06-12-2023, 12:02 PM
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the first 1 to 3 shots from a clean cold bore will print differently at longer ranges.
Much of that lore comes from the days of poorly bedded wooden stocks where a warm barrel and / or damp stock will print differently than a cold barrel.
Remember, the instructor mentioned in the OP had a mission where most, if not all, of his shots were from a cold bore and the barrels were almost certainly free floated. (We don't know his cleaning routine.).
A good way to see the effect in your rifle is to shoot the first shot of the day on a different target than the rest. (Always the same degree of cleaning, or none, depending on your preference.) Use that same first target each time for several subsequent range sessions, recording date, light, wind and weather along with impact point. At that point one will have a clear understanding of where the first shot will hit and how accurte that first shot will be -- important for the hunter.
The standard of how much drift is allowable should also be set with the understanding that most hunting shots only need to print in a circle of a few inches in diameter at the maximum hunting range to have a good chance of hitting a deer's vital zone, so being off a half moa or so is not a huge deal. The precision target shooter will have a different standard and may need to be attentive to the need for fouling and warming shots.
Much of that lore comes from the days of poorly bedded wooden stocks where a warm barrel and / or damp stock will print differently than a cold barrel.
Remember, the instructor mentioned in the OP had a mission where most, if not all, of his shots were from a cold bore and the barrels were almost certainly free floated. (We don't know his cleaning routine.).
A good way to see the effect in your rifle is to shoot the first shot of the day on a different target than the rest. (Always the same degree of cleaning, or none, depending on your preference.) Use that same first target each time for several subsequent range sessions, recording date, light, wind and weather along with impact point. At that point one will have a clear understanding of where the first shot will hit and how accurte that first shot will be -- important for the hunter.
The standard of how much drift is allowable should also be set with the understanding that most hunting shots only need to print in a circle of a few inches in diameter at the maximum hunting range to have a good chance of hitting a deer's vital zone, so being off a half moa or so is not a huge deal. The precision target shooter will have a different standard and may need to be attentive to the need for fouling and warming shots.
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"To those who have fought and almost died for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."
-- Author Unknown
"If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished!" -- Milton Berle