Shot Wiping

If someone is wiping between shots why should that person do a fouling shot?

Well, the fouling shot is generally meant to be the first shot fired after cleaning, so you will sorta hafta fire a fouling shot whether you wipe between shots or not. Also, wiping between shots is not generally a complete cleaning, there is still going to be some crud in there along with the residue from whatever you used to wipe it with.

Now you could start a war over whether or not to wipe between shots, what to clean your gun with, how to clean your gun and related topics. Also, range shooting is different from hunting. If you are reloading while hunting, you are generally trying to do it quickly. No time to wipe the bore down, fire a cap to dry and clear the channel of the crud you just pushed into the breach and only then start pouring powder down the muzzle. There is also the issue of your bore solvent freezing in the bore.

I personally do not wipe the bore between shots. It seems to cause as many problems as it solves, though others hold other opinions. Do what works for you and the opinions of old farts like myself be damned.

If your wiping between shots you are doing something wrong.
I would to make sure everything is working.
Then wipe

BlackRock52 said:

If someone is wiping between shots why should that person do a fouling shot?

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If by 'fouling shot' you're referring to the first shot of the day - then I use that to be sure that the flash hole is clear, that the rifle will fire and without hangfire, and that all is functioning as it should. In that sense then 'fouling shot' is something of a misnomer.

With my long range match rifles firing paper patch bullets I wipe the bore between shots - after firing: load powder, seat tight fitting card wad, wipe bore, seat bullet, cap, fire - and repeat.

David

If at the range trying to make cloverleaf shots on target, l wipe between shots after dirting the barrel. In the woods maybe every five shots. No need risking a stuck ball away from the truck and before the end of the day.

Depends on if you shoot a PRB or conical projectile. Some of the "bullets" fit so tight that you have to wipe between shots. Also, if you use a wad, that is powder charge, wad, PRB- the wad can push a lot of fouling down the bore before the PRB but since it is over the powder- it doesn't plug up the gun (nipple/flash hole.

I like to wipe between shots. All sorts of things affect fouling. Humidity and temperature, grain size and powder brand. Shooting a Patched ball the lube is important.
I like to use tge guns rod. Most old guns had smaller rods tgen range rods, but even using a range rod/wiping stick I’m using wood. Good hickory is tough. Used right a rod should never break, but a quick wipe just makes it load easy, even a tight load.
I’ve shot military cartridge and my best time was four shots in one min eight seconds.
However it’s been years since I seen a redcoat. So I’m not in a hurry
‘Speed is the device of Satan’ so say Herbert’s Freman. But I agree

BlackRock52 said:

If someone is wiping between shots why should that person do a fouling shot?

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There are several schools of thought...,

One school is you shoot a blank charge or "fouling shot" and then swab the barrel with a dry patch or not at all, and thus "tighten" the bore just a tiny bit. Some folks get better accuracy from their second shot and so do this ; some folks say that's simply a problem with the patch, and more work on finding the right patch is needed.

Another school is you load a very dry barrel, and then do a good wipe with a damp patch after every shot. What a lot of the folks haven't mentioned is that things differ by caliber, and the guys with a .32 or .36 may be wiping after every shot as their ramrod is very thin, and they cannot risk a breakage... the guy with a .62 may not worry as much

Another school is that one loads a clean, dry barrel, and swabs after every two shots or so, simply to prevent a jammed ball and a broken rod.

As has been mentioned, the brand of powder, the humidity, the weather, and the patch lube, all play a part in the reaction of the powder residue when shooting.

LD

Some rifles, ML or unmentionable, shoot to a slightly different point of aim between the first shot from a clean barrel and subsequent shots from a fouled barrel. If you're a hunter then you have to know the difference (if any). When target shooting you can always fire a fouling shot to settle the barrel.

The name of the game is consistency. Whatever works best for you to get the best accuracy out of your rifle, then you need to keep doing it the same way every time.

Everyone to their own thang. Whenever I'm shooting for accuracy, such as establishing a suitable load for a ML, I most always wipe between each shot. Reason why........because its a constant and helps reduce/eliminate variables. Once a promising load is found, then I stretch it out a bit on wiping between shots just to see what she will do.

Boomerang said:

The name of the game is consistency. Whatever works best for you to get the best accuracy out of your rifle, then you need to keep doing it the same way every time.

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There ya go -- best comment to topic. My own practice with a front stuffer is pop a cap to ensure blow hole open. No fouling shot. Wipe between shots and I get 3/4" group at 50 yards with iron sights. PRB .45 cal, prelubed & precut patch, 70 Gr ffg or pyrodex select....

This is another example of hunting versus target shooting. Two completely different subjects with different methods of loading to get the results you want.

The Crisco Kid said:

This is another example of hunting versus target shooting. Two completely different subjects with different methods of loading to get the results you want.

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That is very true. For this ole boy, if I can't reliably use it for hunting, then I don't bother with it.

Johnny Tremain said:

If your wiping between shots you are doing something wrong.

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I wish Dutch Schoulz was still here to read that comment, he might offer the idea that if you DON'T wipe between shots, you ARE doing something wrong.

Powder, safe for the gun. Ball in some sort of patch with some sort of lube. Ball all the way down on the powder.
That we can all agree on
Every thing else is ‘what works for me.’
If one hole five shot group at a hundred yards is your goal a musket with military cartridge won’t make sense.
Of deer hunting accuracy at fifty yards the advantage of a .495 over a .490 isn’t going to make any sense
Shooting right for you as long as you do basic rules is tge right way

If you have a target load that will shoot into the x ring all day long and is easy to load quick for a hurried up second shot when you're hunting you are truly blessed!

In my 40 cal the first shot will always go 2 inches or more high. After that even with a quick wipe it will print down at the point of aim consistantly.