2" high first shot normal?

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

sansone

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2007
Messages
2,173
Location
north florida USA
I did a search here so please forgive a tired subject. At 100yds that first clean-bore shot is expected to be a little high. But 2" above the following shots seems a little extreme. This is with a new brrl so maybe the bore needs more break-in shots fired through it.
 
There are guys that are going to swear up and down that you need to do an involved procedure for barrel break-in. Other guys will say it's not required. All I know is that I did the minimum and the gun still hit the target at 1,000 yards. I'm not sure I could detect a difference in performance between the two procedures. Perhaps a serious competitor would notice...I'm not that good, so I don't care.

I just shot the gun until the groups started opening up. This occurred around the 25 round mark. I used copper solvent once and cleaned it thoroughly. After that, the first shot was 1" high and 1" left at 100 yards.
 
ok so you were getting first clean-bore shot one inch high. That is what I expected. I will continue shooting and hopefully things will improve. I am lightly cleaning the bore every 5 shots only because it is new
 
That also could just be what your gun does. Keep a log and you'll just have to account for it like everyone else. How many rounds have you put through the gun so far?
 
I am lightly cleaning the bore every 5 shots only because it is new
Click to expand...

This is probably why.

Every rifle is different but I've seen on several occasions when chronographing loads that the first shot from a clean oiled bore can be as much as 150 fps+ SLOWER than the subsequent shots
 
so far a box of ammo. Using a dry boresnake so not shooting through oily barrel. Three outings of 7 shots per. Just noticed a trend for higher than expected first shots. I am keeping a log and going again today if rain stops
 
Not enough info.

What type of rifle and how thick is the barrel?
Is it free floated or glass bedded?
How long between shots?
Are you pushing a dry patch through the bore before shooting?
How dirty is it during your cleaning sessions?

Cold, fouled (oil in barrel) shots are usually someplace else.
 
Seems to indicate a lot of lube / oil in the bore. The added velocity puts the shot high. Put a clean dry patch through the bore before shooting.
 
thanks for the input, I'll fire another box today. I'm going to push some dry patches through before firing to remove any oil. I will need to decide whether to sight-in for the first shot or follow-up shots. I lean towards the follow-ups. I started this thread because 2" off the group seems excessive
 
2" might be excessive compared to the rest of the group, but it's really not that bad.

I would sight in for the majority of the group, and remember that the first shot will be 2" high. However, my thoughts are regarding a hunting/field rifle because that's how my brain works. If it's a precision rifle, that you will be adjusting the sights/optics between shots anyway, zero should be at cold bore and clean barrel and then develop a data book so you can adjust accordingly between shots.
 
Most clean cold bore shots will be a little off,from a dirty bore shot.

But my bull barreled 308 Savage shoots almost the same hole,no matter what the bore condition is.
All my other rifles do vary,and I log what each bullet type,weight,and mfg. shoots with a cold bore,and clean cold bore.
 
You may be able to minimize the deviation of that first cold bore shot or you may not - every rifle is different. One method to try is to run an alcohol patch down the bore to clean out any oils and then a couple of dry patches to insure the bore is dry.

But keep in mind that some rifles like to be fouled a bit before being consistent.

I had a rifle that I made sure to shoot two or three times at the start of the season and then I did not clean it until the season was over; just so I could be confident of where the POI would be if I got a shot.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top