Best way to store "fouled" barrel?
- Thread starter Flynt
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Leaky Waders
Member
I'm in the Mr Pale Horse Camp. For prolonged storage I'll do a more thorough cleaning. I rarely take a rifle/shotgun all the way down unless it's been submerged.
As for those who fire their first shots in the berm...why? Why waste it? Try to put it on paper and see where it goes.
As a hunter...it's the first shot that counts.
As for those who fire their first shots in the berm...why? Why waste it? Try to put it on paper and see where it goes.
As a hunter...it's the first shot that counts.
Sport45
Member
If i was storing my rifles in the garage they would all be cleaned and oiled religiously. But I keep them in my climate-controlled house where corrosion really isn't an issue. They'll get a good cleaning about once a year if I think about it. I'm with jmr40 on the cleaning issue. If it was shooting fine at the end of one range trip I expect it to shoot fine at the beginning of the next one.
The idea of a fouling shot, if I understand it correctly, is not only to deposit a layer of fouling on your barrel but also to raise the temperature up a little which will affect harmonics and impact of the next few shots. Shooting a round to store it fouled doesn't make sense to me- your first shot is still going to be different because of the change of temperature. In other words, I might shoot a fouling shot at a competition because that first round out of a clean, cold barrel is going to impact differently... but it's only useful if I plan on shooting a string immeditaely after that.
I was taught by everyone from competition shooters to marines that you shoot your gun, clean it well, leave a thin film of oil and lubricant, and put it away. This storing fouled seems like nonsense unless you mean you are storing your gun dirty because you haven't had time to clean it.. a lot of times if I shoot late Sunday afternoon I don't get around to cleaning until mid week (though i always spray some CLP down the barrel ).
If you are cleaning your gun and then shooting a round through it to purposely avoid the condition of the first shot being slightly off I think you are overthinking things by a wide margin. Also, the more you shoot the more you are changing the buildup on the rifling so no 2 shots can be exactly equal anyway except for the first shot out of a clean, cold barrel.
I was taught by everyone from competition shooters to marines that you shoot your gun, clean it well, leave a thin film of oil and lubricant, and put it away. This storing fouled seems like nonsense unless you mean you are storing your gun dirty because you haven't had time to clean it.. a lot of times if I shoot late Sunday afternoon I don't get around to cleaning until mid week (though i always spray some CLP down the barrel ).
If you are cleaning your gun and then shooting a round through it to purposely avoid the condition of the first shot being slightly off I think you are overthinking things by a wide margin. Also, the more you shoot the more you are changing the buildup on the rifling so no 2 shots can be exactly equal anyway except for the first shot out of a clean, cold barrel.
Why not store it clean?
I would think its a good idea to shoot a few groups a few weeks before hunting season.
Mainly to check your zero and to get the feel of it again. Wouldn't that be good enough to have a fouled barrel when its time to hunt?
I am no expert by any means but that seems to make sense to me.
I would think its a good idea to shoot a few groups a few weeks before hunting season.
Mainly to check your zero and to get the feel of it again. Wouldn't that be good enough to have a fouled barrel when its time to hunt?
I am no expert by any means but that seems to make sense to me.
BrocLuno
Member
I'm with Leaky here. Clean as needed when something bad happens. If you have copper fouling, you maybe have a bore condition problem? I like KG to clean with, but don't do it often. I do run an oily patch down the bore if it's going to be put away for a long time. I run a dry patch (or two) down the bore after storage, then go shoot.
Grandpas 30-30 sat by the kitchen door all dirty and used for decades. Never had an issue hitting POA when he needed it. He'd deep clean & oil it once each winter. Rest of the time it just sat there unless he grabbed it to do something. Got outside oiled and wiped down once in while, that's all. Worked for 80+ years and has worked for 50+ years for me. You can go crazy cleaning
Corrosive ammo and black powder are completely different animals. They need cleaning with warm (hot) soap and water, then oil, etc. - every outing. But modern clean smokeless ammo just is not that hard on the bore
Grandpas 30-30 sat by the kitchen door all dirty and used for decades. Never had an issue hitting POA when he needed it. He'd deep clean & oil it once each winter. Rest of the time it just sat there unless he grabbed it to do something. Got outside oiled and wiped down once in while, that's all. Worked for 80+ years and has worked for 50+ years for me. You can go crazy cleaning
Corrosive ammo and black powder are completely different animals. They need cleaning with warm (hot) soap and water, then oil, etc. - every outing. But modern clean smokeless ammo just is not that hard on the bore
Zak Smith
Member
Why would I want to do something that may change the bore condition? I want every round - including the first one - to go into my intended POI. Thus, I am not a big fan of bore cleaning. Sure, if it gets wet, I'll make sure it's dry, but other than that my match rifles typically get a thorough cleaning only once or twice in their lifetimes. YMMV. Helps if you use top tier barrels from the get go and don't ruin in the interim through adventures in "cleaning."
-z
-z
Wylie1
Member
Go figure! For the longest time I believed a rifle needed a fouling shot before hunting. Since I have broken in a barrel myself and have done it right I have seen for myself even without removing the oil I leave in the barrel for storage accuracy seems to be right on the mark.
The next round out of my rifle will be after a nice tight patch to clean what oil is left and I bought a chamfering tool today.
The next round out of my rifle will be after a nice tight patch to clean what oil is left and I bought a chamfering tool today.
Wylie1
Member
I forgot the oil clearing patch yesterday. :banghead:
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