Are 3 foulers enough?

[MikeMcCasland]

I think it depends, but....

I shoot at least 5 (usually more) sighters before going for record at 1k; I force myself to do it, even in dead calm/zero wind/zero mirage conditions. I have been burned way too many times trying to hurry into record fire on relay one with a clean rifle.

 

[Shooter13]

The answer is, maybe. See if it settles out. Ive seen some that take 5-7

Let the rifle tell you.

 

[PopCharlie]

With a clean, cold barrel, my 6.5x47L takes 2 shots to start to group. Velocity settles down after about 5 shots. My .223 bolt gun is about the same. The 6.5 has a Criterion barrel with almost 2000 rounds through it. The .223 has a Hart barrel with 2100 rounds through it.
I just got some Lock-Eze, so next range session, I'll give it a try.

PopCharlie

 

[ttfreestyle]

Let the rifle tell you.

This ^^^^

 

[gilmillan1]

I am sorry but 3 shots is not nearly enough. You need 10 to 15 rounds to fully foul your rifle, specially during a match. Shooting 3 shots will guarantee you some fliers and several 9s during a match. Put in the work and take a fully seasoned rifle.

Forum Boss: Not necessarily true. After 3 sighters (on steel to confirm elevation and two had touching splatters), my 6mmBR set a range record at 600 yards in our steel match.

 

[Davey Boy]

Wow interesting comments on the amount of foulers. I like the dry patch and Lock eze. going to give it a try.

 

[Ned Ludd]

I have several rifles for which 3 sighters is sufficient, both in terms of velocity and precision. I have a couple others that require more like 6 or 7 shots. Depending on how you cleaned the barrel and stored it, velocity make come up to the expected value after 3 shots, but the best precision may require a few more even after velocity has stabilized. The bottom line is that very rifle/barrel is different, some may require less, some more. In other words, there is no set minimum number. As Shooter13 stated, let the rifle tell you when it is ready.

 

[chkunz]

The only way to know for your gun and ammo is to test it yourself.

One year I shot ten shot groups off the bench when I first arrived at the range. I plotted the shots to see if I could see a pattern. I did did this on five separate days and could see no trend in the data. So I do not concern myself with this question anymore, for my gun and ammo. Your results may be different.

 

[TRP]

Bartlein barrel 6.5x47, 1 shot and it's good to go.

Factory Browning Safari Grade, 5-8 shots before it settles down.

Both bores cleaned with wipeout.

Every rifle is different.

 

[jr600yd]

I’m with Mike. How many times have I shot 3-4 tens and X’s as sighters then gone for record and punched a 9 for the first rd for record.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Lock-Eze is the answer for me. Usually first is in the group.
This is with Kreiger barrels.

 

[Retired Grunt]

Mine seems to like 10

 

[INTJ]

It truly depends on the barrel. Most of my 6 BRAs are good after one shot. I usually shoot two before load development. In a match I'll shoot one fouler and then 4 sighters before shooting for group and score. Usually, my first group is the smallest. Thinking about it, most of my hunting rifles are similar.

 

[XTR]

If it's a clean bore my F-TR rifles usually take two to three to stable out. At long range the first shot is usually low, and for some reason right. I've never had a 308 that needed more than three. I may need more than that but that's a whole other issue.

 

[snert]

It wasn't a comp gun, but a groundhog gun... my 220 wouldn't shoot a group till it had about 12 thru it, when it would go to a 1/4 inch rifle... and then it quit at 25-27, so I had to sorta clean it...not really clean, just sorta, and after one or two it was good for another twelve or so, then repeat. When I finally rebarreled, I bore scoped the old barrel. I learned it didn't have rifling till four inches up. and it had a missing land for two full inches about 12 inches up due to a huge pit that made a long brass deposit. But the last four inches of barrel were good! So I made 600 yard kills with a four inch 220 Swift! Not many guys can honestly claim that!!

My point is, the barrel tells you.

 

[Davey Boy]

Lock-Eze is the answer for me. Usually first is in the group.
This is with Kreiger barrels.

How are you using this. Just some on a patch then patch out with a clean one?

 

[Geronimo Jim]

After I clean run two or three clean patches. Then lockeze a patch and
run back and forth 3 or 4 times. NO more patches.

 

[Martin52]

How are you using this. Just some on a patch then patch out with a clean one?

I use 2 - 3 drops, no more, on a patch and run it through a totally dry bore, twice. Then let the carrier evaporate and it's good to shoot. I don't patch again, I just let it dry.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

How are you using this. Just some on a patch then patch out with a clean one?

If you use too much your first shot will be wild as a rutting buck. Lil dab will do ya

 

[ditter]

3-5 for my bartlein 6.5CM