HuntingNet.com Forums - That First Shot--Again?

HuntingNet.com Forums (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/)

- Black Powder (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder-23/)

- - That First Shot--Again? (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/397284-first-shot-again.html)

That First Shot--Again?

This morning i had a chance to shoot the first shot from a cold clean barrel once again. Results were about the same as previously. The fifth shot was called; the eighth shot felt good, but flew high, and wide so i quit.

Following is a post made to a different thread last week; it explains what i should explain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronlaughlin (Post 4181505)

Here lately i have been shooting about 15 shots nearly every morning. Mostly why, is to verify the second QRBP breech plug that was converted over to use rifle primers will work reliably. Each morning the shooting has begun with a cold clean barrel. Each morning the results have been quite similar. Often the first shot is the lowest shot, but not always. The target from this morning follows.

The group including the first shot measures 1/8" larger than the group measured not including the first shot. No swabbing was done whilst shooting. The only shot fired from a cold clean barrel was the first. Similar results have been happening each of several previous mornings.

Now, i have been reading this forum for years now, and i realize some will say/think that this rifle happens to be one, that puts the first shot the same place as the following shots. Many will say/think most rifles won't put the first shot with the following shots.

Last year, before hunting season started, i was shooting two other rifles that did the same as this one. The first shot from a cold clean barrel hit close to the following shots, from the fouled barrel, without swabbing. At that time i tried all kind of tricks to try and get the first shot to group with the following shots. Things like popping primers, before loading, using special regimen, and such. In the end, all the tricks seemed fruitless, and i just resorted to shooting the first shot from a cold clean barrel.

It seems i own 3 rifles that put the first shot from a cold clean barrel into the same grouping as the following shots, without swabbing, between shots. Well, i can't help wondering why. It seems to me, most shooters oil their barrels with something. Well, i don't. My rifles are cleaned with a 2-in-1 bore cleaner, which supposedly leaves a protective coating. Whether this affects the first clean shot being in the same group as the following shots... I just don't know, but it is what i do. Me, i don't believe it is using the large rifle magnum primers, instead of shotgun primers, that has the first shot flying like the rest of the shots.

That's still good shooting.Do you mind me asking what kinda bore cleaner you have been using since it seems to be working for you.I was given a couple of sample bottles of eezox.I haven't formed an opinion yet..

I've had a few CVA guns that shot like that. I love it. It means I can hunt on a clean barrel.

Pete, we were told to tell you something.... what was it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by inghamtr (Post 4182139)

....Do you mind me asking what kinda bore cleaner you have been using....

2-in-1 Bore Cleaner.

That to me is exceptional shooting... I will have to try that load with my Optima. Thanks for the heads up. That Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber is GOOD STUFF!! They sell it in spray cans at our Wal Mart and I use that when I shoot Black Horn 209. Cleans the rifle real nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronlaughlin (Post 4182174)

2-in-1 Bore Cleaner.

Haven't tried it yet, but I'll get some the next time I am at Walmart. Sounds like good stuff.

Birchwood-Casey 2 In 1 and Kano AerKroil are all I use for my two break-action MLs. They remove everything.... carbon, copper, lead, plastic residue.......etc. My centerfires see a third product, for they both are semi-auto gas guns. For the moving action, I use Ballistol for the slides, action and exterior of all my guns.

I take Ballistol to deer camp and use it exclusively there, for everything maintained during hunting week there. The best part of taking it, is nobody wants to come near it and borrow it, for it stinks bad and the homeowner every year threatens to ban me from his home for bringing it.:wink:

There are so many rust-inhibiting (not rust preventative) gun oils on the market to protect it long-term after that. They are a dime-a-dozen. The best rust-buster is a nice, dry environment that surrounds your stored MLs.

Very nice shooting Ron, and only 80-85 gr of Blackhorn and 300 gr load. Ive been using the eezox spray can and Im happy with it its also a 2-1 cleaner,preservative. I just fire 1 or 2 primers then load no swabbing before or after with the Blackhorn.

New Bullet--270g Deep Curl

This morning the battery was removed from wife' old truck... then i headed for the hills. As before the first shot was from a shiny cold clean barrel. This time the bullet of choice was the 270g Deep Curl. It was much warmer today than before, and the barrel kinda heated up faster than i like, so, after 3 shots, i took a break from shooting, to walk up to the target, and photograph it.

The fourth shot was called; maybe i was breathing too much after the short walk. The fifth, and seventh shots went into the same hole as the first, and third shot. The sixth shot went into the same hole as the second shot.

The eighth shot goes unexplained?? This day the rifle barrel got warmer than it ever has, since it came here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gman57 (Post 4182293)

Worked good on that deer!

Those are some good patterns!

Ron, are you cleaning the 2&1 out with a solvent or dry patch or just shooting with the residual from cleaning in the bore?

When i return home from shooting a rifle, the first thing i do is remove the breech plug. Then i run a dry patch down and back, and toss it.

Then another dry patch down and back; turn it inside out, and run it down and back, and toss it.

Then i soak a patch with solvent, and run it back and forth in the barrel, a few times.

Then a clean dry patch is run down and back, which soaks up the solvent.

Then a clean dry patch is run a few times down the barrel; it is turned inside out, and run a few times down the barrel. This patch usually is quite clean on the reverse side when finished.

Again, but Further

On top of the ridge out in the bald hills, it was 30*, and the air was almost perfectly still. Seemed it was a good morning to try, and shoot 200 yard. As before, the first shot is taken from a shiny, cold, clean barrel.

Ron, you are my idle! I wish I could shoot as good as you.

ED, you got the idle part right, but wife might change things.

Sorry Ron fat fingers again. Meant Idol. grin

Can't complain about that Ron. Nice job! :D

30* that's a heat wave for you ain't it... colder than that here.

30 degrees with no wind is really quite comfortable. However, if one was just sitting in a tree, it may not be so nice.

Used W209 primer today. First 5 shots at top target. Next 10 shots at lower target, after elevation adjustment. First shot from cold, shiny, clean barrel. Damp feeling, chilly feeling morning @ 22 degree. Once again the eighth shot was an unexplained flier?

It's probably explainable, had you either changed breechplugs, or scraped the flash channel and opened the flash hole, then shot-off a couple primers-only, one shot sooner.

The Hornady company is probably hoping you never find a cure for what's ailing you. :)

You have a terrific combo there and I'd only be more concerned about shots 1 and 2.

Nice shooting Ron. Whats up with shot 15? Looks like you shot a .58 :) Did it keyhole? Or just an odd oversized tear?

So with the 95g BH and the 270's... it appears you have about 3" drop from 100 to 200. Is that about right, and would that be typical in your experience?

There is another bullet hole in the backer right next to shot 15, which explains the odd tear.

No, it wasn't really a 3" drop, because i turned the elevation dial up 5 1/2 moa, before shooting at 200 yard. If one looks at the target made on the 28th, one sees my zero was about 1" or so high at 100 yard, and i changed the elevation dial up from what it was on the 28th, plus added 5g of powder. Then today, the primers were switched. It is hard to know what the actual drop would be from 100 to 200, because of the changes made, but my wag is, it would be about 8".

Three inches drop with that powder load, and that bullet would not be typical.

Ok, thanks for explaining - that makes alot more sense. I figured there's no way he could have only 3" drop, but a fleeting thought was man if that's actually right....he hit on the holy grail load!

Looks like that load shoots quite well for you. Have you tried a heavier load of BH in that gun yet?

95g is the heaviest load tried so far in this rifle.

Just now did some guessing of mv, and input some information into a ballistic program. It say if the rifle is zeroed at 100 yard, the bullet will be about 1 foot low at 200 yard. Then changing the input some, the program say if the bullet is 6 1/2" high at 100 yard, it will be zeroed at 200 yard.

6 1/2" high at 100 yard kinda/sorta fits what happened in real life yesterday. On the 28th the bullet was around 1" high at 100 yard, and yesterday, after rotating the elevation dial 5 1/2 moa up, it was kinda close to zero at 200 yard.