Your First Shot on a Cold Bore is the most important.

[Lawnboi]

I do practice cold bore/cold shooter shots at the range but honestly I don’t think it really tells us much. Beyond confirming my rifle does not have issues.

I’d question is it really a cold bore/cold shooter shot when you’re setting it up?

Cold shooter under someone/something else’s rules is where this test really means something. Unfortunately that is difficult to recreate.

Iv made a habit to take an extra couple seconds every match to make sure my first shot is perfect, along with my last. Should probably do that for all of them in between as well.

 

[Article 4]

So good to hear that most of us have a set routine to ensure we are ethically hunting from a shooting perspective. Whatever you choose to practice.

One of the things I try to do, especially when shooting ladders and confirming zero, is allow my barrel to cool between shots - in my personal barrels, I find about 3 minutes between shots seems to be a good sweet spot to ensure no POI shift or variance due to heat. Anyone else do something like this?

 

[Ringbill27]

To me it would depend on the difference from the cold bore and the warm bore shot. If the cold bore is 4” from a 1/2” warm bore group. The warm bore group is worthless. I’d either switch ammo or figure out a load that brings that cold bore closer to the warm bore groups. Vice versa.

Unless the cold bore impact is consistent every time. Then zero and hope that one is all you need.

 

[Pharmseller]

you should shoot at different times of the day and in different weather conditons.\\

there is more at play than just a cold barrel!

Excellent point. I make sure to track the position of the sun as well, given the fluctuating gravitational pull.

I used to track the moon also but the sun is much more important.





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[TaperPin]

For practice I think it’s great that people shoot each position to develop a good idea of what their effective ranges are in different positions and under different wind conditions. Steel plates make this fun with instant feedback.

As a conformation for what’s learned in practice, I’ve always been a big fan of the simple one cold bore shot on a paper plate. No one to share wind dope with. When myself or a shooting buddy think they are good to go at a certain distance with a certain position, a plate pinned to a branch and only one shot tells the story. My nephew thinks I’m a nut to spend an hour driving one way just to pin the plate and only let him shoot once, but it brings out nerves and keeps people humble. Lol

All the bla bla bla opinions, statistics, price tags of the fancy new toys, name on the scope, round count of your practice, breed of your dog, or hotness of your wife suddenly don’t matter when it’s one simple shot on a silly paper plate.

 

[Lawnboi]

So good to hear that most of us have a set routine to ensure we are ethically hunting from a shooting perspective. Whatever you choose to practice.

One of the things I try to do, especially when shooting ladders and confirming zero, is allow my barrel to cool between shots - in my personal barrels, I find about 3 minutes between shots seems to be a good sweet spot to ensure no POI shift or variance due to heat. Anyone else do something like this?

If I can’t fire 10 shots from a rifle without seeing POI shift I’m getting rid of that barrel. Regardless of what contour it is.

Now I’ll let things cool to control mirage, but that’s about the only reason. I’m also not going to shoot long strings just to shoot it hot either.

IME a barrel that’s sensitive to heat is going to be sensitive and picky to even more when it comes to environment. Components are too expensive to be wasting time on bum barrels.

 

[wapitibob]

My old barrel would take seven shots to settle down. What a pain in the butt that was.

 

[RobHazmat89]

It's not really needed on my primary hunting rig. The first 3 shots including cold bore all stay within 0.75 inches of each other usually. I have a weatherby mark V that will shoot almost 2 inches off of its cold bore shot though.

 

[Article 4]

It's not really needed on my primary hunting rig. The first 3 shots including cold bore all stay within 0.75 inches of each other usually. I have a weatherby mark V that will shoot almost 2 inches off of its cold bore shot though.

So 2” from cold bore to 3 shot warm group verification? Is the right?

 

[RobHazmat89]

So 2” from cold bore to 3 shot warm group verification? Is the right?

Correct. Cold bore shot is usually about 2 inches from center when I'm aiming for the bulls eye. Next 3 shots will usually be on target. That's on my mark V. On my custom build there's really not much deviation from cold bore to the next 3 shots.

 

[Article 4]

Correct. Cold bore shot is usually about 2 inches from center when I'm aiming for the bulls eye. Next 3 shots will usually be on target. That's on my mark V. On my custom build there's really not much deviation from cold bore to the next 3 shots.

To me, 2 inches seems like a lot of shift from cold bore. How do you compensate for that in the field?

 

[RobHazmat89]

To me, 2 inches seems like a lot of shift from cold bore. How do you compensate for that in the field?

I barely take it out anymore. It only gets taken when I know my shots are going to be inside 50 yards. Otherwise my custom gets taken out.

 

[Article 4]

I barely take it out anymore. It only gets taken when I know my shots are going to be inside 50 yards. Otherwise my custom gets taken out.

Dang, hate hearing someone with a weatherby doesnt take it out at all...maybe time for a bbl change?

 

[RobHazmat89]

Dang, hate hearing someone with a weatherby doesnt take it out at all...maybe time for a bbl change?

I've been debating whether to rebarrel it or to just dump it.

 

[Reburn]

One of the things I try to do, especially when shooting ladders and confirming zero, is allow my barrel to cool between shots - in my personal barrels, I find about 3 minutes between shots seems to be a good sweet spot to ensure no POI shift or variance due to heat. Anyone else do something like this?

Nope.

Opposite. I shoot 10 as fast as I can to see IF it does walk. If it does I replace it.

I haven't ever had a quality barrel actually walk. Only cheap barrels.

 

[Billy Goat]

It's not really needed on my primary hunting rig. The first 3 shots including cold bore all stay within 0.75 inches of each other usually. I have a weatherby mark V that will shoot almost 2 inches off of its cold bore shot though.

Mark V still in factory stock?

 

[RobHazmat89]

Mark V still in factory stock?

Modified factory stock and bedded

 

[Billy Goat]

Modified factory stock and bedded

I had a lot of issues with a mark V and the barrel button.

Once removed it made a big difference.

 

[Article 4]

This is actually a very interesting topic and I agree with you that cold bore shooting for big game hunting is an important skill. Personally, I try to regularly train on the cold range in both high and low pressure conditions to ensure I am prepared for a variety of hunting scenarios. This involves practicing shooting at ranges greater than 100 yards using a variety of supports and positions. I am sure that constant training will help you become a more confident and successful hunter.

Yeah I hear you. I often train at 200 and 300 and then once I am sure my data and dope are on, I will let my bore cool and go to 800 and sometimes farther to validate data.

 

[RobHazmat89]

So my issue was that no matter what the stock contacted the barrel way too hard. It seemed like the stock was warped. Weatherby sent me a new one, to which I had the same issue. I ended up dremmeling it out so that it would be free floated, and then bedded the action. It helped with overall accuracy, but the cold bore is still way off from the shots that follow.

I had a lot of issues with a mark V and the barrel button.

Once removed it made a big difference.