fouling barrel

[bowfisherman]

I'm thinking I can't foul my barrel before a hunt. I can't fire off a primer at the house and I can't do it in the parking lot of the state game lands (safety zone) and I sure wouldn't want to do it in the woods. So at the range I guess I should shoot a clean barrel. Is this going to be a problem?

[heinz57]

i never foul my barrel ..i like mine nice and clean ...NO it's not going to be a problem ..the deer will never know the difference.

[cayugad]

Sight your rifle in for a clean barrel. But also know what the difference is in POI on a fowled. Many times it is a little different with some rifles.

[lemoyne]

As Cayugad said this may vary somewhat from gun to gun, I have also found that it will vary according to the cleaning and oil you use.
I try different things and got different results, what I am using now with BH209 is Hoppes #9 and alcohol and when I am going to hunt I use Sheath or Barrier [same thing just a name change by the co. that makes it] with this my first shot is on the upper edge of my regular group. Lee

[UncleNorby]

Are you sure that the safety zone precludes you from firing a cap only?

[sproulman]

ORIGINAL: UncleNorby

Are you sure that the safety zone precludes you from firing a cap only?

i make sure i clean oil out of gun with alcohal patch, then dry it,ballon over barrel.

on hunting high powered rifles, only time we see difference in POI is when barrel heats up.

for hunting, your barrel does not heat up.

when i sight in my muzzleloader/rifle I TAKE MY 22 CAL buckmark pistol and shoot like 25 shots while letting my barrel cool down.

i use those 22 cal targets that spin when you hit them.

i always shoot out of cool barrel to sight in just like your barrel will be when you go hunting.

yes, my barrels are never fouled, nice and clean and dry with balloon over muzzle.

[j2000]

The only time i fire a primer is to clear the breechplug before shooting,i dont think a primer will fowl a barrel up enough to make a difference on how the gun is going to preform

[bowfisherman]

ORIGINAL: UncleNorby

Are you sure that the safety zone precludes you from firing a cap only?

Park ranger said I can't but I'm not sure. Park rangers have no idea what the rules are.

[bowfisherman]

ORIGINAL: sproulman

i make sure i clean oil out of gun with alcohal patch, then dry it,ballon over barrel.

on hunting high powered rifles, only time we see difference in POI is when barrel heats up.

for hunting, your barrel does not heat up.

when i sight in my muzzleloader/rifle I TAKE MY 22 CAL buckmark pistol and shoot like 25 shots while letting my barrel cool down.

i use those 22 cal targets that spin when you hit them.

i always shoot out of cool barrel to sight in just like your barrel will be when you go hunting.

yes, my barrels are never fouled, nice and clean and dry with balloon over muzzle.

thats a good idea about bringing a 22 to plink with while the barrel cools down.

[bronko22000]

It takes me some time but I sight in with a clean barrel. Before my initial load, I swab the bore with a 50:50alcohol/windex(w/amonia) mixture. and dry patches.
On my flinters, I also wipe off the frizzen with carbuerator cleaner or other degreaser to remove any oil which may reduce spark.
If I do need a second shot in the field, and because I normally am using black powder, depending on what rifle I am using, I run a spit patch down the bore and a dry patch. I am fortunate that a couple of my rifles do not show much preference between clean and fouled barrel.