Cold bore shots...use cheap ammo?

[Carl1000]

OK, every time I take my Bergara HMR Pro 6.5CM to the range, I check everything at the hundred yard mark. My question is, to save a little money, and not use my good ammo, I'm thinking about shooting my 1st cold bore shot with my nice target ammo, then the other four or five shots with cheap ammo like S&B etc. The reason is, I don't really get awesome groups until the barrel warms up after taking 4 or 5 shots. So why use the nice ammo to warm up the barrel?

I obviously want to record my cold board shot every time with the ammo I use normally. But the other for a five shots why not just use the cheap ammo? Is this a good strategy?

 

[6.5SH]

Try dry firing for a few minutes first to see if your cold bore difference is really a "cold shooter".

 

[Carl1000]

I always dry fire before hand. But it could be. As I am sort of new to precision bolt action shooting

 

[rustyinbend]

I have an AMP Press ... which means I know precisely what my seating force is. That means I can use my "outliers" for cold-bore and sight-in shots, and save the close / consistent cartridges to compete and do load development. This ability is the coolest part of having an AMP Press ... IMHO.

 

[Frank Green]

What Rustyinbend said above is a nice thought...use your culls for your fouling shots.

I would use the same ammo/bullets as you are going to run thru the gun normally. One reason is cheaper ammo/cheaper quality bullets can also foul differently then your go to bullet/ammo.

Also never mix solid bullets with copper/lead core bullets or vice versa. If you do clean the barrel before switching...again because they can foul differently.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[264pr]

YMMV but I tend to clean based on round count (roughly) and dont clean after every outing

When I DO clean it I use culls for fouling as Frank said

Otherwise I use same ammo all the time and chart/record cold bore shift along with temp, barometric pressure, relative humidity

Then follow up with a couple groups to ensure the gun is holding zero and hasnt been banged/etc off zero

adjust as needed

 

[camocorvette]

No.

Why add variables and only save $1.97?

Accuracy through consistency.
I normally need to shoot a group or few to get totally dialed in.
The first 5 shots your still getting your rest right, body positioning and such.

If anything. Shoot 5 rounds of your cheap( but same bullet jacket material) rounds.
Then shoot the good stuff for score.

 

[acudaowner]

why ? just shoot your ammo then load more later , your at the range enjoy your self and the little time you have . Get the most out of every round .

 

[Kfive73]

I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard of some bench rest guys soaking a patch with lock ez and running it down the bore. Wait for the carrier to dry then shoot. Supposedly the graphite left behind fills in small imperfections and helps with first round fliers.

Again, I’ve never tried it but sounds interesting

 

[Buzzinga]

Just go shoot the rifle. Don't switch ammo, all that will do is confuse you more. Don't make this needlessly complicated. It is likely the shooter, not the rifle. Dry-fire a bunch before the first shot and dry-fire again between shots for the first group.

 

[roostercogburn98]

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/why-we-train.7171300/