HI Guys In an attempt to get around the clean barrel first shot being away from the following couple of shots, I loaded a case with a primer only, with the gun pointing to the ground, I pulled the trigger. A soft plop followed and a dirtied barrel. I assume the oil residue was washed out. The barrel was still cold. Lining up on a target with the first loaded round put the bullet on point of aim,the following two shots clustered around it.
I've done this with both my Remington rifles.
It's much better than being off target and is much quieter than letting a loaded one go when getting ready to step into the woods. It doesn't make enough noise to disturb game.

Very good. Now try that with your first shot at a royal. roger

Sometimes when I shoot at them they come closer.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by oldun:
I assume the oil residue was washed out. The barrel was still cold. UNQuote.

Why can't you wipe the oil out, if oil is the
problem. A friend of mine was paranoid about
oil in his chamber, so wiped it with petrol.
Metho may be safer. I just use a few TIGHT dry
patches on my barrels and don't have any trouble. Most of my shooting is informal grouping, and have never had the "clean barrel"
problem, though my .22RF doesn't like a clean out, but the first groups are just a little bigger, but still at P.O. Aim.
John L.

Lucky you Jal in some guns first shot from a clen barrel is a flyer personaly I go to the range and confirm zero then go hunting with a fouled barrel.

I just can't imagine leaving on a hunting trip with a dead-bang clean, oiled barrel. Even on my back up rifle!

Sure all barrels are different. But.
We are probably talking apples and oranges.
Firstly I don't actually use "oil" as such in my barrels. (They mostly soak in Hoppies No.9)
This stuff may be easy to patch out?
My hunting trips are every other day and about
10 miles away.
I can go to a place and nearly always fire 1,2
or more starting from a clean DRY barrel.
So I know the first shot will go where I want it
and the next few within an inch at 100yards.

I agree to travel ocasionally to a hunt, you need to check zero, and then may as well leave
her dirty for reasonably short durations.
(No wonder you boys are going to stainless)

But everyone I know of, gets hunting and Full-Bore accuracy after patching out Hoppies, Sweets, and I've had no trouble with Butch's
solvent, or slight applications of G96 gun cleaner.
Just for interest, I have a friend, good shot,
gunsmith, (he reckons) who has a .22RF CZ Brno.
If he shoots it, puts it in the rack for a while, then fires it again DIRTY, the first shot
inverably goes flying. I have seen him shoot
about 1/2" at 50 metres, BUT, the first shot from a dirty barrel went 3 to 4" away. He says
it nearly always happens, with various types of ammo.
I have heard of something similar with brnos
but can't remember if the others were cleaned
first.
So I don't know how long your "seasons" are, but
this old coot won't be leaving my barrels dirty
even over night.
John L.

JAL
The season in New Zealand starts on the first of January and closes on 31st December

bartsche
Did the shooting at an animal bit last week and hit a Sika stag plum in the head.

Life is mighty good here in Godzone.

OK, next question: Where were you aiming. :-)
JL

Starting to think it was a "Texas heart shot".
JL

JAL
Gosh, you are perceptive, how did you deduce that?

Well when you were a bit coy about where you aimed, and I realised you were from the land of
the long cloud, and where one deer hunter shot
his own pack horse . . . well I figured the
hole in the deers head may have been the exit.
John L.

I just read a 2 page report about how a clean barrel shoots better groups than a dirty one. Then others want to load thier clean barrel with dirt to start shooting. I have never shot a round just to fowl the barrel and my groups have always been good after getting a load worked up for it. A couple patches through the barrel and off we go.

I just can't imagine leaving on a hunting trip with a dirty or fouled barrel. Even on my back up rifle!

quote:

I go to the range and confirm zero then go hunting with a fouled barrel.

What he said.

JAL, I don't know, you Awstruckinfalians do like to tease
It was a great trip. The stag was a little grumpy about my having slipped on to his rutting stand without first asking his permission. He, typicaly, sneaked up on me, stuck his head around a tree to have a look at what the big ugly lump was doing. Had I been able to see his Texas heart, I would of cause have aimed at it, but I was a head shot or nothing.
No horses near at the time. We have hold of a new fangled thing called a, what is it; oh yes, a motor car. They are not too bad. But I don't think they will catch on.

I always clean my barrels and patch them dry and free of residue. My first shot is always a flyer. I ALWAYS hunt with a dirty barrel for this reason. My rifles all shoot half MOA...on dirty barrels.

Well just watch out for horses and N.Z. fellas
trying to call deer. Both have been known to
move.
But seriously mostly you have to get a bit confrontational/argumentive to get a wide range
of experences. It is starting to seem to me
that some people/barrels shoot better with a little bit of gunk, and some arn't so fussy.

I won't be able to tell with my new s/hand 458
due to probable massive flinchs. But should be
"ele-pants" size groups at 25 yards or so.
Still waiting for ammo.
JL