rifle cleaning .... accuracy of those first 1 or 2 shots

[new pig hunter]

here's a topic for discussion: Rifle Cleanliness vs. Accuracy of that first shot when you're hunting.

Situation: I cleaned my Marlin 375 last month with patches, Hoppe's No. 9, bore brush, and a copper remover. Wipe, brush, scrub, wipe, flush, wipe, brush ... over and over ... a nice clean shiny bore. Then used lots of DuraLube in the barrel, let it soak in, then wipe out excess.

Went to the range this morning. 220-gr Hornady bullet, at 100 yards:
1st shot from this nice squeaky clean barrel: at least 6" high.
2nd shot: about 4" high.
3rd shot: about 2" high.
4th shot and subsequent: around 1" high.

SO: what's up with that ?? I shot about 50 total shots. When the barrel apparently got "dirty" after the first 3 shots, the shots then stayed inside an 8" shoot-n-see target.

AND, the same "phenomenon" occurred with my Howa bolt-action .30-06 (factory Federal VitalShok ammo, 180-gr TSX bullet): 1st shot 6" high, subsequently moving down to group nicely 1" high.

Anyone else have such things happen ??

Cheers,

Carl

p.s. I'm going pig hunting next week and I don't plan to clean the rifles before I go. I don't need that first shot to be six inches high ... or going somewhere that isn't where I'm aiming.

[1886]

I have never used duralube so I can not comment. In my experience one shot is generally enough to foul the barrel. Have you used duralube in the past with similar results or is it a new project? 1886.

[new pig hunter]

I have used DuraLube Spray Lubricant for a few years on all my rifles and pistols. I have discovered that it coats the barrel and makes for much easier cleaning, it would seem very little adheres to the coated metal surface.

But I have noticed a tendency for the 1st shot from a nice & clean barrel to be way high.

Cheers,

Carl

[1886]

So it would seem that if you use duralube you will need to fire enough rounds to bring your point of impact down to your point of aim then you are in business. You may consider taking the fouled arm out again and see if the point of impact remains consistent. Regards. 1886.

[iceman]

That is why I don't clean my rifles after preseason testing. Once hunting season is over I give them a good cleaning. Before doing any test loads etc, I always fire at least 3 shots before getting serious.

[Dave]

I have seen some very fine rifles that would shoot the first shot from a cold clean bore out of the group every time. Some of these guns would put the cold clean shot in the same spot every time.
I never hunt a clean gun. I always have about 4 rounds down the gun before I go hunting.
Of course a good shooter's gun is seldom clean anyway

[Paul Jenkins]

I shoot a couple thousand rds a year in .25-06,.30-06,.4570 and all shoot high in a clean barrel. As you discovered, 3 shots to settle it to a consistant POI. I always try to get 3 or 4 shots off before hunting.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I stay away from those super slick space age lubs. Good old Hoppe`s gun oil works great for me.
The first shot from a clean barrel may or may not be in the group depending on the rifle. In the photo below, all the top groups were fired with the first shot coming from a clean and oiled barrel. They are indicated by the arrows. These fifty shots were fired in about 1 1/2 hr. giving time for cleaning and cooling. Shot at 100yd.


Without the testing you are doing, you would never have known this would happen. How many times have you heard someone say this #@$%
rifle aint no good. Second deer I missed today!!

[1886]

Pretty good shooting Chuck. Gotta love that Varget. 1886.

[Marlin .35]

In your particular rifle and with your chosen load, you need to fire 5 rounds, before you take it hunting.I have been a target shooter all my life, and use Remington Teflon. Run a clean patch down the barrel and then foul with one shot. All the rest are within one inch!!! Kroil is also a good gun lubricant, cleaner, and accuracy oil!!! Good lucl on your hunt!! Art

[Mojo]

All of my Marlins will string shots a good eight to ten inches with a clean bore and will not settle down until at least five fouling shots have been fired. My bolt actions aren't that bad but will still string a bit. When going into the field to hunt I never, ever take a clean rifle. The bore needs a certain amount of fouling. I will clean my rifles before putting them away after the season and go to the range to foul the rifle again before hunting season begins. I do not touch the bore again until after the season. At the most, I might run a dry patch through if I think there might be some debris inside otherwise it goes untouched until after hunting season. Did you allow the rifle to cool sufficiently between shots or did you start with a cold barrel and fire the shots in succession? Heating will also have a significant affect on accuracy. I think the fouling thing applies to all rifles. I can't tell you the number of stories I've heard about guys going to the range to sight in their rifles (firing one shot after another) and then going home to dutifully clean them only to miss their first shot at a really nice deer on opening day.

[Charles]

I don't hunt much anymore, but when I did, I sighted in the rifle shortly before the hunt and didn't clean the barrel. I never had a problem with a wild first shot.

[Scott64A]

I use either Hoppe's No.9 or Shooter's choice and a light coat of Hoppe's gun oil afterward and have never had anything like this happen to me.

With my pistol, I usually take a cylinder full to settle into shooting, and so my groups tighten up a little. No high shots or anything though.

I'd say try switching back to regular oil and see what happens.

[kimwcook]

I used Duralube in my sniper rifle and I never had my POI change from the first cold barrel shot to the twentieth follow up shot. I will say though I used the Duralube right from the start and it possibly was absorbed into the molecular structure of the metal and is still working. That rifle has fired thousands of rounds and it still shoots sub moa.

[new pig hunter]

OK, I've just become a life member of the "dirty rifle hunting club" !!

I am very grateful and appreciative for all the input .... now I know it is not just happening to me.

I've also learned I still have plenty to learn about this shooting thing. Never had this problem with my .22 rifle, and have only had a big-bore rifle for a few years now.

Cheers,

Carl

p.s. kimwcook's rifle, now that's the one I want !!

[Old Savage]

You have made a good decision. You can leave it as it is or clean it and shoot about 7 to 10 judging by you results then just run a patch through it and go hunting. I have tested this idea with more than a dozen rifles. It is the best alternative.

[Old Savage]

With some rifles it doesn't matter but the above worked with all the rifles. Shooters Choice seemed to bother the rifles that did have a tendency to throw the first shot or shots out less than Hoppes. Also I think hunting rifles are more prone to this problem than heavy barreled target rifles.

[El Chivo]

I have been working on loads and have noticed this phenomenon more with cast lead bullets than I ever did with jacketed factory ammo. First shot would be way off and the others all touching.

So now, before shooting a silhouette match, I foul the barrel by shooting at a swinger. Lots of times I missed the first animal inexplicably with what I thought was a good shot, maybe it was.

[Abilene]

After using JB bore polish I had the same thing happen. The rifle only gets JB'ed once a year. Abilene