First shot inaccuracy

[NimrodRx]

Just read your original post again.

Pellets are worthless.

The best buck I've ever seen in the field owes his life to them. They are much more hygroscopic and unforgiving than loose powder.

My brother and I were hunting the same section three years ago. I saw 12-14 doe go into an orchard just to the north of him. He didn't see them. 10:00 rolled around and we decided that due to the wind it would be best if I stalk up to the orchard and maybe bump the does toward him.

Due to the wind, just what we expected happened. When I was 200-ish yards from the orchard, deer started filing out. No surprise, doe, after doe, after, doe, after doe.... Then out steps a cranker. We had no idea he was in there. Easily a 140 inch 10 point. He stops up at 250'ish and looks back at me. I'm watching him through my bins waiting to see him fold. My brother is on a fence row less than 70 yards from him. The buck is totally focused in on me.

Nothing happens. I see him turn his head, and then back at me again. Kevin fired two primers within 70 yards of that buck - he never moved. I was contimplating on taking a poke, then the bruiser F'd off.

Grantid, he did a lot of things wrong. He was keeping the pellets in the cab of the truck and then hunting with them in 10-20 deg weather. They're going to draw moisture.

Pellets are more difficult to ignite than loose powder. period.

 

[Okie Hog]

Used two 50 grain Pyrodex pellets and 100 grains of Pyrodex RS interchangeably in my CVA Stag Horn for several years. When fired from that gun the 240 grain .430 XTP shoots to the same point of aim with both powders.

I never hunt with a dirty barrel: All that matters to me is where that 240 grain XTP or 250 grain SST will land when fired from a clean barrel.

 

[txhunter58]

Especially since I started using BH 209, I always hunt with a fouled barrel. It is great to shoot upwards of 20 times at the range without EVER running a patch thru the gun! Makes shooting sessions much more fun. I realize that you still have to let the barrel cool, but I just walk up to the target, get a close look and mark my holes so I don't get confused after a few.

Also, FYI, I have a T/C renegade (blued barrel) that I have hunted with pryodex and 777 for the last 20 years. When I hunt, I shoot to foul, then hunt for 3-4 days without cleaning barring hunting in the rain. Has worked for me and I really can't see any rust to speak of and the gun still shoots very accurately. With 777, I have hunted for 5 days without cleaning before on a fouled barrel. I know people will cringe when they hear that, but it has worked well for me. Could be becuase I generally only use it in Colorado, where the relative humidity is generally very low. Probably helps anyway

 

[SwampFox]

The reason i get my gun as clean as possible at sight in.
Is not to have TO are require a FOULING shoot for the first shot out of the barrel,but each to there own

 

[Lee 9]

I have long believed that if you have the bedding right so a gun will group good in the first place then the only other thing that will cause fliers on the first shot is what you put in the barrel as metal protect-ant. A good example of this is Rem oil.
Sighted in with a clean barrel and using Blackhorn 209 as the powder I normally clean the synthetic oil out with a 50/50 mixture of Hoppes #9 and alcohol, my usual group runs around 7/8 and the first one after prepping this way is normally 1.25 which is acceptable to me. Lee

 

[txhunter58]

The reason i get my gun as clean as possible at sight in.
Is not to have TO are require a FOULING shoot for the first shot out of the barrel,but each to there own

True, it all works for each of us! However, from my point of view assuming I shoot say 300-400 times a year. I weigh "scrubbing" the barrel between each of those shots vs. a handful of fouling shots. I come down on the other side. There is no right or wrong, just personal preference. And I too have not found that I have to shoot an actual bullet (at least not with pyrodex or 777). Just load some powder in the barrel, point the gun straight up and pop a cap. With these two powders I then run a spit patch followed by a dry patch and I am ready to load for the hunt with a fouled barrel.

 

[MOdeer]

I hunt right out the back door of our cabin in the woods, so a fouling shot is not possible for me. What works for me is popping off 3 primers, then a wet patch both sides, then a dry patch both sides. This puts enough fouling in the bore that my first shot hits where the rest do. For some reason with my rifle my first sabot loads much harder than the rest. Makes no sense, but that's how it works for me.

 

[SwampFox]

For me,i am not going to leave my house and go hunting with a Foul Bore.I may not get a shot for a week or more and leave my gun with a load in it.If i had fire a Fouling shot then i would want my gun clean ,atleast via the end of the day.
I Sight my gun in on a very clean barrel, and i do not worry about my first shot going off hay wire.But if i miss doing the day,i do not reclean nor swab either.Via sighting my gun it on a very clean barrel.A follow up shot from a once fire/foul bore is still not that far off.I too shoot a awful lot.It is hardly no more trouble Swabing 3to4 damp patches and drying with the same.To sight my gun in with a very clean barrel.
Like i said to each there own

The reason i get my gun as clean as possible at sight in.
Is not to have TO are require a FOULING shoot for the first shot out of the barrel,but each to there own

True, it all works for each of us! However, from my point of view assuming I shoot say 300-400 times a year. I weigh "scrubbing" the barrel between each of those shots vs. a handful of fouling shots. I come down on the other side. There is no right or wrong, just personal preference. And I too have not found that I have to shoot an actual bullet (at least not with pyrodex or 777). Just load some powder in the barrel, point the gun straight up and pop a cap. With these two powders I then run a spit patch followed by a dry patch and I am ready to load for the hunt with a fouled barrel.