My question is in regards to barrel fouling and OCW/ladder results. On Mr. Newberry's website it says to use a couple foulers on a clean barrel, perform the test, and then you may have to clean the barrel between 20-25 shots otherwise accuracy might start getting blown. There are many barrel cleaning methods and I'm on the side of a barrel doesn't need cleaned nearly that often. I've found that POI can shift up to 20-30 rounds into a newly cleaned barrel, but after that POI tends to settle down for several hundred rounds. So if I wanted to do a ladder or OCW Test (OCW being the preferred), will it skew my results to have a fouled barrel (20 rounds or so fired) before I perform an OCW test or could this actually help to settle down the POI for more reliable results? or do i need to start with a clean barrel, shoot a couple foulers, shoot 20-25 and if I want to test another powder then clean it, shoot a couple, and start over? Thanks
Barrel fouling and OCW and Ladder results? To clean or not to clean.
- Thread starter stanley52
- Start date
I'm sure there will be a few that disagree but the way I look at it and what I do when testing.
I shoot 3 to 5 shots (less is more for results later in testing IMO) to zero/confirm zero in the rifle, also fowling the barrel gets rid of the "cold bore" shot. Cold bore will have a very different POI than a fowled (warm) barrel. I know this from personal experience and documented testing. In my experience I've had as much as a 2" difference of cold bore from where the shots settled in at after 3 - 5 shots.
In dans OCW explanation it does state to clean out the barrel after 20 - 25 shots. Personally I do not clean until the test is over. Usually my OCW is about 30 - 45 shots per test including the 3-5 fowling/zero confirm shots.
I am no expert in rifle/ballistic science. Or OWC by any means. Hell I can barely diagnose my own targets. Look 10 threads down I'm asking for OWC help my self haha
But the way I see it and why I go about it the way I do is, I want to find the load that will give me the best all around performance in matches and weekend LR plinking. Yes Dan and many shooters reccomend cleaning your barrel to not mess with findings. But some matches require you to take any where from 30 to 60 shots per match. So to me that testing might tell me which load is best in the first 3 to 25 shots. But that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for the test to show me which load shoots best at the first 3 all the way through to me last 40/50 shots. IMO which count the most being the later stages, either beng finals, championships or determining you even making it to finals or the championship. So to me cleaning every 25th shot leaves it to guessing if your load will preform as you need past that 25 shot mark. Again my testing usually only consists of 35 shots at the most. And I don't want to be at the range 20 min longer than I have to just to clean and re foul my rifle if I don't have to also if I'm paying per hour for range use.
And letting it get slightly higher in round count shouldn't ruin testing because you are shooting round robin so they all should be subject to the same level of fouling.
Here is what I do. Might not be the best or reccomended way but what makes sense for accurate results to me and my use.
-Set up target
-Take 3 to 5 zero/fouler shots with grain range in the middle of the window of charge weights I'm testing.
-shoot 1 of each charge weight wait 2 min (timer on my phone) between each shot for barrel to cool
- after each string of shots I place the gun and ammo in the shade if its not already in the shade to cool for 5 - 10 min
- go back to the line shoot the next string and so on until my testing is done.
Then collect and calculate my results.
Also try to keep the barrel in the shade and shoot under a canopy if possible. I've noticed shooting in the sun or letting even the tip be exposed to sun light while shooting can increase barrel temp dramatically possibly altering results and POI.
Again this is just how I do it. I'm sure many and possibly dan him self will disagree but this process makes sense to me and puts confidence in my OCW testing and load results when chosen.
I shoot 3 to 5 shots (less is more for results later in testing IMO) to zero/confirm zero in the rifle, also fowling the barrel gets rid of the "cold bore" shot. Cold bore will have a very different POI than a fowled (warm) barrel. I know this from personal experience and documented testing. In my experience I've had as much as a 2" difference of cold bore from where the shots settled in at after 3 - 5 shots.
In dans OCW explanation it does state to clean out the barrel after 20 - 25 shots. Personally I do not clean until the test is over. Usually my OCW is about 30 - 45 shots per test including the 3-5 fowling/zero confirm shots.
I am no expert in rifle/ballistic science. Or OWC by any means. Hell I can barely diagnose my own targets. Look 10 threads down I'm asking for OWC help my self haha
But the way I see it and why I go about it the way I do is, I want to find the load that will give me the best all around performance in matches and weekend LR plinking. Yes Dan and many shooters reccomend cleaning your barrel to not mess with findings. But some matches require you to take any where from 30 to 60 shots per match. So to me that testing might tell me which load is best in the first 3 to 25 shots. But that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for the test to show me which load shoots best at the first 3 all the way through to me last 40/50 shots. IMO which count the most being the later stages, either beng finals, championships or determining you even making it to finals or the championship. So to me cleaning every 25th shot leaves it to guessing if your load will preform as you need past that 25 shot mark. Again my testing usually only consists of 35 shots at the most. And I don't want to be at the range 20 min longer than I have to just to clean and re foul my rifle if I don't have to also if I'm paying per hour for range use.
And letting it get slightly higher in round count shouldn't ruin testing because you are shooting round robin so they all should be subject to the same level of fouling.
Here is what I do. Might not be the best or reccomended way but what makes sense for accurate results to me and my use.
-Set up target
-Take 3 to 5 zero/fouler shots with grain range in the middle of the window of charge weights I'm testing.
-shoot 1 of each charge weight wait 2 min (timer on my phone) between each shot for barrel to cool
- after each string of shots I place the gun and ammo in the shade if its not already in the shade to cool for 5 - 10 min
- go back to the line shoot the next string and so on until my testing is done.
Then collect and calculate my results.
Also try to keep the barrel in the shade and shoot under a canopy if possible. I've noticed shooting in the sun or letting even the tip be exposed to sun light while shooting can increase barrel temp dramatically possibly altering results and POI.
Again this is just how I do it. I'm sure many and possibly dan him self will disagree but this process makes sense to me and puts confidence in my OCW testing and load results when chosen.
Last edited:
