Zero for a cold bore?

[birdman86]

So I'm a new hunter and everything I've ever done has been more target focused i.e. ignore the cold bore flyer and count the warm barrel accuracy. Obviously hunting is the complete opposite of this.

So what's your process to set your zero? Shoot, adjust, wait 20 minutes.....repeat until happy?

And do you worry about fouling the barrel? Some guys at the range the other day came in, fired three shots then left to spend the rest of the day hunting. Said something about fouling the barrel.

[catnthehat]

I zero my hunting rifles , checky POI at three different distances then go hunting .
Cat

[Pioneer2]

An oiled barrel will usually throw the first shot .I leave it fouled and clean it after hunting season ,but hunt with a piece of masking tape over the muzzle to keep snow out.Typically I let the barrel cool 1 min between shots sighting in and shooting groups.Some guns shoot better the warmer the barrel gets but these are usually the exception rather than the rule.JMO

[obsessed1]

I generally sight in my gun the way I'll shoot it in the field. My dope is worked out all year under all different conditions. When I go snow shoeing or hiking I'll bring a gun and stump shoot. Only first round hits count. Many hikes only one shot is fired. This lets me know how I can expect my rifle to shoot while hunting. Last few years though I have stopped hunting areas that allow for long range opportunity and stuck to thick timber calling and tracking.....most shots are under 80 yards so it's more about speed and accuracy than hitting an exact spot on a critter way far out there. Unless your planning to shoot animals outside of 200 yds I wouldn't worry much. Unless you know your gun throws a cold shot 2-4" outside of your group at 100 yds.

[Nyksta]

Not all rifles shoot noticeably different clean versus fouled. The only way for you to know what your rifle will do is for you to shoot it and learn. Reading the forums and using calculators can help you figure out the textbook knowledge of shooting, but the actual data for you is only learned through hands on personal experience.

[elkhunter11]

I test my rifles with a clean barrel and a fouled barrel to see if it makes a difference in accuracy or point of impact. In the case of my hunting rifles, it doesn't matter, so I don't bother with fouling shots. I always sight in with a cold barrel, but I shoot my groups with no cooling time between shots.

[kujoseto]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

Not all rifles shoot noticeably different clean versus fouled. The only way for you to know what your rifle will do is for you to shoot it and learn. Reading the forums and using calculators can help you figure out the textbook knowledge of shooting, but the actual data for you is only learned through hands on personal experience.

Agreed
My 30-06 with a Jury barrel it doesn’t matter.
An older 7x57 I had needed a few shots of fouling to shoot tighter groups and be more predictable at different ranges

[ghostguy6]

First shot from a hunting rifle is always from a cold bore so I sight in for first shot only. My rifle likes a few fowling shots. I dont notice the difference up to 200 yards but at 300 I find I'm about an inch to the right so I prefer the 5 or 6 fowling shots before the season opens just in case that big buck walks out at the 300 mark.

[58thecat]

the rifle sat cleaned in the gun case or safe for 11 months so prior to bringing to have a go at it you pull a wipe through it and then confirm your POI but usually most or many with throw the first one or maybe two due to the fact that they don't shoot often....once settled down they get'er dialed in both the rifle and themselves...if I ensure barrel is wiped through and settle on the bags one shot is al that is needed to confirm POI then I hunt...end of season clean and put away....I have never had a rifle that required a fouling shot but have heard of them old worn out ones that just shoot better dirty...I guess that's why some are called the dirty-30..

[Dick284]

I just ran 4 different rifles through a range session.
1st shots out of each rifle was as cold as ambient conditions would permit.
Each shot was right where it should be, interestingly the next 2 shots also went to the same spot + or- a 1/2” to 3/4”...........