Black Bellamy

I'm just wondering, why wouldn't one want to clean between each shot regardless of how dirty the powder is? I can understand if you're at the range just to feel the recoil and see the pretty smoke, but if you're shooting for accuracy or sighting in, wouldn't you want each shot to leave a barrel that's as clean as possible?

When I go to the range I pay particular attention to the very first shot of the day. That's because when I'm out hunting, that's the shot I'm going to take. It's the one that's going to be leaving a gun that was just cleaned the night before, which means zero crud and zero dirt. That's why when I'm on the range I clean religiously, swabbing until it's perfect. I even take the breech plug out and clean that. I want each succeeding shot to be fired under the same exact conditions as the first one. I know you can't get every little speck of dirt out in the field, but I try my best.

Triple Se7en

I rely on two shots before swabbing at the range to help recreate a live hunting experience that may require a very fast reload & 2nd shot during hunting season due to a wounded/still moving animal.

I've shot one with a muzzleloader that could only move at a human's normal walking pace& it was leaving very little blood on wet ground/leaves as I trailed it.Iacted fast out of premonition& thus was rewarded with a5-pointer whitetail that day -- about 45 yards from where I first shot it. Had I not gotten up & not been ready to fire right after my first shot, that deer would of traveled a long way in the normal 10 minutetime span I usually give to a deer charging off at full speed after being hit.

cayugad

While I agree swabbing between shots on a range when testing sabots or other projectiles is a good idea to keep all things standard, like Triple Se7en I also like to shoot under hunting situations to make sure the rifle will take care of any problem I might encounter, such as a fast second shot.

Today I was shooting my Green Mountain Barrel in Stainless Steel. A .50 caliber with 1-28 twist. I plan on shooting it during out muzzleloader season, when scopes are not allowed. So I was trying some new maxiballs out of it with open sights. I was only shooting 75 grains of Goex 2f, but never swabbed the barrel for seven shots. I just like to see that it will hit over and over in the same area.



It finally threw the seventh shot a little. I went in, swabbed the barrel, put up another target and it was right back on the money... That also is important.

I am lucky. I experience no hard crud ring in any of my rifles. At least nothing that a simple swabbing will not remove. Also there is no projectile that I shoot that I could not load on average three or more without a swab. If I had to swab every shot, it would be a target range projectile only, never a hunting load.

MRE

Like the others said, I'm looking for a load I can hunt with. I want to be able to take 2 or 3 shots out in the field without worrying about cleaning or not being on target.

MLKeith

My Omega will not shoot more than two loads of any sabot/bullet combination that I have found yet but the accuracy is great. I also want to be able to make a follow-up shot if needed, so I found that if I shoot a 300gr. SST for my first shot I can follow it up with a 295gr. Powerbelt and get impact within an inch or two of the first shot from 80 to 100 yards. I used this exact combination last year and the big cow elk did not go down on the first shot which took out one lung and clipped the liver. My second shot with the powerbelt as she bolted and started to run did the trick. I impressed myself with the running shot and was really glad I had a second shot that I could load without more than 10 or 15 seconds expended. The first shot would have done it eventually but I did not want the cow to get somewhere inaccessible.

AQUATECH

I USE 777 IN PELLET FORM WITH A 225GR. AERO-TIP
POWERBELT IN 45CAL. I JUST DON'T HAVE THE CRUD
RING. I DO SWAB AT THE RANGE WITH THE 50-50
SOLUTION. I ALSO USE THE NEW REM KLEEN-BORE
PRIMERS. TOOK TWO DOES IN EARLY ML SEASON
HERE IN KY. ALSO TOOK A 150LB. 4-POINTER TODAY
AT 100YDS. IT MAY BE THAT I SHOOT ONE OF
THOSE CHEAP CVA'S NEW FRONTIER BEARTOOH MAG
ONLY KIDDING TO EACH HIS OWN BUT ME THE COMBO
WORKS.