I struggled with the same problem years ago . Once my rifles were bedded properly , I was good to go . Also , I leave my barrels partially fouled during hunting season . Once I check zero for the last time before hunting , all I do for cleaning after that is , I mist a very little Ballistal on an old beater bore snake and run thru 3 times , then run a clean dry bore snake thru 3 times , nothing else and my gun will shoot to poa for first shot no problem . It cleans the bore enough to prevent any corrosion during my hunt , yet leaves enough in to maintain zero .
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HELP ! Cold bore vs Warm in Hunting Rifle
- Thread starter bubbaonpc
- Start date
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distantfoe
Well-Known Member
Lol, any chance the barrel is a proof cf?
robert l
Well-Known Member
Your welcome it kinda sounds like a flyer but you said that it constantly shooting in the same area so flyer would not be the problem.Please let us know what happens.Bob.
There is one other thing but I'm sure that uou're aware of it: Could you perhaps, after your first shot, be repositioning yourself and possibly be supporting your rifle at a different point? Often this can make a huge difference for me.
Andrew Cowling
Well-Known Member
A barrel that "walks" as it wrams up is usually a sign that it hasn't been stress relieved properly. Also proper braking in can in some ways correct this issue.
Thanks to all for replies ! I should have been more specific about rifle. It's a T/C Venture .308 purchased 26 months back... this is a Hunting Rifle Only..((I'm sure that goes without saying)) Year one and two were nail driving, 5 shots touching at 100 yards, happy camper. Bout once a week during deer season, I run a clean dry patch through it and at end of season I run an oily patch, then a dry patch until clean and put her away. This year I pulled her out, and a perfect shot #1...the next 4 were dismal, high and right and not grouping. Next day, cold barrel, I again pulled a reload left from last year and a Perfect shot...the next 4 went high right, no grouping. I double checked OGIVE and all the reloads were dead on and nothing has changed in the throat...still same OGIVE. I did open a new box of SST's, but I rechecked OGIVE. I use an old sled, that telescopes in the middle, which allows me to place forearm on front rest and the rear sits just behind the grip and my shoulder touches butt plate, just like everyone holds their rifle free hand. I put very little weight on front rest and there are no "tie downs" holding barrel. After firing, there is no adjustment to sled, other than sliding it left/right..the horizontal remains on Bullseye. I know its not me, as I had 4 other rifles to shoot and make sure scopes were good after sitting 10 months...the rest were home runs, all sub MOA at 100. Maybe I need to put another 50 rounds through it or check on a Wood Stock. My 17HH and .204 Ruger are nail drivers, but they get shot 100's of times a month...maybe it's just not broke in ????
I mounted the base, rings and scope, so I feel confident in them, but it wont hurt to remove all and start over. Thanks for your time !
ATH
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have never made a serious effort to copper clean the barrel?
I have a 300WM Rem Sendero which was a .25MOA gun from the factory. For 15-20 shots, after which it opened up to 3-4MOA due to copper fouling. I'd clean out the copper and back to .25MOA. Later did a Tubbs abrasive bullet treatment which extended life to 50 rounds between cleanings.
With any rifle first thing I do is make sure I have good pillars, bedding, and floating. Never left a factory rifle alone. Never failed to touch .5 MOA in a bolt action doing this and load development.
I have a 300WM Rem Sendero which was a .25MOA gun from the factory. For 15-20 shots, after which it opened up to 3-4MOA due to copper fouling. I'd clean out the copper and back to .25MOA. Later did a Tubbs abrasive bullet treatment which extended life to 50 rounds between cleanings.
With any rifle first thing I do is make sure I have good pillars, bedding, and floating. Never left a factory rifle alone. Never failed to touch .5 MOA in a bolt action doing this and load development.
Andrew Cowling
Well-Known Member
A good copper clean should fix it. Keep using the copper solvent till you cant see any orange streaks in the barrel at the muzzle. All mine a properly run in and I get very little copper fouling and poi is the same for clean cold barrels to hot dirty barrels.
RAGGED EDGE
Well-Known Member
Make sure you use an AGRESSIVE copper solvent. I won't recommend one (maybe others will), BUT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER!!
Bubba I have a T/C Venture in 300 win mag and it is a tack driver.
I bought an inexpensive video bore scope and looked at the Venture's barrel,WOW!
I could not believe how much copper had built up in the barrel with only 2 boxes of hand loaded 180 gr Nosler Accubonds at 2960 fps.
The barrel looks very rough and it will collect copper like no other rifle but man it shoots a 3/8 inch group when I do my part so I make sure I clean the copper out after each outing except hunting season and then I do things differently.With a clean barrel I shoot a 3 shot string and leave it alone until after the hunting season.
Again the barrel on yours will be rough looking and full of copper.My Remington 300 win mag collects 1/4 of the amount of copper the Venture collects.
Just my 2 cents
Old Rooster
I bought an inexpensive video bore scope and looked at the Venture's barrel,WOW!
I could not believe how much copper had built up in the barrel with only 2 boxes of hand loaded 180 gr Nosler Accubonds at 2960 fps.
The barrel looks very rough and it will collect copper like no other rifle but man it shoots a 3/8 inch group when I do my part so I make sure I clean the copper out after each outing except hunting season and then I do things differently.With a clean barrel I shoot a 3 shot string and leave it alone until after the hunting season.
Again the barrel on yours will be rough looking and full of copper.My Remington 300 win mag collects 1/4 of the amount of copper the Venture collects.
Just my 2 cents
Old Rooster
Thank you Old Rooster. Glad for your 2 cents. My 308 is gonna get a good copper cleaning. Majority LRH replies seem to believe that's what she needs. I was looking at those "cheaper" bore scopes and I now believe I will order one ASAP. Funny how guns do...I have my fathers 30-06 Rem. Pump from 1976 that I used from 1980-88...never used up the original 3 boxes of ammo, took it out in 2004, one shot zero still dead on and shot a nice 8pt. I dont guess that gun has ever been fired more than 3 times at a sitting. I wonder if our shooting 20,30 40 times finding a load heats the barrel and helps shorten the "life" of hunting rifles. Sounds like I have another question for LRH Forum ! Thanks again, I'll report back after cleaning.
RAGGED EDGE
Well-Known Member
With what you are experiencing you have very little to lose by cleaning down to bare metal and fire lapping with lead slugs. JMO
