First shot confidence

[thumbs]

I have been workin on some things to insure my first shot will fire from a clean barrel. I really would rather not fire a fouling shot. Does anyone load the clean rife and go hunting? I know I'm probably just lazy but cleaning the rifle after a day of hunting without needing to fire the thing except for a fouling shot is a pain. I would like to load the thing and either blow the charge out with a compressor or leave it in for the next day without haveing problems with the barrel.

thanks

 

[rabjr]

Does anyone load the clean rife and go hunting?

My guns are absolutely clean before loading a round. I do not ever use a fouling shot before loading.

 

[BrownBear]

When working on a load or sighting in a new gun, I shoot a lot of "one shot groups." That's specifically because I want the same thing you do.

Fire one shot doing everything you know how to make it as accurate as possible. If it's off the center mark, go ahead and shoot a couple of more shots to see if it's an accuracy issue or sight-in problem.

Go ahead and clean the gun to bring it back to the condition it will be in for your first shot on a hunt. Shoot your one shot group again.

I want that first shot to go exactly where I point it from a clean bore, no matter what any subsequent shots do from a fouled bore.

And yeah, I use compressed air (CO2) to clear the bore each night, followed by a brush into the breech to make sure no powder remains, then a lubed patch. Load er up again in the morning and go back to hunting.

Range shooting, group shooting, and competitions are fun diversions, but they shouldn't distract you from the need for that very first shot to do it's job on the day of the hunt.

 

[Will Bison]

My confidence is always high on a clean bore first shot. The first step prior to loading is to clean the bore and vent area/channel good with solvent. Carb cleaner, ether, white gas, etc. Then I will blow out the bore with compressed air from the muzzle. All of this prior to leaving camp or home.

This seems to work well but each gun will have some "secret" place that they like to harbor oil or fouling. Learning each guns tricks is half the battle.

 

[jtmattison]

I always hunt with a clean barrel. I work up my loads thoroughly wiping the bore between each shot to ensure consistency. Matter of fact, I have a new GM barrel that at this point has to be clean for accuracy. When it's fouled it shoots off the paper. I will blow the charge out with a compressor at the end of the day or leave it loaded for the next days hunt. I see no reason to carry a dirty rifle unless a fouling shot is absolutely needed for accuracy. I'm pretty anal about keeping my rifles clean yet I still wouldn't worry about carrying it dirty for a few days if I had to.

HD

 

[Mountainman56]

Y'all make a fine point for shootin clean guns but what if you botch your first shot or hit an unseen branch (I must confess I have on occasion been know to do both of these :redface: ) and need a second or even third shot? Do you stop and clean it before taking your second shot or do you just hope it hits to the same point of aim? Personally I have no idea where my huntin rifle shoots with a clean barrel. I always fire a fouling round first then load up for the day. When I target shoot I do the same (with that rifle anyway). I always know where my second shot with a dirty barrel will go. Even my 8th shot for that matter. After that Mabel kind appreciates a little cleanin. I'd sooner clean it every night that take a chance that I missed that one little bit of crud that cost me the deer of a lifetime. Olsen's law guarantees that is the time I would get a hangfire.

Olsen's Law: "Murphy was an optomist"

Of course I could be wrong. It happened once before. :grin:

 

[Ridge]

All my rifles are sighted in for a clean barrel.

I find that the dirtier the barrel gets, the higher the rifle shoots. After 5 or 6 shots I am around 3 inches high at 50 yards.

I've never shot that much when hunting though so it's a moot point.

 

[rabjr]

I know where my guns shoot from a clean barrel and sight in for that. I also know where they shoot from a fouled barrel which I have to admit really isn't much of a difference with my guns. Not to be to worried about on a 50 yard shot anyway. Beyond 50 I'm mindful of what the particular gun I'm using likes to shoot when fouled.

 

[MikeC]

Squeeky clean barrel with a flintlock and one fouling cap shot with caplock followed by a dry patch then load. I leave either loaded for up to two weeks with no worries if I don't get a shot.

 

[thumbs]

I guess part of the question is are the caps corrosive?

 

[Moloch]

Blackpowder itself is corrosive so I always clean the barrel after each trip to the shooting range. Once I made the mistake to let the rifle sit around in my gun safe for two days after shooting it and it built up pretty nice rust. :cursing: It was only light rust but its still a exhausting task to remove it with a copper brush and the rust was definitely not good for the rifling too.

Dont make the same mistake!

 

[Stumpkiller]

When I put my rifle aside the last swipe down the bore is Beechwood Casey Sheath. Before I load the next time I wipe the bore with a patch soaked in 91% alcohol and poke the vent with a whittled down toothpick. Then I wipe with a lightly lubed patch. That slicks the bore nicely. I then add powder and put an overpowder card (I use a vegetable fiber wad) and then the patched ball. That way the lube does bot leech into the powder and I can leave it for extended periods.

 

[playfarmers]

With my old Deerstalker, the first 5 or 6 shots shot a nice 2 1/2" or better group at 80 yards. I am still working with my new Trade rifle to get the same accuracy. I most definatly want the first shot from a clean barrel to be dead on and at least the second to be right in there too, in case a fallow up shot is needed.

 

[roundball]

My guns are absolutely clean before loading a round. I do not ever use a fouling shot before loading.

Amen.

After being fanatical about cleaning my muzzleloader so you could eat off of it, the last thing in the world I would ever do is shoot a fouling shot then go sit in the woods for several hours with a dirty bore.

 

[BrownBear]

Mine doesn't wander with shots after the first through a clean bore, or at least not enough to matter on deer. But I hate fouling shots that require you to empty and clean the gun each night. I'm usually pretty whupped at the end of a day's hunt, so it's kinda nice to simply blow out the charge, brush the breech and run a lubed patch down the bore.

And yeah, I've left a charge in the bore for a couple of days with no problems, but the theoretical possibility of a misfire keeps gnawing at the back of my brain. Blowing out a charge and recharging the next morning is just too easy and reassuring.

 

[MikeC]

I guess part of the question is are the caps corrosive?

I'd have to say no, not the ones manufactored today, plus one cap followed by a cleaning patch then powder and a PRB is not going to harm the barrel, at least I haven't seen it in nearly 25 years.

 

[roundball]

General comment...just so we don't get too complacant and forget:

It is fairly commonplace to find a used caplock muzzleloader where the cap residue that's sprayed all around the breechplug has resulted in pitting/corrosion because it was invisible and not cleaned off...same for the inside of the hammer shroud on a caplock's hammer.

 

[jerem0621]

Ok. I'm still very new to this game, when ya'll say blow out the charge do you mean you discharge the load in the field? Or are you using some kind of pneumatic device to unload. I still have not taken my New Englander to the field yet and how to unload is a concern of mine.

Thanks a bunch,

Jerem

 

[thumbs]

Most of the time I have just discharged in the field especially if you use a fouling shot. If you have a clean barrel you can blow the charge out with a compressor and keep the clean barrel.

 

[thumbs]

How about one of the 209 primer conversions? I was thinkin about shooting on of them to clear the barrel then put the regular nipple back in. I'm petty sure they are not corrosive. Or how about musket caps? Are they that much hotter? If they are normal precautions and using a musket cap should insure a surefire first shot right? Watcha think