April 22, 2014, 12:36 PM | #1 |
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Fouling load?
I understand a fouling shot oughta improve accuracy when it counts, such as in hunting. Do I really need to include everything to accomplish this? Instead of loading 75 grains of black powder and a patched ball, could I just load, say 20 grains of powder and some sort of wad or something? Yes, I am a cheapskate.
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April 22, 2014, 01:28 PM | #2 |
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I pop a few caps to dry the breech & load it up.. JMO ; )PS My rifle shoots better clean.
Y/D
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April 22, 2014, 02:12 PM | #3 |
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I don't do the fouling load. When I sight in, I clean the bore after each shot. I'm sighted in on a clean bore.
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April 22, 2014, 07:21 PM | #4 |
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Before I go hunting I drop 20-50 grains or so down the bore and fire it off, no wad, no ball, no nuthin. I don't do it to foul the bore for accuracy. I do it to make sure there's no oil left in the bore.
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April 23, 2014, 05:16 AM | #5 |
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My rifle seems to shoot a little more accurately on its second shot too. But if my rifle hasn't been fired during the day I typically blow its charge out with a CO-2_ T/C Discharger every evening. Then let it sweat and dry itself at room temperature over night due to the below zero cold temps I hunt in. First thing after a cup & and a piece of cinnamon toast in the early AM its barrel is again recharged for that days hunt. No need to dry fire a Cap. But I've noticed when I go through that CO-2 procedure the night before its barrel is left kind'a fouled a ~ little bit. {seen with a bore light} So I guess that's helpful concerning its accuracy for the next days hunt. No problem with rust inside or out over the years. So I must be do'in something right. Litt'l Hawken 45 w/P-Ball is good out to a 100 yards and will smack'em hard if I see em on the very first pull of its trigger/s. Every time.
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April 23, 2014, 09:27 AM | #6 |
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A fouling shot is for consistency, so the first round will shoot to the same poa as the others as the barrel becomes fouled.
A 20-40 grain shot will dry and foul the clean barrel so the first round will behave like the others, whether or not you wipe between shots (good idea). |
April 23, 2014, 11:45 AM | #7 |
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Rifle zero'ed clean.
And when I'm out hunting, I won't shoot enough rounds in the course of a day to foul the bbl. enough to change POI when swabbing the bore between loads. Thinking back, probably the most shots I've ever fired in a day of m/l bp hunting is three shots. Again, swabbing between shots, never saw the need to zero with fouled bbl and have to run a fouling charge before loading when hunting. It's usually very cold here in the late m/l season and my rifle and all possibles are usually stored outside a couple days prior and throughout the season so a dry mop is run down the bbl before loading. Shooting competition is a different animal due to the fact that I'd be shooting several shots through the course of the day. I'd zero with a fouled bbl. and foul before a shoot. |
April 23, 2014, 02:54 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
With a full powder load and projectile? |
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April 23, 2014, 06:00 PM | #9 |
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When competing in a match, I always foul the bore, but don't when hunting. I just hate to leave the bore fouled all day and collecting moisture. I like to pop off a few caps before loading to hunt, but that's all.
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April 23, 2014, 09:53 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
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April 25, 2014, 12:33 PM | #11 |
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i don't do "fouling shots". The gun that shoots bullets from clean and dirty bores to different points of aim soon goes away.
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April 26, 2014, 01:41 PM | #12 |
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For consistent accuracy... {using Goex}, I clean the bore between shots --- by spraying a cotton flannel patch with some Simple Green --- run it back an forth through the pipe once --- reverse the patch; and do it again. After approx. 20 shots...I combine the procedure with a muzzleloader brass core bore brush.
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April 26, 2014, 02:10 PM | #13 | |
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April 26, 2014, 04:39 PM | #14 | |
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Quote:
Most muzzleloading rifles will put bullets from fouled and clean bores within the same 100 yard group with the right load of powder . |
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April 26, 2014, 06:26 PM | #15 |
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I have always fired a fouling load - but just using powder. After the fouling shot, I run a spit patch down - then load. I spit patch between shots as well. It keeps everything consistent. I do it on all of my RB rifles regardless of the caliber.
Everybody does it different and it's up to the individual. Over the years, I have tried not using a fouling shot and my first shot on paper was always off in regards to POI as to POA - after a fouling shot - they were consistent. YMMV Again, it's a personal thing but if you aren't in the habit of doing it - give it a try and see how they land on paper - that will tell you whether you need to do a fouling shot or not - and remember, every rifle is different.
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