cold shot - The Firearms Forum

old semperfi · 09-22-2012, 01:55 AM

well guys and girls the time is near for deer hunting again.i have already sighted in all my muzzleloaders,rifles and shotguns.i just wanted to remind all the new people hunting this year that the only shot that counts is the cold one.thats the first round from a cold clean barrel.i have seen many people at my range that made shot after shot to sight their guns in and when they finally hit the bullseye they think its done.these are the people who missed their first shot and blames the gun or wind or anything but themselves.we must keep in mind that on most guns the first shot from a cold clean barrel is not the same as preceeding shots.i have been guilty of this myself many years ago,i missed a beautiful 10 point. nuff said. old semperfi

carver · 09-22-2012, 06:56 AM

I agree. So my first shot at that deer is from a cold dirty barrel, not a clean one. After cleaning, I shoot one down range, and then I'm ready to hunt! I do the same thing when shooting targets. If the barrel is clean, and cold, I shoot one to foul the barrel a little, and then start shooting at the bulls eye.

Zane71464 · 09-22-2012, 08:58 AM

I get made fun of all the time with new'er shooters that come out to shoot with me.
Right off the bat with a clean gun, they're ready to see how well they can shoot, or rather, their guns. And they'll always say; "I thought you said, one shot, one kill?"
I'll be like... "hold that thought...I've gott'a foul my barrel first." Some get it, some wont ever get it, I reckon.
I've got a Ruger 77/22lr. that right after it's all cleaned up, it'll take a "few" rounds to get the trure accuracy back, useing the same ammo.

And, good point old semperfi between cold bore shots and after the first round is fired.

aa1911 · 09-22-2012, 10:20 AM

yep! shoot, walk away.... come back and shoot, walk away...

even the military gets the fouling shot idea; if you're using a sniper system, after cleaning but before mission, some guys will even use a blank round to foul the barrel. Seems to work just as well, good peace of mind.

I will do my (almost) final zeroing and then clean the gun well after I get home and opening day or the day before, I will fire off a few rounds to confirm zero and get the bore where I want it. Then it's just dry bore snake and wipe down each night, usually wet here.

This year I will probably back it up even more; think I will clean it really well prior to the last practice/zero session and then leave it alone with a light bore snaking.

old semperfi · 09-23-2012, 08:53 AM

yea,everybody gets an a.however if we are talking about black powder guns leaving a dirty barrel can cause pitting and corrosion with some powders almost overnight.i depend on my first shot with black powder.thats why after sighting in i clean the barrel and fire a cold round,if its ok i then reclean and go hunting.this is not meant to rebuke the previous info because all of it was great advise,other than black powder use. old semperfi

dbcooper · 09-24-2012, 11:07 AM

I learned early on to consider my cold bore shot and not the 2nd or 3rd

I shoot and when I'm happy, I clean the bore and shoot at least one or 2 times to foul the bore and I don't clean it again until after the season unless of course i think the bore gets wet or otherwise needs a patch down it

my Rem 700 / .270 is only about a 1.5 MOA gun so everything counts when you are looking to shoot out past 100 yards

Maine04657 · 09-24-2012, 01:46 PM

Depend on the type of shooting. For 1000 yard cleaning by most I know myself included is when accuracy changes. The depends on choice of bullet, powder and barrel. Some barrels go longer with some bullets of course it can be true the other way as well where some bullets can start to clog a barrel pretty fast.

BlackEagle · 09-24-2012, 02:11 PM

Guys I shoot with at the club, during competition season, clean their guns once before the season begins, then give them a good clean when the competition season is over. Gallery rifle--.357 or .44 Marlin 1894, with just a wipe-down during the season.

09-22-2012, 01:55 AM	#1
old semperfi Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: i live in southern indiana,old country boy at heart Posts: 1,506	cold shot well guys and girls the time is near for deer hunting again.i have already sighted in all my muzzleloaders,rifles and shotguns.i just wanted to remind all the new people hunting this year that the only shot that counts is the cold one.thats the first round from a cold clean barrel.i have seen many people at my range that made shot after shot to sight their guns in and when they finally hit the bullseye they think its done.these are the people who missed their first shot and blames the gun or wind or anything but themselves.we must keep in mind that on most guns the first shot from a cold clean barrel is not the same as preceeding shots.i have been guilty of this myself many years ago,i missed a beautiful 10 point. nuff said. old semperfi -->

09-22-2012, 06:56 AM	#2
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,555	Re: cold shot I agree. So my first shot at that deer is from a cold dirty barrel, not a clean one. After cleaning, I shoot one down range, and then I'm ready to hunt! I do the same thing when shooting targets. If the barrel is clean, and cold, I shoot one to foul the barrel a little, and then start shooting at the bulls eye. __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

09-22-2012, 08:58 AM	#3
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,415	Re: cold shot I get made fun of all the time with new'er shooters that come out to shoot with me. Right off the bat with a clean gun, they're ready to see how well they can shoot, or rather, their guns. And they'll always say; "I thought you said, one shot, one kill?" I'll be like... "hold that thought...I've gott'a foul my barrel first." Some get it, some wont ever get it, I reckon. I've got a Ruger 77/22lr. that right after it's all cleaned up, it'll take a "few" rounds to get the trure accuracy back, useing the same ammo. And, good point old semperfi between cold bore shots and after the first round is fired. __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

09-22-2012, 10:20 AM	#4
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,122	Re: cold shot yep! shoot, walk away.... come back and shoot, walk away... even the military gets the fouling shot idea; if you're using a sniper system, after cleaning but before mission, some guys will even use a blank round to foul the barrel. Seems to work just as well, good peace of mind. I will do my (almost) final zeroing and then clean the gun well after I get home and opening day or the day before, I will fire off a few rounds to confirm zero and get the bore where I want it. Then it's just dry bore snake and wipe down each night, usually wet here. This year I will probably back it up even more; think I will clean it really well prior to the last practice/zero session and then leave it alone with a light bore snaking. __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

09-23-2012, 08:53 AM	#5
old semperfi Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: i live in southern indiana,old country boy at heart Posts: 1,506	Re: cold shot yea,everybody gets an a.however if we are talking about black powder guns leaving a dirty barrel can cause pitting and corrosion with some powders almost overnight.i depend on my first shot with black powder.thats why after sighting in i clean the barrel and fire a cold round,if its ok i then reclean and go hunting.this is not meant to rebuke the previous info because all of it was great advise,other than black powder use. old semperfi

09-24-2012, 11:07 AM	#6
dbcooper Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Contributor Posts: 728	Re: cold shot I learned early on to consider my cold bore shot and not the 2nd or 3rd I shoot and when I'm happy, I clean the bore and shoot at least one or 2 times to foul the bore and I don't clean it again until after the season unless of course i think the bore gets wet or otherwise needs a patch down it my Rem 700 / .270 is only about a 1.5 MOA gun so everything counts when you are looking to shoot out past 100 yards

09-24-2012, 01:46 PM	#7
Maine04657 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Maine Posts: 328	Re: cold shot Depend on the type of shooting. For 1000 yard cleaning by most I know myself included is when accuracy changes. The depends on choice of bullet, powder and barrel. Some barrels go longer with some bullets of course it can be true the other way as well where some bullets can start to clog a barrel pretty fast.

09-24-2012, 02:11 PM	#8
BlackEagle Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: UK Posts: 3,250	Re: cold shot Guys I shoot with at the club, during competition season, clean their guns once before the season begins, then give them a good clean when the competition season is over. Gallery rifle--.357 or .44 Marlin 1894, with just a wipe-down during the season.