1st shot after cleaning bore.

[foxbuster]

Hi guys,

 

Does anyone else have issues with the 1st shot accuracy after cleaning the bore?

My last two outings I've missed sitters on the 1st shot after cleaning, I'm convinced I haven't 'pulled' the shots. I've proceeded to shoot some 'good' shots after the initial shot, it's bugging me a bit now, feel I should start firing a round into the ground before starting hunting. Calibre in question is my 22-250.

Any thoughts would be greatly apprieciated. Cheers.

[kennett]

Not the same i know but after cleaning my .22 its like a shotgun for the first 50 or so, then it settles down. Simple answer for me, dont clean it!

[simon1979]

I clean both my .243 and .308 after its been used normally not always with a brush normally just with the rod and mop.

Don't have a problems.

But yes with my .22lr It does take a few rounds to get it back on track

 

Atb

Simon

[Dekers]

All my rifles, rimfire and centrefire shoot accurate first shot after a clean.

 

There may be a tiny fraction of shift due to any cleaning solutions/oil residue left in the barrel, but this will only be TINY fractions (1-2mm maybe) and never enough to miss quarry, the second shot is always spot on. This has nothing to do with that commonly used phrase, you need fouling shots, my barrels are all in top condition, they do not need to be made dirty again to shoot well!

 

My guns have been cared for since new and work, this also includes moderator cleaning, always on the nose after a clean and re assembly.

 

Who knows how well/badly others clean their guns or the real condition of their barrels/crowns/etc, I am making a general comment here, not a personal comment about you!

 

[samboy]

Ive not cleaned the barrel of my CZ 452 for 9 yrs and its always spot on.

[Jody]

It is quite common for the first shot to be off target after a clean just make sure there is no oil in the barrel and put a few shots down range before checking the zero.

[Gonk]

Maybe worth putting a dry patch through before you leave to pick up any residue?

[simon1979]

All my rifles, rimfire and centrefire shoot accurate first shot after a clean.

 

There may be a tiny fraction of shift due to any cleaning solutions/oil residue left in the barrel, but this will only be TINY fractions (1-2mm maybe) and never enough to miss quarry, the second shot is always spot on. This has nothing to do with that commonly used phrase, you need fouling shots, my barrels are all in top condition, they do not need to be made dirty again to shoot well!

 

My guns have been cared for since new and work, this also includes moderator cleaning, always on the nose after a clean and re assembly.

 

Who knows how well/badly others clean their guns or the real condition of their barrels/crowns/etc, I am making a general comment here, not a personal comment about you!

 

 

 

Sorry Kent may sound a silly question

But what's your cleaning process, I normally just push a mop through will a small amount of oil,

 

atb

Simon

[Grandalf]

My Tikka 22/250 is, and always has been, exactly the same as yours.

The main culprit is oil but anything in the bore must affect the bullet speed which will effect the placement.

I routinely stop at my mates farm muck heap and put two rounds into it before going after Charlie.

I buy the cheapest ammo I can find just for this.

[The Mighty Prawn]

I routinely stop at my mates farm muck heap and put two rounds into it before going after Charlie.

Is this what they mean by shooting the ****?

[foxbuster]

Cheers for the replies guys, I've done some tinternet research since posting my initial post, it does seem I'm not alone in this:-)

I know every barrel is different, just thinking mine is more fussy than others, on the range after a few fouling shots she drills the target no probs.

As a mechanical minded guy I've always thought 'clean' is best, in this case though I seem to be wrong!

I don't want to keep a fouled barrel left in my cabinet from zero checking to hunting so I reckon the only alternative is to put a few rounds through her just prior to hunting-not ideal, but at least I'll know everything is as how it should be.

Cheers guys!

[al4x]

The obvious answer here is to check on paper after cleaning what is actually happening. Mine shoot fine after a clean but that has been checked more than a few times

[deershooter]

All my rifles get two shots in to the bank after cleaning when they are used on live quarry I would never use a clean rifle for the first shot on a live animal my .223 is 2 inches out with a oiled clean barrel

 

Deershooter

[kent]

Sorry Kent may sound a silly question

But what's your cleaning process, I normally just push a mop through will a small amount of oil,

 

atb

Simon

 

It is my firm belief that a rifle that don't return to zero on a clean bore has either 1. still got oil or other fluids in it 2. has not been cleaned quite fully and still has copper or other fouling lodged into cracks and on the corners of the rifling, moved there by the very act of cleaning quite likely.

 

clean back to clean metal, very lightly oiled patch through and meths soaked patch / patches through with subsequent dry patches before use. in the case of a centre fire using jacketed bullets. always zero on a freshly cleaned barrel and ccb return to zero test the gun.

 

some rifles have poor and even pitted bores that are hard to clean and some just cannot spend the time or understand quite what a clean barrel is and how to achieve it. this is the main reason people struggle with this. subsequently claims are made about enchanted rifles

 

you can replicate clean but you cant replicate a state of dirtiness.

 

.22 rf firing lead bullets with waxes etc are a little different, there will be a running back in period but the error is normally slight from clean barrel and if it was" well cleaned" one might it to be just in the POI not the ability to group. RF rifles in my experience shoot better cleaned as regards groups when shot at long range, zero just tends to move about some till they settle down and lay some lead and wax into the bore. For a while I couldn't get my head around these seemingly opposing facts, though if you run a RF back into its original zero you see a tendency to shoot 5 slightly high, 5 slightly right, 5 slightly low etc until it settles. In order to prove this to yourself clean your RF real well and proceed to fire just one round at a series of individual dots at 50 yards not groups. I suggest at a best guess the leading and lubing needs to be even from throat to muzzle and it takes a while for this to happen but its a best guess based on observation of this multiple shot hold and then shift

If you have fired say 1000 or more rounds through a RF don't expect to get back to a clean bore with ten minutes half hearted cleaning though, filthy little beggars that they are

[kent]

Cheers for the replies guys, I've done some tinternet research since posting my initial post, it does seem I'm not alone in this:-)

I know every barrel is different, just thinking mine is more fussy than others, on the range after a few fouling shots she drills the target no probs.

As a mechanical minded guy I've always thought 'clean' is best, in this case though I seem to be wrong!

I don't want to keep a fouled barrel left in my cabinet from zero checking to hunting so I reckon the only alternative is to put a few rounds through her just prior to hunting-not ideal, but at least I'll know everything is as how it should be.

Cheers guys!

 

The snag is those few rounds are fired on your hunting grounds? do you then clean again when home and do it all again? Commonly it is a case of one round one kill when hunting deer and foxes, so why not see how you might get that on a CCB?

[Fisheruk]

My Tikka 22/250 is, and always has been, exactly the same as yours.

The main culprit is oil but anything in the bore must affect the bullet speed which will effect the placement.

I routinely stop at my mates farm muck heap and put two rounds into it before going after Charlie.

I buy the cheapest ammo I can find just for this.

That's age wisdom speaking. Same with my. 223

[Dougy]

When it's clean (well) I patch through with acetone / nail varnish remover, dry patches afterwards and don't have problems..

[simon1979]

It is my firm belief that a rifle that don't return to zero on a clean bore has either 1. still got oil or other fluids in it 2. has not been cleaned quite fully and still has copper or other fouling lodged into cracks and on the corners of the rifling, moved there by the very act of cleaning quite likely.

 

clean back to clean metal, very lightly oiled patch through and meths soaked patch / patches through with subsequent dry patches before use. in the case of a centre fire using jacketed bullets. always zero on a freshly cleaned barrel and ccb return to zero test the gun.

 

some rifles have poor and even pitted bores that are hard to clean and some just cannot spend the time or understand quite what a clean barrel is and how to achieve it. this is the main reason people struggle with this. subsequently claims are made about enchanted rifles

 

you can replicate clean but you cant replicate a state of dirtiness.

 

.22 rf firing lead bullets with waxes etc are a little different, there will be a running back in period but the error is normally slight from clean barrel and if it was" well cleaned" one might it to be just in the POI not the ability to group. RF rifles in my experience shoot better cleaned as regards groups when shot at long range, zero just tends to move about some till they settle down and lay some lead and wax into the bore. For a while I couldn't get my head around these seemingly opposing facts, though if you run a RF back into its original zero you see a tendency to shoot 5 slightly high, 5 slightly right, 5 slightly low etc until it settles. In order to prove this to yourself clean your RF real well and proceed to fire just one round at a series of individual dots at 50 yards not groups. I suggest at a best guess the leading and lubing needs to be even from throat to muzzle and it takes a while for this to happen but its a best guess based on observation of this multiple shot hold and then shift

If you have fired say 1000 or more rounds through a RF don't expect to get back to a clean bore with ten minutes half hearted cleaning though, filthy little beggars that they are

Thanks for the advice Kent

I will have to improve and change my way I think,

I have been using a bronze brush and the a mop, a spray bore cleaner down first to.

But it I think I'm not doing enough

 

Many thanks

Simon

[kent]

Thanks for the advice Kent

I will have to improve and change my way I think,

I have been using a bronze brush and the a mop, a spray bore cleaner down first to.

But it I think I'm not doing enough

 

Many thanks

Simon

What are you cleaning?

[simon1979]

What are you cleaning?

 

 

 

.243 and .308, I use vmax and soft points

[kent]

Chances are you have copper, the bronze brush will give a false positive as it contains copper, I like nylon when dealing with copper. Patch out with your normal solvent then try Shooters choice copper remover or similar specialist copper remover (follow the instructions to the letter) blue indicates it is there so clean till you get none. Copper left in the bore effects return to zero. Normal rifle cleaners don't shift much copper