Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles For you guys shooting BARNES..

After a thorough cleaning with sweets and hopes, how many fouling shots does it seem to take you to season the barrel again and/or be back to point of impact if you even notice any difference at all?

I do not notice any difference to speak of for the most part. I have also DBCed all my rifles. I have seen rifles that fouled badly with Barnes prior to DBC but those are sort of the opposite to what you are asking about if I understand the question. One or two shots seems to be all it takes with Barnes to return to shooting to point of aim and holding the rifle's normal accuracy.

Can’t really say for sure. We always let our preseason “zero check” cover that. It is probably different from rifle to rifle, bore conditions, etc. The only thing I’ve found ( through my limited experience) is that the smaller bores seem to have this first (sometimes 2 or 3) shots farther away from “true zero” than do the larger bores. Though this seems to be my findings with all, conventional cup and core or Barnes’. memtb

Seems to depend on the rifle. Most of mine don't need any fouling shots to be on. One needs 2-3 to get to settle down. The newer Barnes TSX and TTSX don't seem to foul any more than other brands.

The TTSX don’t foul like the early ones did.

I don't have much experience with Barnes, but my experience with Ruger is that they do their best work when they are pretty darned dirty.

Thanks for the input. I've been working on a load to take to Canada pretty hard all summer. Now I have what I want I was planning to clean it up real good then do one more range session. Was just curious. Thanks again

Sometimes twenty shots, therefore I don't clean 'em squeaky, ever.

Fire a few shots and then you're ready to go hunting.

I used my .300 Weatherby with 180 grain TTSX bullets on my Dagestan Tur hunt in Azerbaijan last month. I only fired 3 shots on that hunt, two sighting in, and one in the Tur. I thoroughly cleaned the barrel when I got home, and when I checked the zero last week, the first shot was 1/4" above dead center, and the subsequent 3 shots were in the center of the 200, 300, and 430 yard gongs.

The copper fouling with current Barnes bullets is not excessive. Patch Out easily removes it. No need for CR10, brushes, or anything harsh.
I have found maybe a 1" difference between clean and dirty barrel. Not enough to justify not cleaning before a hunt.