Hunting = cold bore shots

Danehunter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
2,923
Location
Mojave Desert, Nevada
And cold bore shots usually shoot higher than fouled "warm" bore shots.

But using bullets tumbles with HBM (Hexagonal Boron Nitride) tend to group cold bore shots with the following shots so you do not have to remember to aim first shots a bit lower when taking a long shot. Jus' saying'...

Eric B.
 
I take it you HBN coated some yourself and found that it reduced the cold bore spread?
 
I must be lucky, not one of my rifles 'walk' POI between cold bore and any follow up shots as the barrel heats. If they do, then they go down the road.
Rifles that 'string' as the barrel warms are not precision devices and have not been bedded or stress relieved correctly. It is normally a mechanical problem that causes it.
Soda straw barrels are often a problem with this, sometimes forend pressure will eliminate it somewhat.

HBN is obviously changing barrel time if it has shrunk your groups as the barrel warms, but don't bet it would have the same results with every bullet/powder combo in that rifle. Just saying.

Cheers.
:)
 
I have seen different impacts with cold/clean barrels before. Dirty cold not so much.

Two of my rifles shoot to within the group of each other. They are my go to for confidence.
 
Im with you MagnumManiac ...none of my guns walk either I shoot three shot strings starting with a cold bore and mine group with no cooldown time.
 
Cold , clean bores always seem to stray. However, most of my rifles will shoot within a small group, warm or cold, when there has been at least three fouling shots since the last bore cleaning.
Exceptionally cold hunting conditions "may" change this but I don't hunt in those conditions.
 
The exact reason I group on a dirty barrel. Never understood the clean barrel thing. Barrel is changing so much with each shot (when starting super clean barrel), especially a factory tube. None of my guns go in the field until they have min 15 rounds through them. First shot seems to hit it's mark, if I do my job.
 
The exact reason I group on a dirty barrel. Never understood the clean barrel thing. Barrel is changing so much with each shot (when starting super clean barrel), especially a factory tube. None of my guns go in the field until they have min 15 rounds through them. First shot seems to hit it's mark, if I do my job.

I experimented with this when I moved to VA. I fouled a rifle and then put it away. Maybe 10-15 shots through it. Went back a few months later and it was orange inside. Never again. Now I clean them and if the clean/cold bore isn't in the group. That gun don't hunt. I still will try to shoot a group beginning of hunting season, but no more than cold bore and a three shot group and won't let it sit for more than a week or two without cleaning out the powder fouling.
 
Last edited:
And cold bore shots usually shoot higher than fouled "warm" bore shots.

But using bullets tumbles with HBM (Hexagonal Boron Nitride) tend to group cold bore shots with the following shots so you do not have to remember to aim first shots a bit lower when taking a long shot. Jus' saying'...

Eric B.
What kind of rifle was this observation made with?
 
I have some that are great at repeating the first shot.

i consider the HBN at times, secondary to good reports.

My mind set is first shot is the group for a hunting rifle. It's the rest that are strays.
A lot of times I only shoot once or twice, at whatever range, if I hit, my dope is good.
 
You have me thinking. I always fire one and let it cool till it's below 80 degrees. Then the next. Next time at the range I will fire two and see what happens.
Record the velocities as you fire and see what the string shows.
 
Cold bore shot....


3 round group immediately following on a different target...


I can honestly and proudly say, with my ballistic app, I put my 1st round shot exactly where I wanted it to go on my elk last year at 662 yards. Within 1" at most with my 7RM as seen above.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 7 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top