Fouled barrel needed-is it OK???

bpost

I shoot Pyrodex in a 45 cal Encore Barrel. It is extremely accurate with 200 grain Hornaday XTP bullets/generic sabot and 90 grains of Pyrodex RS.

No matter what I try, bullet types, powder, sabot brand, or 209 primer brand it will NOT shoot the first shot from a clean barrel within a pie plate of center. The second, third, fourth and fifth shots are all within 2" at 100 yards.

Question; is it OK to leave the SS barrel fouled and loaded overnight in outdoor temps to assure accuracy for a deer hunt the next morning?

HandLoad

Dry/Cold, I might...But Moist/Hot, I wouldn't.

mbsams

Clean barrel between shots with one alcohol soaked patch and a dry patch and re zero for clean barrel shooting. Leaving a bore fouled with black or pyrodex is a quick way to make a paper weight. The fouling will attract moisture! It will rust fast! SS will start with a little gray area you don't recognize as rust but it's happening. Soon you'll have a ruined bore.

steve45

Maybe try 777 powder. Its cleaner than pyrodex.

1shotcleaner

im not an expert and i dont shoot over 100 yards but one of the best smokepoles i have was found in the woods leaning beside of a tree.the barrel looks inside like an old plowblade looks on the out side and it will shoot 5 inches at 100yards no matter how many times its fired. and it will do 3 at 75yards it is rusty pitted coroded and fowled. i use mostly real or maxibals"conicals" and have to beat them down the barel. but it shoots like a champ. now im not saying i dont clean or saying for you not to clean a bore but this is my fowel wether go to gun and it never let me down. cant say that for my babied stainles or well taken cair of blued barrel guns. it seems as thoe it dosent cair as long as its getting shot.the whole paper weight thing from not cleaning i dont agree on. my one trashed barrel may be a fluke but i dont think so. every muzzelloader i have or have seen shot shoots better"groopwise" with a foweled barrel. however i do not condone leaving a charge in longer than the hunt of that day, and if you break for lunch discharge it and reload when you get back in the field. it dosenttake much and its much much safer and more reliable just my 2cents[:p]

Mobuck

First shot zero is a real hassle with muzzleloaders. Properly done this takes a lot of time. I have done this over several days time but my range is right outside my yard gate. Zero your sights with your chosen load and completely clean your rifle. After it is dry and reassembled, go shoot again. Note where that first shot goes relative to the next ones and adjust to put the first where you want it. Pay attention (as you apparently have been) where the hits occur relative to each other. When I sight in a cartridge rifle, I try to shoot a first shot group over a period of time both clean and fouled cold barrel. Most shooters don't have this much time but it's a habit I guess. I was in a position that demanded knowledge of first shot/cold barrel zero and hot barrel strikes also.

krazy4krags

quote:it will shoot 5 inches at 100yards no matter how many times its fired. and it will do 3 at 75yards it is rusty pitted coroded and fowled. i use mostly real or maxibals"conicals" and have to beat them down the barel. but it shoots like a champ. now im not saying i dont clean or saying for you not to clean a bore but this is my fowel wether go to gun and it never let me down. cant say that for my babied stainles or well taken cair of blued barrel guns. it seems as thoe it dosent cair as long as its getting shot.

Howdy!
No offense should be taken by anyone when I suggest that a muzzleloader; a good quality, well maintained, and properly tuned and loaded muzzleloader, should be as accurate as any modern firearm at 100 yards. Granted, some of the lower priced models do not have the same quality of barrels or locks or bedding, but if the best I could muster was 3" groups I might begin to look for a new load or a replacement barrel. Will it knock over a deer at 50 yards? You bet, but if you expect something more from your muzzleloader I would keep it clean...stainless or blued.

I like the advice given to you about learning where a clean, cold barrel shoots in comparison to a fouled barrel. To expand on that I may suggest a few ideas. Do you wipe the bore clean of any oils prior to lading your first round of the day? For range/target work you have the time to sit and thoroughly clean between each shot and by the time you are done the barrel is cold again. Try this and aim at a little larger target. See if the clean shots group.
However, in the field things are different. If you need a follow up shot you may not have time to even swab the bore. Therefore what I would do is test out how your muzzleloader does this at the range. First, fire your clean cold shot at your target after you know where it will print on paper. Then, just as you may be in the field, load another shot. Since your first shot could be considered your "established point of aim" then aim your second "fouled bore" shot at the hole you printed with the first. See how far off that shot is from the first and it should provide some thought provoking results.

Best Regards!