reducing first shot wander

[trigrcreep]

Hello,I recently purchased a new gm barrel for my hawken ,shoots great all but the first shot. If you fellas could maybe save me some expirement time in getting first shot accuracy on par with the rest without the fouling shot. I want to hog hunt with this rifle before deer season and I like to keep it clean. Let me know what works for you. Thanks alot, Bill

 

[catman]

If it's new it will take about 100-150 balls to settle in...

I wish I could say it was easy, but you have to do some work to find the first good shot out of a clean cold barrel. Some are easy some are not, I've had both kinds. Just keep at it and keep a record of what your doing.
The first one is what counts hunting...

 

[Stumpkiller]

What works for me is to wipe the bore with an alcohol patch before the first load and then wipe a well lubed patch up and down the bore a few times before loading to slick up the bore well.

My first shot is usually pretty much on.

 

[leslie]

Yes but I lube after I load.

 

[Horizontal Hunter]

Another way to look at it is: How can I make the rest of my shots the same as the first shot?

This is what works for me:

I snap two caps before I load the first shot and I wipe the barrel with a spit patch in between each shot and all my shots group together. Whether it is the first shot or the 25th shot.

I run a damp spit patch then I flip it over and run it again.

Bob

 

[BrownBear]

Another way to look at it is: How can I make the rest of my shots the same as the first shot?

That's the way my thinking runs. I'm a hunter and not a range type, so I sight in with a one-shot "group." My sight-in is based on where that first ball lands. I swab thoroughly after the one shot so my next shot is essentially coming from a clean bore, too. I'm just not too worried if the second shot and all subsequent shots land an inch or two from the first one. If I was more worried about groups, I'd be working to develop methods to drag the subsequent shots over to where the first one landed rather than the other way around.

 

[rafterob]

How about first shot "wonder". I have shot a 10x on my first shot a couple times. I just put the rifle away after that because I figure its all down hill from there. :surrender:

 

[tg]

How far out of a five shot group is the first shot? and is it consistant at various ranges?

 

[ohio ramrod]

Many, if not most target shooters will take a "fouling shot". So that the barrel has a consistant amount of fouling in the barrel. Others just use a tight fitting patch/ball combination and find no need for a fouling shot.Like so many things in this game differnt guns/people have different methods that give them the best results. :idunno:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Any time you put a new barrel in a stock, you are going to have to consider how well that barrel "FITS" in the barrel mortise of the stock. With a T/C, there is also the fit of the hook to the breech/tang. A lot of times, that barrel Moves in recoil with the first shot and then settles in for the next shots. It can drive a shooter NUTS.

Are you still switching barrels with the original, or is this newer barrel a true Replacement? If its the latter, then consider rebedding the tang and barrel mortises, at least out to the Wedge. That will eliminate movement of the barrel in the stock when its fired, and should keep the same POI for the first and subsequent shots.

If you are still wanting to use Both Barrels in the same stock, you may not be able to bed the one and get the second to still fit. A lot of careful measuring has to be made. Sometimes, just bedding the bottom flat of the barrel channel is all that is needed, and then both barrels can be installed and used.

I would start MY investigation by putting marking dye on that hook on the new barrel, putting it into the tang to see what is rubbing, and WHAT ISN'T!!! Then put the old barrel with marking dye on that hook, so you can compare the two. I suspect that you will find that one hook is rubbing in a place where the other isn't, and that may be the sole source of the problem. :idunno: :hmm: :surrender: :thumbsup:

 

[trigrcreep]

That first shot usually ends up to the right about 4 inches at 50 yds,but I have seen it high too. The gm barrel is the only one in service now as its far more accurate.I do give it a thorough swab between shots and run a rather tight prb.That first round is just a tad looser tho.

 

[longrifle346]

That's my philosophy as well. I rack up a lot of range time, I have a bench and a range out to 125 yds in my backyard, but I'm primarily a hunter. I clean the bore to a white patch level between shots so essentially every shot is a first shot because it's the POI of the first shot I'm most concerned with. I even clean my small bore between shots when squirrel hunting.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Something is moving for there to be two different points of Impact as you describe at only 50 yards. You can do the tests I described, or turn it over to a competent BP gunsmith. :thumbsup:

 

[trigrcreep]

I think I will start with the hook/tang area, it looks suspect now that I give it a second look. Thank you very much

 

[trigrcreep]

FIXED- first round in the black at 50yd.I used a file to fit the hook to the tang,removed from the wood.got all casting burrs out from tang and barrel. Then relieved a little metal from the snail wich was ever so slightly touching the lock plate. For the benefit of others this rifle is a cabelas(investarms).54 and I have installed a gm interchangeable barrel.The load is 90 gr 2f with a .530 ball and a .015 patch. I ran out of my usuall load of .535 ball,.013 patch.However the .535 ball-.015 patch was snug but shot well. Those hogs better watch out!

 

[trigrcreep]

I might still try the bedding.As for now its shooting minute of lung. :wink:

 

[Rat Trapper]

Some pretty good info that others will need in the future. Maybe someone can make this a sticky?

 

[longcruise]

FIXED- first round in the black at 50yd

Your initial presentation of your problem suggested first shot wander. It's usually caused by the fouling of the first shot changing the impact point of the subsequent shots. IOW, it's not first shot wander, it's subsequent shot(s) finding their new POI.

Paul might have gotten it right with the bedding approach, but you nmight want to wring it out a bit more to be sure.

My appproach to this problem is to try to return the barrel to it's clean condition before loading the second and remaining hunting shots. Since my hunting load goes into a clean and alcohol rinsed barrel for the first shot, I wipe thoroughly after the first shot and then do like stumpy and wipe it again with alcohol before loading the second hunting shot.

What I'm saying is that your first wandering shot represents your true sight in from a clean barrel and the others from a fouled barrel.

My rifles have a whole different sight in for hunting as opposed to target shooting where the barrel is not so thoroughly wiped between shots.

 

[trigrcreep]

I will be firing again this wk end,I will give a range report then.Thanks to everyone who helped.

 

[trigrcreep]

Range report, I actually sneaked out wed and shot fairly well,went out this evening and the first shot at fifty yds was one inch high center of target wich is just where Iwant it. next shot 1 in left of it .Next 1 in rt then 3 holes made 1 strait down kinda made a T.We shall call this prob cured. I did see a gap wich was small that the hook causedbefore I filed it.I sure do thank all the good folks who helped :bow: .Now I will tweak it down to the fine stuff.Great help.