cold bore zero
I see alot of guys talking about their cold shots being off. Many think that fouling their barrels and leaving them dirty will cure their cold bore shot. In my experience,...it will help very little. Shooter have to understand why the cold shot is going to be off from their hot bore zero. As many know, when steel is heated, it expands and contorts. A rifle barrel does the same thing and this effects the bullet strike from the cold bore shot to the following shots as the barrel heats up.
Police snipers run strictly on a cold bore zero. They do not have the oportunity to take "fouling shots" and their first shot has to surgical. Peoples lives depend on it! They also keep their rifle in tip-top ( clean bore ) shape for the aforementioned reason. Hunters often only one shot at their game also ( a cold bore shot ) and not knowing their cold bore zero is confusing to me.
Below I have listed some exercises that may be of use to a shooter that might be interested in running a cold bore zero and actually knowing where his first shot is going to be.
First, if you are not already doing it, clean your bore only with a lead and copper cleaner, never any kind of oil and never with a steel brush. After cleaning, you can use a patch soaked with rubbing alcohol to clean any residual cleaning solution that is left in the bore. Do not introduce oil into the barrel unless the rifle is going into storage for an EXTENDED length of time.
Maintain a COLD BORE ONLY target. This target will recieve only recieve the first shot of the day. The only exception is when the rifle has been shot, then cleaned and allowed to completely cool...at least one hour in the shade. This shooter should take great care and make sure the shot is the best that he or she is capable of. SAVE THIS TARGET! Use it on your next range session for the first cold shot ( with your clean,happy rifle ) and then for the the first shot of the next range session etc. Soon you will see where your true cold bore shot is going to be and can adjust for it.
Things to remember when building your cold bore only target. CONSISTANCY! Everything you do on this target should be the same. Range, ammo, clean barrel, and cold barrel. I hear alot of you out there say that their cold shots are going in the same holes as the previous cold shot. Yes,...this should be happening. Make your dope change off of this cold bore target. You will then be running off a cold bore zero. Always keep a cold bore zero target to prove your zero to yourself at each range session but remember, it is strictly reserved for the cold shot.
I see alot of guys talking about their cold shots being off. Many think that fouling their barrels and leaving them dirty will cure their cold bore shot. In my experience,...it will help very little. Shooter have to understand why the cold shot is going to be off from their hot bore zero. As many know, when steel is heated, it expands and contorts. A rifle barrel does the same thing and this effects the bullet strike from the cold bore shot to the following shots as the barrel heats up.
Police snipers run strictly on a cold bore zero. They do not have the oportunity to take "fouling shots" and their first shot has to surgical. Peoples lives depend on it! They also keep their rifle in tip-top ( clean bore ) shape for the aforementioned reason. Hunters often only one shot at their game also ( a cold bore shot ) and not knowing their cold bore zero is confusing to me.
Below I have listed some exercises that may be of use to a shooter that might be interested in running a cold bore zero and actually knowing where his first shot is going to be.
First, if you are not already doing it, clean your bore only with a lead and copper cleaner, never any kind of oil and never with a steel brush. After cleaning, you can use a patch soaked with rubbing alcohol to clean any residual cleaning solution that is left in the bore. Do not introduce oil into the barrel unless the rifle is going into storage for an EXTENDED length of time.
Maintain a COLD BORE ONLY target. This target will recieve only recieve the first shot of the day. The only exception is when the rifle has been shot, then cleaned and allowed to completely cool...at least one hour in the shade. This shooter should take great care and make sure the shot is the best that he or she is capable of. SAVE THIS TARGET! Use it on your next range session for the first cold shot ( with your clean,happy rifle ) and then for the the first shot of the next range session etc. Soon you will see where your true cold bore shot is going to be and can adjust for it.
Things to remember when building your cold bore only target. CONSISTANCY! Everything you do on this target should be the same. Range, ammo, clean barrel, and cold barrel. I hear alot of you out there say that their cold shots are going in the same holes as the previous cold shot. Yes,...this should be happening. Make your dope change off of this cold bore target. You will then be running off a cold bore zero. Always keep a cold bore zero target to prove your zero to yourself at each range session but remember, it is strictly reserved for the cold shot.