For those who use a primer fouling shot

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Kraig

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I was just curious, for those who use BH209 and shoot a few primers as your “fouling”, what kind of POI are you getting compared to the fouling from your range session with actual powder residue.

I’ve read a lot of people sight in, clean, then before they load their hunting load they’ll fire a few primers to foul the barrel, load and hunt. But I’ve never read how “on” or “off” their POI is.

FWIW, this is the method Western recommends.

Thanks guys


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I think you will find that the technique needed will vary from gun to gun. The process I use was worked out by trial and error.
I fire 3 209 then clean the barrel then fire 3 more. I think firing the first 3 and cleaning the barrel gets the oil out and the second 3 dirty it just enough to bring the first shot into the group. I have no idea if this would work on anybody else's gun or not.
 
Mine is similar to Lee's, and have never seen that much change in POI to worry about for hunting.

I use both sides of a dry patch to swab the bore. Then put a fresh dry patch on the jag and run that down to the BP and leave it there, the pop a primer. Push that back to the BP and remove. You can look at the patch and see how much flame gets to the powder and it adds a little pressure to help dry out the BP. I do that 2 times, I used to do it 3 but changed it up a little. Now I do it twice with the patch on the jag and then pop 2 primers on an empty barrel and then swab with one dry patch and use only one side.

I did this today and this is the group I shot. But as Lee stated your rifle might like things a little different.

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It varies.

Nothing beats a fouling shot. I use LockEase to mimic a fouled bore with success. Without nterbention, I usually see significant POI shift even with primer fouling. I suspect my storage oil which is BIrchwood Casey Barricade.
 
Yes, check your own gun to see any impact differences with or without a few of the 'fouling' methods. Blackhorn 209 or not, I just don't like having a dirty bore any longer than I have to. That hunt may be two days in before I get a shot, whatever.

At my typical 50-100 yard ranges while hunting, target range ahead of time, POI changes are minimal. I do the 2 primer only fire to foul the bore a bit before loading for the hunt.
 
3 primers down my TC Encore and Venture barrels, after have cleaned them, produced enough fouling that my POI was where I left it on a dirty barrel.
 
I never fire any primer fowlers, my breech plugs are always clean and dry. The bore is relatively dry for my first shot and I've never seen any appreciable difference in poi between the first and last shot.

I have used the Lock Ease before but didn't see any real difference. There's been times where that charge could sit 5 weeks or so before firing and mine's not going to sit there with a fouled barrel. But after loading, I will run an oiled patch back down the bore to keep it from getting any type of rust and perhaps this resembles "fouling" and why it shoots where I point it.
 
tpcollins said:
But after loading, I will run an oiled patch back down the bore to keep it from getting any type of rust and perhaps this resembles "fouling" and why it shoots where I point it.

That is really interesting...I think it would probably do the same thing. I just always shot off a primer because that is what Tony Knight told me to do in his video that came with my first ML. It was the old Wolverine package (with boat paddle stock) that had everything you needed except for powder. I also always felt assured that by firing a primer the breech plug was clear and ready to go.
 
I've spent a lot of range time this summer with the 209 powder in three of my guns: an Accura V2, an Optima pistol, and a T/C Impact. Here's what I have found.

My Accura likes a slightly dirty barrel so I foul it with 3 or 4 primers and done as such my first shot at 100 will go pretty much where I need it to go.

My Optima pistol is basically a 40 yard gun for me and I have zero intentions of shooting at a deer beyond that range. I am very confident inside that range and just have set a limit at 40 yards. It matters very little if the barrel is clean or if its been primer-fouled. The 240 grain deep curl or XTP is smack on either way, either bullet.

The Impact. lol Definitely needs some fouling. At 100 yards it will throw a 300 grain XTP about 3" high and 1 to the right on a clean barrel. Dirty its dead on. A 300 deep curl shoots identical to the XTP. Primer fouling doesn't cut it with this gun so I use between 5 and 8 grains of 209 packed down with some paper toweling and step out behind the garage at about 8 the night before season opens and pop a primer. Then I pull the plug and check to be sure the barrel is just dirty and that the toweling has gone bye-bye. I put the plug back in and put the load in the gun that night before casing it but its not primed until I get on stand.

Different guns. different needs.
 
I shoot T7 and before every shot I shoot 2 primers through, then load, clean, 2 primers, load, shoot.

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