Acceptable Accuracy

mikekuzara · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:58 pm Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

I use my dads standard. Paint the mouths of 5 beer bottles flourescent orange. Line them up, mouth end towards the bench, at 100 yards on a rail or board and duct tape them in place. If you can put a bullet through the mouth of the bottle and blow out the bottom 3 out of 5 five times, it'll do.

LittleMagnum · Member Joined: Jul 05, 2005 Posts: 105 Location: Vermont

Acceptable Accuracy......depends on the gun,but I like my bolt actions to shoot 1inch or less and varmint gun 1/2 or better. Most of my guns meet this. I have a few lever action guns, that shoot under 3inch and thats fine with me. I spent a lot money, trying to get dogs to shoot. I now look for consistant groups, not the one hole fluke group. If a gun can't back it up, with back to back groups, then it's fluke.
I do like playing with projects guns, seeing how well I can get them to shoot, thats the fun part. I pulled my hair out on Remmington Custom shop 300win mag, before I got it to shoot consistant 5/8-3/4 groups. But thats another story.

Flint54 · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 2:25 am Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Sorry bout the late response. "Lighter Fluid" is a naptha based flamable liquid that leaves no oily residue. This being the case it will clean the oil out of your bore and leave it dry, this way there is no oil in teh bore for your first shot and you can chart/record your cold bore shot more accuratly. Lighter Fluid has been used for years on the Benchrest Circut other things used were 115/145 Avgas as well as other octane ratings. Coleman Fuel or White Gas also does the same job. Although the latter are much more flamable. Cool

515034s10ring · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:59 am Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

I used lighter fluid for the longest time....good stuff for the ultimate accuracy test Very Happy

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

That's what I thought, Mr. flint54. Just wanted to make sure. As a hunter I have always fouled my bore with three shots and never cleaned except for a dry patch at the end of every day to remove the days dust and debris. My cold bore tests have done in the same manor...Thanks for the information. One more item to add to my collection of knowlege...

Flint54 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:34 am Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Without getting into it lets just say that in my job I have a need to be able to accurately place my first shot from a fresh cleaned bore. If there are any traces of oil in the bore it adds a much greater variable than a clean dry bore. This is how I am able to accurately compensate for the first shot. With my records I know that my first shot is going to be 1.25" high and .75" right so in knowing my scope (much practice) I set my scope 5 clicks down and 3 clicks right for my first shot. This shot will then be within .125" of my point of aim at 100 yards. This I have to know and prove as a fact.

Being that 99.9% of the time I would not be able to shoot any fouling shots I need to use something that is reliable and repeatable. Lighter fluid is the most prooven and used product that easily obtainable, self contained and packs easily in my kit so I have used it for years. Sniper

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

/rubshands

Lighter fluid? Huh never heard of that... but I love Windex for cleaning my front-stuffers. The ammonia and cleaners strip oil and crud quickly yet evaporates really fast so swabbing between shots doesnt introduce moisture that screws up a following shot. And it doesnt stink so I can clean my ML's at the kitchen table without the wife getting mad.

For serious fouling... I mean REALLY bad, I've used carburator cleaner that has a component that dissolves lead.

As for Bushys comment, are you shooting roundball or conicals? Some roundball barrels are a little "overbore" and are intended to be shot with a fouling shot. Typically with these barrels it can be touchy getting good accuracy because the patch thickness is very important. Conicals "Scrape" their way down a barrel breaking off alot of fouling (that then falls onto your powder).

Sabots however really need clean barrels or the friction from the barrel will make them tear utterly destroying accuracy.

IMO, as with Flint I shoot and hunt with clean ML barrels. A Quick swab between shots with a patch damp from Windex and I can usually hold right around 1-1.5" groups at 100 yards consistantly with my Rem700ML. I've run alot of tests fouling and shooting etc and my best accuracy is out of a clean barrel.

-DallanC

moose2 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

The kill zone is the benchmark of accuracy for my firearms. When a firearm can no longer maintain the kill zone accuracy required of it, then it
is refurbished or replaced but never sold.--tr

Bushmaster · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:00 pm Post subject: Re: Acceptable Accuracy

Dallan,

At the time I wasn't talking about my .50 Hawken. I was talking about my modern rifles, but if you want my way of hunting and shooting my front stuffer. Here it is for what it is worth...On the range I fire a shot from the most upwind station I can get. This removes most of the fouling down the firing line...Oh you mean how do I prep my T/C Hawken. O K. To reduce fouling between shots an ol' cogger of many years ago taught me to first eliminate any embers still burning by blowing down the barrel until there is no smoke coming out of the nipple. Pour 90 to 120 grains of Black powder down the barrel. Spit on the powder side of the patch and place it on the muzzle followed by the "round ball", struck by the ball starter and then rammed and seated. Cap the nipple and fire. Start again. By spitting on the powder side of the patch I can shoot all day without having to clean the bore. The wet patch does it for me...

Hunting I have a clean unfired bore with a dry patched round ball. For the first shot has been ranged so I know where it will hit.

This particular T/C Hawken seems to be as accurate as my .30-30 at 100 yards. I have ran a ball over my chronogragh using 90 grains of black powder at 1980 fps. I'm not sure what it will do using 120 grains