First shot accuracy

[oaken]

I have recently got my .223 enabled on my ticket for vermin.

My problem is getting first shot accuracy.

The rifle is a Sako A1 which has been rebarreled with a .223 1:8 27" pacnor by McKillop.

The barrel is free floating and has been bedded ( several inches up th barrel) with devcon.

It will shoot sub moa at 1000yds with 80VLD if I do my bit.

It was built primarily for target with a view to varminting as land became available.

My problem is that I cant hit a barn door for the first few shots.

As a target shooter I have a cleaning routine which gets done after every shoot without fail.

I patch with Tetra copper/carbon for the carbon, followed by a single patch with shooters choice to check all the copper is gone. I finish with a patch with 'action blaster' solvent then a last dry patch which always comes through clean. On the whole, the pacnor runs very clean.

On the range it takes three shots to get back to consistent zero.

What can I do to get first shot accuracy in the field?

Cheers

Rup

[Ronin]

I apreciate the desire for cleanliness, but some rifles (barrels) just prefer to be a little fouled - your rifle may be one.

 

 

Try a few cold bore shots after a cleaning regime.

 

Then do the same after cleaning and firing a couple of fouling rounds.

 

 

It may be that your barrel needs cleaning only after 50 (or any figure) of shots, leaving it dirty,dry and in a dry atmosphere shouldnt harm it.......

 

 

I dont clean my stalking rifles after each outing - only if they get wet.

[eldon]

I agree with ronin, my do everything Remy 308 after an outing gets the moderator removed and stored separate and then a bore snake through it to remove any obvious bits and to ensure it is dry. Can't remember last time I put anything inside it solvent wise as it used to mess up the zero for a few shots. Despite the mod being removed and refitted the zero stays on everytime now.

 

Try a dirty barrel but ensure it is dry when you put it away and any moderator if fitted is removed to avoid corrosion.

[Gunsgobang88]

Hi Oaken,

 

Sounds like you have a nice outfit, some rifles just do not shoot consistently until after a few fouling shots. I have a .308 that needed one and occasionally two shots to be consistent, by using moly coated bullets the initial deviation from zero was halved. I have since moved to using HBN (Hexagonal Boron Nitride) for coating bullets and as a bore treatment, although it is early days it appears to have done the trick. A couple of friends are trying the same approach (primarily for ease of tumbling and cleaning). If anyone is interested I will post results when we have a body of experience,

 

Alan

[Scotch_egg]

Just about to clean my 6mmbr after 280 shots without a clean. Oh and no break in procedure

 

Now where did I leave my cleaning rod.......

[terryh]

Oaken,

 

Sort of on Ronins line - why do you clean back to metal every time? At what point does your rifle's accuracy drop off, 80, 120, 160 rounds. If say it is 100 rounds and you only shoot 30 rounds in an outing - how does it know you've put it away, it's just like going to lunch as far as the rifle concerned.

 

Why not try a simple wipe thru' if you're really concerned (or you used it on a damp day as per Ronins stalking rifle).

 

Just somne thing to think on

 

Brgds Terry

[baldie]

Rup,

I,ve just put a Bartlien on my AR in 6mmAr, and this is just the same.I,ve bottomed it twice, after a hundred or so rounds, and it didn,t need it. It then required 3 rounds to get back to poi. The clean bore shot has been 4" low both times. Never had that happen before. However, its soon back to its self within 3 rounds.

Pointless cleaning it really, there was virtually no copper both times. I think a shove through with KG1 is all its going to get in the future.

Pacnors are just the same.

[Chris-NZ]

One trick the serious boys use round here is to put a -light- film of Kroil in the barrel after the cleaning regimen. Seems to signficantly reduce the errant first shot effect in some rifles- did so on my 7-08

 

Chris-NZ

[oaken]

Thanks for your replies

As all my centerfire shooting to date has been on the range, I have evolved a cleaning routine that returns my barrels to spotless every time, this imho has to maximise consistency given that, at the range,  I am able to return to zero after only a few fouling/barrel warmingshots.

 I have no idea how many shots any of my barrels will shoot before needing a clean - to thepoint where accuracy goes off anyway.  This one only takes a few  patches to clean so there cant be much copper building up.

I only ever use a boresnake (without brushes to remove powder residue) in my HMR and that has held first shot zero pretty well for several years, sounds like I needto adjust my thinking a little if I want to use the .223 for varmints as well....... but .........

......... Just thinking about putting the Sako  back inthe cabinet without a proper clean gives me the judders, stupid really because its a warm cabinet with a kilo bag of silica gel keeping everything dry.

Thanks for your thoughts

Rup

[oaken]

You guys were right!

I used the rifle this afternoon after only pulling a boresnake through it and the first three shots formed a thumbnail sized group around true zero at 150yds, the fourth headshot a rabbit at 230yds and the next shot took a rabbit at 405yds.

I am well chuffed.

I think I will continue with just the boresnake to maintain zero for verminating and give it a proper solvent clean before going to the range.

Cheers

Rup

[terryh]

Rup,

 

Result and your barrel will last longer

 

Terry

[no bull]

My Broughton barrelled 6mm br needs a fouling shot after a full clean, however using KG products i have yet to see any copper on the patches probally due to the fact the bore is so highly polished.

 

All i do is patch it out with disc brake cleaner until clean after shooting then after 50 ish rounds give it a full KG clean. My old Border barreled 22-250 would shoot spot on after a clean I suppose its just pot luck.

[skany]

my 6br pacnor 1-8 seems bang on so far altho ive just bought a new brush so its had a real good clean this time so ill check it again just in case!

 

cheers Andy

[oaken]

my 6br pacnor 1-8 seems bang on so far altho ive just bought a new brush so its had a real good clean this time so ill check it again just in case!

 

cheers Andy

Personally I wont let a brush (even the ones in boresnakes) anywhere near my barrels.

They go back to a time when blck powder was the new propellant and imho they just cause more damage than they are worth on modern precision firearm.

I am sure there will be some who disagree........

Rup

[ejg223]

Rup,

I,ve just put a Bartlien on my AR in 6mmAr, and this is just the same.I,ve bottomed it twice, after a hundred or so rounds, and it didn,t need it. It then required 3 rounds to get back to poi. The clean bore shot has been 4" low both times. Never had that happen before. However, its soon back to its self within 3 rounds.

Pointless cleaning it really, there was virtually no copper both times. I think a shove through with KG1 is all its going to get in the future.

Pacnors are just the same.

 

4" sounds frightening, some so some so eh

I'm lucky my Lothar Walther doesn't seem to mind cold hot or clean.

From clean maybe 1/2" possibly less.

edi

[brown dog]

My 308 cleaning routine was always just two pull throughs with a bore snake (being careful not to let the string touch the crown).

 

If putting the gun away for a long time or after a soaking I'd then give it a couple of patches of wd40.

 

Pre-firing, if wd40'd, it patch it squeaky dry, then no matter how it'd been put away, I'd always pull it through twice with the same boresnake to condition the bore with the same surface crap it had before. Always worked for me.