Is Your Deer Hunting Rifle Shooting Straight?

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Remember back at the range when you fired the first bullet from your well cleaned gun?
You noticed it was the only bullet that was out of sync with the other rounds you shot. All of the bullets after that first shot hit perfectly.
Very few deer hunters clean rifle barrels between shots when at the rifle range. This means we are actually judging how well our guns shoot through “dirty” barrels.
In the scenario above shots fired after the very first shot seemed most accurate.  Test the shooting accuracy of your gun by shooting two 3 shot groups.
For one 3 shot group clean the barrel after each shot.

For the second group shoot three consecutive shots without cleaning in between rounds.
Pay close attention to the very first shot out of the clean barrel. Notice if it strikes the target differently than subsequent shots.

If it does, your rifle may perform better after a shot has been fired.  Remember, the first shot at a deer is usually the most important one and often times the only one you get.

If your gun performs better after a shot has been fired through the barrel, consider safely firing one shot through your barrel before you head out deer hunting.  Clean your gun after shooting, but remember the first shot out of your clean gun will be the least accurate.  Why clean your gun if it shoots poorly when clean?  A dirty barrel will shorten the life of your deer hunting rifle, perhaps causing rust and deterioration. If left extremely dirty, your gun may become dangerous to shoot.