Bonner1
First shot blues... shoot I even hate to talk about it because it seems a lot of folks face the same problem. Yours on the other hand seems to be a bit on the extreme side,
BUT... if after one shot you drop right back in to the sweet place - I can not help but think it might be related to what might be in your bore during that first shot. But, then again....
I hesitate to tell you what my practices are because the really go against the norm - ya well what's new.... but I really never hunt with a 'squeaky clean bore' they are to unreliable for me. I would tell you that I hunt on a 'sorta semi-clean' bore.
All of of my ML's shoot better, more consistent, on a fouled bore.
Gotta tell you have been doing this for years and it did take me awhile to develope the trust in what I do - but I do have confidence in the procedure and powder. In my case it is T7 but I have shot enough BH to tell i would not change a thing between the two powders...
What I do.... after the gun has been sighted in and shot multiple times on different occasions to confirm my sighting in process and the load that I plan on using.
Just prior to the hunting season, usually first part of October, I take the gun out and shoot 3-5 shots to confirm POI. When I get home with the gun I will run a damp (not even close to wet) windex patch and a dry patch - just for drill... At that point I run a
slightly moist X-treme BC patch for two reasons. The Ether Alcohol in the BConditioner, will catch and evaporate any water vapor in the bore and will add a thin coat of protection to the metal of the bore. I really hunt in some lousy weather and would never hunt with a stipped bore - either a blued barrel or stainless, and yep! I do use muzzle mitts when appropriate. The evening prior to the hunt.. the gun is loaded and made ready for the morning hunting.
The gun will remain loaded this way as long as the season goes on. The only time I might shoot the load out or pull it is if I tell myself that I may have somehow compromised the powder. Other than that the same load could stay in the barrel for a couple of months.
If I do shoot the gun the gun during the season and yet I plan on continued use of the gun I just repeat the process suggested at the top and continue hunting. If I shoot in the field and reload in the field - prior to going home for the day I might shoot the load out or my case since I am cheap - I will pull the load at home, dump the powder, save the sabot for target practice, - then reapeat the process....
So in reality... the gun is never cleaned untill after the season... I do not even take the stock off or the windage caps off the scope - nothing is touched.... no need to do nuten.