were from a fouled bbl.

The rifle that would have displayed first shot vs 2nd shot accuracy was a .22/250 18 lb bench rifle w/ an 18X Unertl 'scope and it didn't. No flyers from a clean bbl.

As I've said many times.....the ease of obtaining "squirrel head hitting accuracy" w/ both of the MLers I used on squirrels was amazing.....no muss and no fuss. One of the rifles was flint and the other used a cap.

Figured out the patch thickness and lube I wanted to use, played around w/ a few amounts and granulations of powders, used a swaged RBs of either Hornady or Speer brands and went squirrel hunting.

After all the trial and error and necessary technical operations of reloading and shooting CFs, shooting MLers was a breeze. Started off using Crisco for patch lube and then switched to Oxyoke 1000 Plus and never touched the sights.....just went on squirrel hunting.

In my later yrs, I didn't want a whole lot of complications when hunting and my 2 MLers surely did accommodate me in that respect. Always liked to keep things simple......Fred

 

[Billnpatti]

Many folks have replied to this thread stating that their rifle never throws a flier on the first shot....or words to that effect. Many have stated that they simply load and fire and a clean barrel shoots no differently from a fouled barrel. But, as we all know, each muzzleloading barrel is different and most, but obviously from the replies, this does not apply to all barrels, seem to gain in accuracy after the first shot.

Let's look at the OP's question...."can too clean of a barrel affect accuracy on the first shot?" His question is can it affect accuracy, not does it always affect accuracy. My answer is yes it can and usually does in most barrels.....but not in all barrels. From his statements, it seems obvious to me that he has one of those barrels that will benefit from a fouling shot before he starts shooting for score. I still believe, as does Dutch, that using a very consistent wiping procedure between shots with a damp patch will keep most rifles shooting most accurately. However, if this is not that case for your rifle, do not do it. Always follow the procedure that keeps your rifle shooting at its best.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I think you are putting too much emphasis on the "barrel"....stating that "most benefit from a fouling shot"....

I think you are discounting all the other variables... Variables that lead to the need for a fouling shot....

I have many accurate rifles....none require a fouling shot...
I use to fire a clearing shot.....But even that is a variable I have eliminated...

 

[Rifleman1776]

You are all full of 'it'.
Everyone knows a rifle is accurate only on the sighting in target.
Once you start shooting for score they go all over the place except center. Never fails for me. :wink: :rotf:

 

[Tinker2]

I always fire a fouling shot, but just powder, no patch or ball. Just to prove it works.
Some of my guns don’t get shot every decade.
If I have a problem with it not going off I don’t want to pull the load to fix it.

When I clean and oil/grease my guns I do so like I may not use them again for a long time.

Works for me.




William Alexander

 

[coloradoclyde]

You are all full of 'it'.
Everyone knows a rifle is accurate only on the sighting in target.
Once you start shooting for score they go all over the place except center. Never fails for me. :wink: :rotf:

:haha: ... :hatsoff:

 

[FishDFly]

2 pages, how did the folks of the 1800's figure out how to shoot their rifles, drum beating or smoke signals, many miles between lodgings?

 

[azmntman]

They read the owners manual that came with each new rifle or smoothbore. Them what couldn't read they watched them that had read and did what they did.

 

[nhmoose]

I always fired my competition rifle to foul the bore. Why do you think the NMLRA has a 6th bull on a 5 shot match target. X's count guys!!!!!!!!!!

Hunting? Most hunting targets are way bigger. Deer have big X-Rings. I keep a clean bore for them including wiping the bore after the ball has been seated.

Squirrels, yes I fire a powder load and wipe then load their heads equal 2 X-rings on most competition targets. Usually fire several rounds in a day of hunting.

Gongs and such do not take much to hit from a competition level as 6 inch groups will do cause the target is so big.

 

[Artificer]

2 pages, how did the folks of the 1800's figure out how to shoot their rifles, drum beating or smoke signals, many miles between lodgings?

Normally they learned from their Fathers, Uncles or other family members/neighbors or perhaps they were lucky enough to learn from a truly accomplished local shooter.

Gus

 

[FishDFly]

2 pages, how did the folks of the 1800's figure out how to shoot their rifles, drum beating or smoke signals, many miles between lodgings?

Normally they learned from their Fathers, Uncles or other family members/neighbors or perhaps they were lucky enough to learn from a truly accomplished local shooter.

"If they were lucky, they were lucky enough to learn from a truly accomplished local shooter", yep you are correct, if they were lucky.

Gus

 

[necchi]

2 pages, how did the folks of the 1800's figure out how to shoot their rifles, drum beating or smoke signals, many miles between lodgings?

Ever heard of Osborne Russell and the book Journal of a Trapper?
Well he never fired a rifle or even prepared his own field dressed game before becoming a "trapper".
Point is, blanket statements for muzzleloading prowess and accuracy being inherent to a particular age, style or technique in history doesn't hold water.

Here's a link, it's actually a good read; https://user.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/html/ruslintr.html

 

[Dr5x]

Lrt's not get our knickers in a twist about the pre fouling shot.
It serves to show the ignite channel is clear.
It burns off the oils and goos remaining in your so called clean barrel and and it causes the ball to land as much as an inch or so out of the following pattern.
If you are used to and accept a group of over two inches at 50 yards you'll never notice that first shot.

We refer to a clean barrel but in most cases it's not clean. I should have the protecting oil in it from the previous cleaning

Dutch