the fouling shot and hunting
 

Beginning tomorrow I plan to officially become a black powder hunter. I've noticed my rifle shoots a tad different at 25 yards from a completely clean barrel. My question is, with it being around if not slightly more than an inch (total estimate, haven't actually measured a flyer)at 25 yardsand I expect my max shot to be 75 (dense woods on our land), would I be ok hunting from a clean barrel? I hate to have to blow off a shot in the morning to foul the barrel but I also don't want to leave crud in my barrelbecause I'm not planning on unloading every day during the season.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

As long as you know where it will impact on the first shot you'll be fine.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

You need to know where your gun shoots with a clean barrel...
I have hunted with muzzleloaders for over 30 years, I refuse to hunt with my barrel dirty as black powder is very corrosive.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

All guns are different animals. It make take you 10 trips to the range to find your sweet spot - using only the first clean, coldbarrel shot. You need to take 2-3 guns to the range - shoot one shot from your muzzleloader - then retrieve & save the target. Adjust the sights afterwards the best you can. Then shoot your other guns - tobenefit from the costs of range time.

Go out the next week & repeat the first week - shooting only one shot and adjusting the sights again the best you can. Keep doing this until you are comfortable with that first shot. Always prepare the inside the bore the exact same way each time. Use the same preparation procedure each time. Don't change anything - don't change primer/caps - don't change oils - don't change the way you remove the oils and dry the bore - don't change how you fire caps/primers before loading that first shot.

Sometimes 3-4 trips is all you need -- sometimes it may take 10 trips.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

metaldonnieg

First off - i want to make sure you understand that i am shooting T7 powder, were i shooting any of the other powders i woul not suggest what I do...

I hunt with what i would like to call a "semi-fouled" barrel... I shoot my rifles prior to the hunt then I patch them with regular windex patches until the patch comes pretty clear. This usually takes 3 patches and a couple of drying patches.. The gun will not truly be cleaned (squeaky clean) until the end of the season.

My guns doshoot more consistently through all ranges with a "semi" fouled bore - so that is the reason I developed this method and have been using it for 6-7 years now. There is not much of an opportunity to shoot a fouling shot before the hunt in the morning - heck i even hate closing the doors on the truck in the morning they make a definite human sound - so there is no way I am shooting caps or a fouling shot prior to hunting.

Again this with T7 powder...

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

You'd be wise to hunt on a clean barrel. BP and Pyrodex are hygroscopic and corrosive, and the other BP substitutes are very hygroscopic (IOW, they attract and trap moisture from the air which will rust your barrel). If your rifle is not consistant with a clean barrel, then you could hunt with a fouled barrel, but I'd recommend you carefully weatherproof the barrel (i.e. finger-cot, condom or electrical tape over the muzzle and tape or Saran Wrap over the action) to prevent moisture from entering during your hunting day. Followed by a full cleaning each evening as soon as you get home. It's a pain in the a$$, but sometimes you have to do this to ensure the one and only shot you'll likely get on game will hit where you aim it.

Or you could do what I do, and shoot your foulers in October and leave it dirty for the whole season...IF you shoot a Savage with smokeless powder!:D;)

Good luck on your opener. I'm going out for the first time this year tomorrow too. My late ML season started on the 17th, but this is the first opportunity I've had. I'm meat hunting this year because I might only get a couple days to hunt, so I plan on dropping the hammer on the first decent sized deer I get a clear shot at, buck or doe. I just want to fill my freezer.

Mike

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

"I refuse to hunt with my barrel dirty as black powder is very corrosive."

Same here. My muzzleloaders are sighted in with clean barrels.Black powder or Pyrodex residue will ruin a fired barrel in a couple of days. 777 is claimed to be non-corrosive, but tell that to an acquaintance of mine who ruined his Encore barrel this fall.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

I shot all summer long sighting in for a clean barrel first shot. My first shot will be the one that counts. Before I went out both opening mornings of the Illinois firearm seasons I cleaned my barrel of oil with two alcohol patches, a couple of dry patches then loaded up. I was out of the woods cleaning my gun by 8:30 both days....didn't need a second shot.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

Hate to come off sounding negative, but if you've only shot at 25 yards and only know it's a "tad" off on the first shot, maybe you aren't ready to gohunting with it!
Some rifles will put a shots from a fouled bore very close to the first shot from a clean (but oil-free) bore, some won't. It's that first shot that's all-important and you need to know exactly where it's going. I like to think of that first shot asthe only shot, because in hunting is often is!

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

What if you have a stainless gun barrel can you leave it fouled without rusting the barrel?

Just seems like if you only shoot your gun with a clean barrel it would take month's to get it sited in with some. I can see shooting a semi fouled barrel but only spit shined.....

If your gun is off several inches at 25 yards isn't itmore then likely it's going to be WAY off at 75 yards?

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

The kind of powder you use will make a big difference. If you know where the rifle shoots on a clean barrel, then adjust your sights and hunt from a clean barrel. If you only know where it hits consistantly from a fowled barrel, then fowl it, hunt with it, and clean it that night... And start all over the next day.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

"What if you have a stainless gun barrel can you leave it fouled without rusting the barrel?"

Not for very long. Stainless steel also rusts.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

Yep. The "stainless" steel that's used to make gun barrel (usually 416R but sometimes 410), is NOT the same alloy as the stainless steel in your silverware drawer. While the stainless your spoons are made out of is extremely corrosion resistant, you may have noticed that the SS isn't very hard and bends easily. Gun barrels aren't made out of this alloy, for obvious reasons. 416 SS is hard enough and strong enough to handle the repetitive pressures and stresses of a firearm, but it not nearly as corrosion resistant. Far more so than blued chrome-moly steel, but prolonged exposure to moisture and/or corrosives for any length of time and it can and will rust and pit.

Better to clean it thouroughly after every days use than to have it rust and pit and regret it later.

Mike

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

I think some are confused w/fouling a barrel and corrosion. You can foul your barrel w/ a #11 cap or 209 primer and in no WAY cause corrosion when you drop your powder load down thisprimer fouled barrel. Corrusion only happens when you explode the BP or substitute to cause the causticreaction or as already been pointed out, wet powder. With that being said I have always shot clean barrels and swabbed totally clean between shots. This season howeverI had some trouble w/my X-7 Omega and I ended up dirting the barrel w/a 209 to get my Sabertooth load where I wanted it. By the timeI figured out the clean shots were 11" high I was all sighted in and didn't wantto change anything for the season. I hunted in heavy snow and rain conditions of 17 degrees up to the low 30's. What I NEVER do is bring my firearm into a warm enviroment unless in a padded or foamed gun case and would let it warm up to room temp for 12 hrs unlessI were to clean it. I have followed this rule for 7 NY seasons and NEVER have had a misfire or delayed ignition. I have always covered my barrel ends when hunting by useing finger cots or the cut off ends of those harbor freight blue gloves. I originally started out w/ ballons but the were not very strong and split easy. I always keep a 5 on hand, hehe!

But to be sure if you do shoot a fouling shot w/a true powder load and don't clean it for a season, kiss that barrel goodby...

BTY, I didn't fire my BP rifle this season for the first time in 7 yrs.. None of the deer racks I saw were outside the ears and 8 point or better. I hunt BP through the regular firearms season whenall I hear is BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. It just blows my mind to hear so many shots day after day. Either they miss one heck of alot and need some range time or are mameing tons of game. I only found one dead doe that the crows were feasting on.
When I shoot everyone comes to see....KaBoom, dead deer....
I have numerous high power modern rifles that hold very tight groups that I don't shoot,JUST love BP.....
Thanks,
Steve

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

Seems to me if you can get 1st shot accuracy from a clean barrel than go with it! The question is...can you? I guess it may take quite a bit of work (shooting) to find that load. Yeah, sounds like fun!!!

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

Amen!

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

My Optima always shoots high on the first cold, clean barrel. Either sabotloader or cayugad suggested fouling before I shoot for groups. It eliminated the first high one. I load about 40g of 777 2FFg and a cleaning wad and fire it off. I only spit patch through out the entire session.

RE: the fouling shot and hunting
 

oldrookie

Basically that is the same thing I do, but I would also say I think T7 is the only powder we can do this with. Instead of the spit patch I do use a Windex patch, throughtout the season... + I do another no-no also, I do lightly, very lightly, oil the bore again for a little added bore protection in the fould Idaho weather.

This procedure has offered me the protection and the accuracy that I feel very comfortable with.