Fouling clean barrel

[josebd]

Is it ok to shoot 3 rounds of hornady Superformance ammo (308) with a clean barrel then start shooting my loads with varget powder?

 

[Canadian bushman]

I personally like to foul with the same powder and bullet i plan to shoot.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I would suggest that it would be a waste in that the hornady ammo likely uses double based powder.

Conventional wisdom suggests that single based after double based takes some fouling rounds to settle down.

 

[Steve Ladino]

Is it ok to shoot 3 rounds of hornady Superformance ammo (308) with a clean barrel then start shooting my loads with varget powder?

Any change in anything isn't ideal...I foul my Tikka with various stuff for the first couple shots then with what I shoot for score.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Just to add; I was reading another thread recently where it was stated that Varget is especially sensitive to powder change, so best to have some fouling rounds similar to your good stuff.

 

[josebd]

Ok guys thanks

 

[joshb]

I usually shoot 2 five round groups, using the same components of what I'm going to shoot that day. That lets me settle in, get the gun set just right ,foul the barrel and check conditions.

 

[DHD]

I would just use my go to load to foul with. If you just want to get rid of the factory ammo, go ahead and fire it, but I personally wouldn't expect them help my groups that follow.

Admittedly I can be cheap about some things, so I don't shoot anything down my barrels besides a proven load, but that's just me. I am not trying to save money by saving expensive factory ammo, I'm saving barrel life.

 

[Rust]

Use the same powder. Different powders use different retardants to help control burn rate, some as a coating, some mixed in the powder grains. Eliminate a variable.

 

[Darrel Martin]

I tend to agree with the consensus above ,but the cynic in me says give it a try and let us know.With me, would depend on the purpose of the ammo.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I disagree with most of the posts above. I routinely foul a clean bore with ammo that is specifically loaded as "foulers" and is made from bullets and/or powder that I have on hand and no longer need. I have compared the results to groups that were fired when I had no "fouler" ammo and used the target ammo to foul. I have never noticed a measurable difference.

That's just my experience.