Do You Hunt With A Clean Barrel?

HOGSJL said:

Relatively new to muzzleloaders and new guy here so forgive my ignoramous, but do you have the same POI issues with cold/clean bores on ML as with CF? My MLs shoot about an 1-1.5" at 100 yards minute of deer anyway. I use the pellets though. Haven't started experimenting with loose powder yet.

I am familiar with and map my cold bores with all my CF rifles, but those are long range rigs.

Shane

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Welcome by the way........

Some muzzleloaders are long range rigs, at least for muzzleloaders. Check out the long range hunting and target forum on this site.
Muzzleloader shooters have tried just about everything and while some report good luck, others luck remains as is. I read, not participate, in a couple of long range CF forums and many shooters suffer from the first shot, clean, cold bore.
A few rifles will shoot great with the first shot, so long as ALL lubricant is removed prior to the shot. Other shooters use all kinds of different methods, some of which I honestly believe were created by a Witch Doctor. However, if it works for them its great.
I've owned a lot of muzzleloaders over the years and I've had just a single rifle that would give me 200yd accuracy with the first shot. It happens to be the rifle I'm now shooting, an Ultimate Firearms BP Xpress. However..... after having so many rifles that the first or second shot would be high right, I always foul the barrel if I think, or am hunting where my first shot could be beyond 200yds with the Ultimate. For 200 or less, I just bust a couple primers without a charge/bullet, then load.

We check zero a few days before season, leave them dirty. Load them the night before season and leave them loaded the whole 9 days of season unless we shoot a deer with them. Not ever had a problem.

I did some research about it and it is recommended not to subject the gun to changing temps. Leave the gun out in the cold in the garage. Do not bring them in and out of the heat. The temperature change will exaggerate the moisture they draw.