Shooting/reloading and cleaning?
 

I want to shoot my inline in with 777 or black powder,i have 3 to do. These are to used by my Grandson and his father.
My question is; If i or we,get these zeroed in,than clean them,i want to shoot a fouling shot,to season the bores,how long before once fired barrels begin to pit or rust from the 777 or the black powder?

Mounting Man, weather conditions have a lot to do with what you can get away with. Down here in Louisiana humidity I want to clean a fouled bore within 24 hours regardless of whether the fouling is real black powder, Triple Seven, or Pyrodex. In a low humidity situation you could probably go a bit longer so long as you monitor the condition of the bore.

You might give consideration to hunting with a clean bore. It's a bit tedious to find out if the clean bore/first shot from a barrel is consistent. But I find it worth the trouble. You have to shoot at least three shots (five is better) at the same target with each shot from a fully clean, dry, and cold bore. After each clean bore shot, shoot a second shot with the fouled bore on a different target, with all second shots on the same target.

If the clean bore shots form a decent group, sight the gun in for that group. The target from the second shot/fouled bore shots will tell you what kind of Kentucky Windage is needed (if any) in the event a second hunting shot on a fouled bore is necessary.

For quite a few years now I have swabbed the bore with a dry patch to remove any left over oil and then pop one primer. I hunt with it this way until I shoot. I hunt out West in the dry air and in the humid South as well as the dew covered Appalachians. FOR ME, it has not been a problem but I certainly wouldn't suggest anyone take my advice without experimenting first.

The other side of this is that I've owned more MLs than I care to admit and the majority of guns that come through my hands do not have a different POI from a "clean" bore (as described above) vs. a dirty bore. There is one manufacturer that seems to more prone to having this issue than all the others though.

I hope this helps.

That's been my experience also TN. But the bore must be oil free.

I've found the first shot from a clean bore that still has oil in it is much more likely to be out of group. Whereas the clean bore shot from a bore that has been wiped with a very wet alcohol patch (followed by a dry patch or two) before loading is likely to be within group.

most rifles... there is little difference in POI from a clean to a dirty bore. Although I do have a Knight LK that will throw the first shot up to 2 inches out. So I do foul that bore. I then clean the rifles at the end of the say.

Depending on the weather, humidity, and environmental factors, with Triple Seven when I tested it on barrel steel it went three days before it showed any sign of even starting to rust. But again that was sitting inside my house on a shelf where I could watch it.

Try the rifles on a clean bore. Swab the barrel with an alcohol patch then a dry patch. Then pop three primers through it. Load it and see where it hits in relation to the second shot. They should be real close.

Thanks guys. I think i will just swab a clean bore let them use the guns. Another reason,being that i won't be hunting with them and these are my guns and i don't want them to shoot and let the guns lay around for a few days.
I have been swabbing between shots for a few years but thought i might be wrong,doing that.

Thanks again,