Hunting, Cold bore, cold shooter, clean bore.

[Rebel_Rider1969]

How many of you have shot a deer, yote or other target and thought " I DID NOT aim there"
Sometimes it's just buck, critter fever but maybe it's not.
Daezee just posted about cooling the barrel while setting his sights and I remembered I wanted to talk about this.
I have experienced this on a few rifles. With variances as much as 4 inches @ 100.
We all adjust our scopes the same way, bang, adjust, bang, adjust, 6x or more times then get it right, and fire again to check. Then clean the rifle and throw back in the case for 3 months till critter season.
100% of the time at least deer hunting it's gonna be a clean, cold bore shot then hopefully done.
It's definitely worth checking your rifle before your target shows up.
As the weather cools off its gonna be an extra cold shot.
Also cold shooter is a thing to think about. Improper check weld, not pulling the rifle tight, resting the rifle on something etc. All these things will effect accuracy add to that fussy scope eye boxes.
Alot of times I've noticed, I'm taking a shot at a bad angle because the deer decided to walk out on my far right or left add that to the equation. Because your not shooting off a benchrest, bog pod straight ahead like you practiced.
Just some ramblings, YMMV.

 

[Bucklowery]

Inside 300 yards your cold bore should not matter with modern firearms. If it does you need a new barrel

Thanks

Buck

 

[Jester896]

often CCB (cold clean bore), CFB (cold fouled bore) and HFB (hot fouled bore) could all have different POI.

on most of my hunting rifles, once it is fouled it stays in the fouled state until season is over or some weather anomaly like getting caught in rain, a real wet condition of some type, fog or bringing the rifle from one extreme temp to another that moisture could collect in fouling. On some of my other rifles this is tracked in DOPE books. You can get pocket types too.

some things to prevent some of that extreme heat (which may erode the throat faster) is when you shoot the first shot when sighting it in...lock the rifle some how on your point of aim from your first shot...then move your crosshair to the impact hole (or use 2 people..1 to hold rifle and 1 to turn knobs).

Try to keep your hunting rifle in the condition you normally use it. If you are lucky your CFB will be very close or the same as HFB...but you should know.

 

[Norm]

How many of you have shot a deer, yote or other target and thought " I DID NOT aim there"
Sometimes it's just buck, critter fever but maybe it's not.
Daezee just posted about cooling the barrel while setting his sights and I remembered I wanted to talk about this.
I have experienced this on a few rifles. With variances as much as 4 inches @ 100.
We all adjust our scopes the same way, bang, adjust, bang, adjust, 6x or more times then get it right, and fire again to check. Then clean the rifle and throw back in the case for 3 months till critter season.
100% of the time at least deer hunting it's gonna be a clean, cold bore shot then hopefully done.
It's definitely worth checking your rifle before your target shows up.
As the weather cools off its gonna be an extra cold shot.
Also cold shooter is a thing to think about. Improper check weld, not pulling the rifle tight, resting the rifle on something etc. All these things will effect accuracy add to that fussy scope eye boxes.
Alot of times I've noticed, I'm taking a shot at a bad angle because the deer decided to walk out on my far right or left add that to the equation. Because your not shooting off a benchrest, bog pod straight ahead like you practiced.
Just some ramblings, YMMV.

How many of you have shot a deer, yote or other target and thought " I DID NOT aim there"
Sometimes it's just buck, critter fever but maybe it's not.
Daezee just posted about cooling the barrel while setting his sights and I remembered I wanted to talk about this.
I have experienced this on a few rifles. With variances as much as 4 inches @ 100.
We all adjust our scopes the same way, bang, adjust, bang, adjust, 6x or more times then get it right, and fire again to check. Then clean the rifle and throw back in the case for 3 months till critter season.
100% of the time at least deer hunting it's gonna be a clean, cold bore shot then hopefully done.
It's definitely worth checking your rifle before your target shows up.
As the weather cools off its gonna be an extra cold shot.
Also cold shooter is a thing to think about. Improper check weld, not pulling the rifle tight, resting the rifle on something etc. All these things will effect accuracy add to that fussy scope eye boxes.
Alot of times I've noticed, I'm taking a shot at a bad angle because the deer decided to walk out on my far right or left add that to the equation. Because your not shooting off a benchrest, bog pod straight ahead like you practiced.
Just some ramblings, YMMV.

I’ve seen variances, but never close to 4 inches. When setting a scope, I generally shoot twice, make my adjustments and set the rifle down and allow to completely cool. Shoot twice again and so on. The most important thing, to me, is to free float the barrel and don’t ever let it touch anything when shooting. Barrel vibration should be consistent unless the barrel is touching something. Any variance in vibration will affect accuracy.

 

[Bodhisattva]

You ought to consider the scope too. It can be prone to issues. While not a huge variable fan, I don't trust variables like I do fixed, for obvious reasons.

How many of you dial your scope around? I don't. If variable, pick a setting and leave it.
Most anything can be hit with 4x to 6x.

I don't get the high magnification tubes. That's what my binos are for. YMMV

 

[Jhunter]

Sighting in a rifle on a bench is one thing and taking a shot in the field is another. 4” groups at 100yds would be expected in most deer hunting situations. I wouldn’t blame that on cold bore.

 

[FLT]

According to federal cartridge company , there’s no such thing as a cold bore shot. They have a video about it on their website, and their expert gives his explanation.

I haven’t bothered to waste my time watching any more of their experts giving advice .

 

[Norm]

You ought to consider the scope too. It can be prone to issues. While not a huge variable fan, I don't trust variables like I do fixed, for obvious reasons.

How many of you dial your scope around? I don't. If variable, pick a setting and leave it.
Most anything can be hit with 4x to 6x.

I don't get the high magnification tubes. That's what my binos are for. YMMV

I have 4 Leupold variables and have cranked them up and down all their lives. That would be since the ‘80’s. Never had a problem. Quarter sized groups all day long.

 

[ABlaster]

The snipers I know all clean their bores and then fire a fouling shot. I’ve never been much of a rifle guy, so I can’t say I’m an expert or anything. I just know what the guys I know personally do.

 

[Jester896]

I have seen some use liquid Lock-Ease to simulate a fouled bore. I've tried it and it brings CCB closer to CFB close to half way

 

[Shootist]

My .243 was verified this way. With a cold clean barrel sight in and make any adjustments.
Run a couple of dry patches thru the barrel.
Leave out overnight in secured location but subject to ambient temperature.
The next morning from the bench fire one shot, dry patch and repeat for 5 days.
Use the same target during this exercise make any adjustments after the 5th day if needed.
5 days should give you a good composite group to make any needed adjustment by.

I did my Remington ML700 which I got in 2001 this way also. I have occasionally over the years re-checked the Zero
on it, I have never had to adjust, I have never missed a deer with it in 22 years and I killed at least 1 buck a year with it.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Back when I shot competitive benchrest in the 90s (not that I was anywhere near competitive), I would do wet patches after 5 shots and then brush after 25 shots.
For hunting rifles, once break in achieved, I still do wet patches after 5 and brush at 25.

My break in procedure is to shoot one, clean, for first ten rounds; shoot three, clean, for next thirty rounds; shoot five, clean, while working up load. Make sure the barrel is cool to the touch before testing a new load/different charge/bullet to avoid unnecessary throat erosion.

 

[Jhunter]

This is a great read. It covers most of what has been discussed in this thread. People that shoot at this level have zero time for hunting. A human hair measures .0015”, these guys were shooting sub .010” groups. Most of us don’t have the ability to shoot within the shift of a cold bore or a clean bore.

Secrets of the Houston Warehouse – Lessons In Extreme Rifle Accuracy

Back in 1993, Precision Shooting Magazine printed a landmark article about the findings of a group o...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[Daezee]

A clean bore first shot: One thing I do is run a patch soaked with carb or parts cleaner through the clean bore to help remove any traces of cleaning solvent or oil or rust preventative. Seems to help that first shot be in the group.

 

[sloporsche]

I never had an issue with my hunting rifles first cold shot but then again i never heated up any of them sighting in

 

[ABlaster]

This is a great read. It covers most of what has been discussed in this thread. People that shoot at this level have zero time for hunting. A human hair measures .0015”, these guys were shooting sub .010” groups. Most of us don’t have the ability to shoot within the shift of a cold bore or a clean bore.

Secrets of the Houston Warehouse – Lessons In Extreme Rifle Accuracy

Back in 1993, Precision Shooting Magazine printed a landmark article about the findings of a group o...

precisionrifleblog.com

I remember those guys! Yes, that's an incredible read.

 

[Bodhisattva]

This is a great read. It covers most of what has been discussed in this thread. People that shoot at this level have zero time for hunting. A human hair measures .0015”, these guys were shooting sub .010” groups. Most of us don’t have the ability to shoot within the shift of a cold bore or a clean bore.

Secrets of the Houston Warehouse – Lessons In Extreme Rifle Accuracy

Back in 1993, Precision Shooting Magazine printed a landmark article about the findings of a group o...

precisionrifleblog.com

Very familiar with that. Thing is, just as the article says, case prep-neck turning is the factor. It's the final step, to the zeros, but largely abandoned any more. Brass quality has gotten better.
I talked with Dave Scott about this a few times back in the 90s.

 

[RaySendero]

You ought to consider the scope too. It can be prone to issues. While not a huge variable fan, I don't trust variables like I do fixed, for obvious reasons.

How many of you dial your scope around? I don't. If variable, pick a setting and leave it.
Most anything can be hit with 4x to 6x.

I have 4 Leupold variables and have cranked them up and down all their lives. That would be since the ‘80’s. Never had a problem. Quarter sized groups all day long.

Bod and Norm both have points!!!
I've seen several different scope problems. So don't take chances anymore.

1) Don't buy one variable power scopes for hunting that doesn't have the screw-on scope adjustment covers.

2) I prefer to hunt with the scope magnification low, but prefer to sight-in with scope magnification high.
So I'll always check the sight-in group one more time with the magnification turned back down.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Bod and Norm both have points!!!
I've seen several different scope problems. So don't take chances anymore.

1) Don't buy one variable power scopes for hunting that doesn't have the screw-on scope adjustment covers.

2) I prefer to hunt with the scope magnification low, but prefer to sight-in with scope magnification high.
So I'll always check the sight-in group one more time with the magnification turned back down.

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