Fouling the barrel before a hunt?

[Ben K]

With my limited experience so far in using a muzzleloader, I have learned that it is a good idea to fire a cap or two with the barrel held close to the ground to see if the dust moves.

I've been reading Kim Stuart's book, and he wrote about the first shot at the range being off target until the barrel got fouled.

So, when I park the Toyota, ready to hunt, am I meant to fire a charge of powder with or without a ball? Or just a cap or two?

I guess noise is something to consider. I'm lucky in that if it is necessary to fire a charge, I can do that easily someplace miles before my hunting location.

What do you guys do?

Kind regards,

Ben

 

[mooman76]

I wouldn't myself. That would mean you would have to clean the gun that or each day and then fire it again the next day. Smokeless gun fine but for smokeless I would just take note where the gun shoots on first shot. Usually it won't make that much difference anyway for hunting purposes.

 

[nwtradegun]

it depends on the gun. you will have to range test it to determine if a fouling shot is needed.

 

[BrownBear]

I sight in so the first shot from a clean barrel is right on. I really don't want to wander around all the time with a fouled barrel.

 

[longcruise]

I sight my hunting loads by carefully wiping the bore between shot. Nice and clean and then a dry patch to get it as close to fresh as possible. Using that system, my first ball out is the same as those i shot at sight in.

Snapping caps will not fould your bore to match a fired barrel. The fouling from the cap however can easily mix with any oil residue in the breech area and form a goombah that might cause a misfire later in the day.

'ats just my view on it, your mileage may vary.

 

[tenngun]

I swab tween shots mostly and think a clean gun shoots best. I shoot a flinter and don't have a patten breach. I blow down my bore, many find that unsafe, and you can get the same effect by swabbing with a clean patch. You can hear air blow out of a touch hole. Putting your gun on half cock and swabbing with a tight patch will blow air out the vent, as well as cap popping. You can pump with it and make sure you vent is clear. You gun will be clean and ready for the next day if you don't get a shot

 

[Vaino]

When I was shooting conicals in my .50 cal. TC Hawken which moved off the charge in a clean bbl, the thought struck me to foul the bbl and get rid of the nuisance of having to check where the conical was. I opted for a clean bbl and eventually went to a PRB.

I've never had a difference in POI between a clean or fouled bbl.....so I don't clean between shots.

Possibly I was lucky in finding loads that shot the same POI w/ either a clean or fouled bbl, but I tend to think it was expending the extra effort in finding a load that that did such.

Hunting w/ a clean bbl has it's advantages....if a shot isn't taken while hunting, that evening the rifle doesn't require cleaning....so, I can then just savor a couple shots of bourbon instead.....Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lot of good advice from others so far.
My practice has long been to make sure bore is clean and free of oil and fouling. Knowing that means popping a cap is not necessary. (someone is going to argue with that, fer sure :wink: ). Then, regardless if I'm using flint or perc. I load with my prefered hunting load then swab the bore with a light coating of WD-40. I'm good for the season or until I get my game, which ever comes first. But, a dirty bore is a dirty bore and requires cleaning every night after the hunt.

 

[mooman76]

I pop a few caps before I go out but that is my routine. If someone is confident in their routine that they don't need to then that is fine for them. It's a matter confidence in your gun and knowing what your gun likes. No substitute for hands on with your gun.

 

[roundball]

I sight in so the first shot from a clean barrel is right on. I really don't want to wander around all the time with a fouled barrel.

Amen...even after shooting a deer, I'm in no hurry to go after it...take 10 minutes with a field cleaning kit to clean/dry/lube the bore before reloading then clean the lock up as well...no way do I hunt with a dirty Flintlock.

 

[Black Hand]

Personally, I don't worry about it as in my experience, it really doesn't makes that much difference. I hunt with a clean bore and then reload as needed without cleaning. If I've fired a shot in the field while hunting, I clean when I get home.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Test it! Where does the second and third shot go?

 

[Ben K]

Thanks, everybody! I appreciate the advice. Cheers, Ben

 

[Rat Trapper]

I run a patch down the barrel with alchol to remove the oil. Then I run a dry patch down and pop couple caps. when the patch is removed the patch should have a burn mark on it. If it doesn't don't load it until you get the problem fixed as it won't fire. I sight my rifle in to shoot to point of aim with a clean dry barrel. My rifle may stay loaded for a number of days until I find a deer I want.

 

[Patocazador]

Over the years I have had several hang-fires or no-fires with the first shot while hunting due to whatever reasons. I have never had a misfire on a second shot (hurriedly reloading after the first).

Even though it seems to make sense to foul the barrel for this reason and perhaps accuracy, I don't do it. I always go out with a clean barrel with a freshly-loaded charge. Maybe I should use a fouled barrel but I don't.

 

[galamb]

When hunting I never worry about where the second or third shot might go in relation to the first.

So as has been stated, I sight with my first shot.

Unless Bambi stands there laughing at you because you missed, allowing you time to reload, you typically don't get a second shot anyhow

 

[Curt]

How does that work if you are squirrel huntin. Seems to me you could go hungry if you miss the first time . Curt

 

[BrownBear]

If your gun demands a clean bore, swab it after the shot. I've found it to be a non-issue even in small bores when you're using a good lube the gun likes.

I can only speak for certain about my own guns, but based on that experience I have to guess that a whole lot of the issues and complaints about fouling have all to do with poor lube choice.

 

[tenngun]

Well I had a senaca rifle and was hunting them tree rats. Sitting under a hickory tree with a another oak so close I could touch it with my rifle at a 45 degree angle to my left. I heard a rat barking over my right shoulder at an awkward angle to aim at. I shot, and like most of my rifle shots at tree rats I missed. Around the back of the tree he went. I started loading and down the tree he ran. I had just started to run ball down my rifle when that squirrel ran across my front heading to the tree on my left. I smacked him with the but of my Seneca as it ran across me. So if there are any doubters you can kill with a ml rifle :haha:

 

[Curt]

After lookin over a bunch of old targets i have, I think The First Shot Is a Wild Shot might not be common for every one.Startin off with a clean and dry bore is what has always worked for me .My vision gives me more problems than my rifles do.I have never had to wipe between shots while out squirrel or deer huntin.But I say do what it takes to keep them goin.Tenngun Ive had some gooffy stuff happen too while on the lookout for game but I dont type too fast so ill save it for a rainy day. Curt