first shot is always high

[savageman]

what is the remedy for the first shot from a muzzleloader being high?

 

[REN]

shoot a 2nd shot lol...just kidding.

 

[shopson]

If second and rest of shots are good then don't go hunting with a clean barrel.

 

[Wobblyshot1]

Sight it in for the first shot....That's the one that counts.

 

[Rubberduck270]

Sight it in for the first shot....That's the one that counts.

Yup. Get your gun close with a dirty barrel then completely clean in between each shot till you're dead on with a clean, cold bore. Then shoot your second shot to see how much you'll have to compensate if a second shot is needed.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I take the opposite approach. I sight it in after a "fouling" shot and I shoot a fouling shot before I hunt. Then, in theory, my next 4 or 5 shots will be the same. If I shoot my gun twice in a morning, I don't want to need to compensate on the second shot. Just the way I prefer

 

[Rubberduck270]

I take the opposite approach. I sight it in after a "fouling" shot and I shoot a fouling shot before I hunt. Then, in theory, my next 4 or 5 shots will be the same. If I shoot my gun twice in a morning, I don't want to need to compensate on the second shot. Just the way I prefer

My Dad does that too. But I don't like for my ML to sit around dirty.

 

[FrontierGander]

remove all traces of oil in the bore by running a couple alcohol, windex, carb cleaner, brake cleaner, birchwood casey gun scrubber down the bore and then run a few dry patches.

 

[mike243]

I take the opposite approach. I sight it in after a "fouling" shot and I shoot a fouling shot before I hunt. Then, in theory, my next 4 or 5 shots will be the same. If I shoot my gun twice in a morning, I don't want to need to compensate on the second shot. Just the way I prefer

x2

 

[savageman]

what is a fouling shot? just a primer? or full charge with sabot?

 

[REN]

what is a fouling shot? just a primer? or full charge with sabot?

that was my question as well. I would assume you dont mean shoot a shot and then not clean it at all.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

The morning I go hunting (or the night before) I shoot about 65 grains of powder and a cheap wal-mart sabot into a ditch somewhere. Then I run 2 or 3 dry patches and load the gun with my regular load. My barrel if "fouled" just like it was when I sighted it in. If I'm hunting for a couple of days in a row, I'll leave it loaded. If I'm not hunting till next weekend, I'll unload it, clean it, and repeat the process next time. It's a hassle and I've been made fun of by my buddies, and I'm a little self conscious about being too particular, but it I fell better about it when I'm hunting.

 

[Model70Man]

I had the same problem. Shoot a couple of 209 primers in a clean empty barrel. Then load the ML without cleaning the barrel and site it in. Fixed it.

 

[square]

Someone is going to have to explain to me why you would intentionally foul a barrel with a corrosive product and then possibly hunt with it in the rain for a few days. Sounds to me like you are trying to pit the barrel. Why not clean the barrel between each shot while zeroing the rifle. It is easy if you use pre-saturated cleaning patches and then dry patches. That way all you shots will be out of a clean barrel. The patches will remove bore butter, oil etc before you load it to go hunting so the barrel is clean and dry then too.You can even do this very quickly in the stand so you always have a relatively clean barrel.

 

[Rubberduck270]

Why not clean the barrel between each shot while zeroing the rifle. It is easy if you use pre-saturated cleaning patches and then dry patches.

That will take care of most of the residue in the barrel but your breech plug will still be dirty. A dirty breech plug means less flame into the powder. But I totally agree, I'm not leaving my ML dirty for even a day. Once it's bitten by the rust bug you'll always be battling it.

 

[iowavf]

When I used 777 pellets I had my gun sighted in with a dirty barrel, same as others said I'd load a couple pellets and fire it in the ditch. My 1st shot with a clean barrel was 12" high and 6" to the right. I didn't clean between shots and the next 6 where right on the money and didn't have to think guessing for an adjustment. It's cold here when I hunt and the last thing I wanted to do was to run some patches down the barrel with frozen fingers. I left it loaded in my truck or garage and never took it inside to reduce the risk of any condensation. Course with the blackhorn there's no difference between your 1st shot from a clean barrel or your 15th shot with no cleaning.

 

[chewymalone]

I have one of the original Black Knights. I have always popped a couple of caps after storing to be sure the nipple is clean and dry. You can sit a small leaf on the driveway and see if it moves when you hold the muzzle to it and pop the cap. If so, then I put a half load of 777 in the barrel and run a dry patch down on top of it as a wad of sorts. Cap it, fire it, and now I have a fouled barrel that is always dead on and free of any moisture or oil at the breech.

I fire and clean it after every trip. It's almost 20 years old with no rust, no pits. And I hunt no matter the weather conditions.

 

[W.Seay]

I take the opposite approach. I sight it in after a "fouling" shot and I shoot a fouling shot before I hunt. Then, in theory, my next 4 or 5 shots will be the same. If I shoot my gun twice in a morning, I don't want to need to compensate on the second shot. Just the way I prefer

x2

x3

 

[bvoss]

The morning I go hunting (or the night before) I shoot about 65 grains of powder and a cheap wal-mart sabot into a ditch somewhere. Then I run 2 or 3 dry patches and load the gun with my regular load. My barrel if "fouled" just like it was when I sighted it in. If I'm hunting for a couple of days in a row, I'll leave it loaded. If I'm not hunting till next weekend, I'll unload it, clean it, and repeat the process next time. It's a hassle and I've been made fun of by my buddies, and I'm a little self conscious about being too particular, but it I fell better about it when I'm hunting.

seems like it would be a lot easier to just sight it in clean and make the first shot count....but like you say im sure thats not the first time you've heard that.

 

[buckhorn40]

All the Knight guns I used to shoot never shot well out of a completely clean barrel. After cleaning, I would foul the barrel with about 30 grains of powder. Then load my normal load.

 

[danny1975]

what is a fouling shot? just a primer? or full charge with sabot?

shoot a charge with no bullet.