Hunt with clean or fouled barrel?

[Hawken-Hunter]

At the range I've noticed my first shot is usually 5" off center, but the rest of my shots are are centered on the bulls-eye. So I assume a single fouling shot is best for hunting, but how long can I wait before I have to clean the fouled barrel. Also, won't the fouling shot scare off my prey? I am new to hunting. Thanks for your advice.

 

[roundball]

Two comments:
1) I never hunt with a dirty muzzleloader;
2) I always sight in for the first shot out of a clean cold barrel...that's usually the only shot we get to take.

And also IMO, something doesn't seem right for you to be experiencing that huge of a difference between a clean and fouled barrel.
What are the specifics of what you're using...barrel, caliber, powder, patch, ball ??

 

[RC]

jus had a gun that shot EXtremey Low on first shot...an first only..worked with it till found jus using a heavier patch on first shot fixed it,,next shots w/ reg load were right on..(I'm not gonna hunt with fouled gun..) :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Hats off to both roundball for the insight and RC for the solution.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hats off to both roundball for the insight and RC for the solution.

Yes :thumbsup: had me scratchin' my head abit.

B.

 

[Dphar]

At the range I've noticed my first shot is usually 5" off center, but the rest of my shots are are centered on the bulls-eye. So I assume a single fouling shot is best for hunting, but how long can I wait before I have to clean the fouled barrel. Also, won't the fouling shot scare off my prey? I am new to hunting. Thanks for your advice.

Change patch lubes for starters.
If experimentation in patch lubes and patches has no effect put a different barrel on it since there is something fundamentally wrong.
Have you tried shooting a shot, loading the rifle then letting it set outside for 2-3 hours to see where the point of impact is?
Hunting with a dirty gun is a setup for a misfire if the humidity is over 45-50%.

Dan

 

[Stumpkiller]

I hunt clean, but before loading (hunting or target) I swab the bore with a lubed patch. Seems to keep my first shot in the group.

(PS - I stop a few inches short of the breech to prevent lube getting in the vent or near where the powder will sit).

 

[rabjr]

Always a clean gun...

 

[Spikebuck]

I stop a few inches short of the breech to prevent lube getting in the vent or near where the powder will sit).

Honest question, not judging the practice: With fresh lube in the barrel, even if you stop short, won't the first load of powder down the barrel "stick" on the lube and won't the tightly patched round ball also push that lube on top of your powder as you push it down and seat it? If not a problem, great, but somehow I see a bunch of lube sitting on top of the powder and possibly fouling it.

 

[rancher]

I hunt with a cleaned barrel. I don't like to leave my muzzleloaders sit with a dirty barrel.

 

[wattlebuster]

Clean for me. The sun will NEVER set with a dirty gun at my place :thumbsup:

 

[MeatStick]

I too sight my rifles from clean cold bore. What do you consider dirty? I always fire off about 5gr from a fresh clean bore, then brush and mop to be sure there is no oils or condensation before hunting or target shooting. I don't consider this dirty, and had never had any I'll effects. I also fire it off every night after hunting, disassemble and clean it for the next day.

 

[roundball]

Not trying to be cute here but there's not a lot of leeway to answer your question...as far as I'm concerned, my Flintlocks exist in one of two conditions...they are either:

1) 100% squeaky clean...100%

2) Not 100% squeaky clean...not 100%.
If anything has been done to them after I've 100% cleaned them, that introduces any amount of fouling whatsoever, then its dirty and the clock is ticking.

Speaking only for myself, I find zero logic in going to all the trouble I do to keep my long guns spotless...only to then for no beneficial reason...intentionally make them dirty with BP fouling and then go hunting with them that way for several hours.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I stop a few inches short of the breech to prevent lube getting in the vent or near where the powder will sit).

Honest question, not judging the practice: With fresh lube in the barrel, even if you stop short, won't the first load of powder down the barrel "stick" on the lube and won't the tightly patched round ball also push that lube on top of your powder as you push it down and seat it?

Undoubtedly. But I only worry about the 1/2" of powder column closest the vent and that will have fallen straight down or passed over trapped brethren along the walls. When it's packed in it likely does squeege some of the lube on top, ahead of the ball. When hunting I drop a small wax of waxed paper in ahead of the patched ball and let that sit between the patch and the powder.

I also don't slobber on the lube. You don't see it in the weave of my lubed patches, even. Just the minimal that will slick the bore and do the job.

Either it doesn't matter or it works. Last night I discharged my flintlock at a rock in my creek beside the house. The rifle had been loaded and hunted with for three days, one in the snow under a cow's knee, and it went KPOW! without hesitation.

 

[Skychief]

Hawken-Hunter, I only hunt with a squeaky clean, dry as a bone bore. If I had a rifle that shot cold as you describe and could not remedy the problem, I would find a new rifle. Seriously.

Good luck with it, Skychief

 

[Bob J]

Hawken Hunter - using wonder-lubed pillow ticking, my first shot out of a squeeky clean barrel shoots to the same POI as subsequent shots. I recommend changing components until you find what works for you. But first, is the ball/patch combo you are using tight enough?

 

[ravenousfishing]

When you sighted in your rifle, did you clean or swab between shots? When I sight in my rifle for hunting, I run a wet patch followed by a dry patch and repeat until clean between EVERY shot. I also wait 5-10 min between shots to keep the barrel cool. That way, each shot is the same as the first shot, which is really the only one that matters when hunting. The rifle may or may not shoot a slightly tighter group to a slightly different point of impact when fouled, but it's that first cold barrel, clean-bore shot that counts. Good Luck

 

[Hawken-Hunter]

Lots of good comments - thanks. I agree with all of you that fouling the barrel is not desired, especially since I go to such great pains to clean it that night.

I'm using a .54 caliber percussion Lyman GPR with a .530 ball on 100 grains FFg with a .020 prelubed patch from Eastern Maine Shooting Supplies. When sighting-in at the range, I clean the barrel between shots with a wet patch or two and then dry it - my attempt to make every shot like the first shot. However, my first shot is typically several inches left, and all subsequent shots are in a 3" group about the center at 75 yards. Based on everyone's comments, I will try a slighty thicker patch for my first shot.

Eventually I would like to use "homemade" hand-cut patches moistened with saliva. I think this is more traditional. Also, I think the lube on the prelubed patches creates a sticky mess in the barrel.

 

[RC]

when we did my bro's 50...i measured bluejeans,,these were.030 and..gun loaded easy w .020's.. so we had no worries with .030...if yers loads easy with .020's ole blue jeans may do the trick fer first shot...as for spit patches.I use them for range events an woodswalks..but huntin always use a lube..spit will dry out quickly...good luck!
:hatsoff:

 

[BrownBear]

I'm a little leery of prelubed patches, mostly because they're not "dated" and you just don't know what's happened to them before they reached your hand. That "explanation" is more of a guess, but it's based on the mixed results I get from them from one batch to the next.

My favorite "grease" lube from commercial sources is Track of the Wolf's Mink Oil Tallow for consistency over a wide range of temperatures and guns. I make my own grease lubes too, but all I've made are more susceptible to temperatures.

BTW- That can of Mink Oil is a better buy than it looks. In spite of the photo, it comes in an 8 ounce tin about as big around as a 1# coffee can, but sawed off to an inch thick or so. It's a many-year supply, even for me using it for a leather treatment, too.