First shot after a cleaning is a flyer...

[Patarero]

Sooo, I was messing around with some of those hornady fpb sabotless bullets (300gr/ 100gr fffg) yesterday.  My first shot after every cleaning was a flyer, off the paper.  2-4 were within 3" at 50 yrds (for some reason my gun does not like Hornady conicals), tolerable at 75 and 100.  Never had this issue with 300 gr saboted bullet or 300 gr aerolites (shoot 1" groups at 50yrds).  Think this is a bullet diameter/barrel diameter thing? Barrel gets a little fouled and the gap is decreased?

[CP]

Clean all the oil out of the barrel with Windex before the first shot.

[2labs]

After cleaning "pop a few caps in its ass" then shoot it  no really.

[Patarero]

Yep I do both of those as part of the routine.

[2labs]

Then quit doing them ask sabot loader. My muzzy shoots awesome  according to all the experts on here I got lucky with a piece of junk

[Sabotloader]

Sooo, I was messing around with some of those hornady fpb sabotless bullets (300gr/ 100gr fffg) yesterday.  My first shot after every cleaning was a flyer, off the paper.  2-4 were within 3" at 50 yrds (for some reason my gun does not like Hornady conicals), tolerable at 75 and 100.  Never had this issue with 300 gr saboted bullet or 300 gr aerolites (shoot 1" groups at 50yrds).  Think this is a bullet diameter/barrel diameter thing? Barrel gets a little fouled and the gap is decreased?

Just out of curiosity what rifle are you shooting?

[Patarero]

Knight wolverine, 2001 version.

[PyroBlack]

If using sabots, get all storage oils and/or lubes out of the bore before that first shot and using a patched bore brush, not a jag. Follow-up with two dry patches. 91% Rubbing Alcohol works good for me and significantly narrows the 1st and 2nd shot paper target holes. 

[Patarero]

That is the thing, with aerolites and sabots I do not have the issue, first shot is on.  Only happens with hornady fpb conicals, with leads me to believe the bullet diameter does not match up with my barrel, slightly too small or there is variation in the diameter of the bullets.  I did notice some would go down the tube much easier than others.  This was more of a 'that's weird, what's going on here' exercise.  I have my elk load dialed in, had some time and wanted to try fpbs out.

[CP]

Forget the Hornady fpb and move on to a load that works 1st time every time.

[PyroBlack]

That is the thing, with aerolites and sabots I do not have the issue, first shot is on.  Only happens with hornady fpb conicals, with leads me to believe the bullet diameter does not match up with my barrel, slightly too small or there is variation in the diameter of the bullets.  I did notice some would go down the tube much easier than others.  This was more of a 'that's weird, what's going on here' exercise.  I have my elk load dialed in, had some time and wanted to try fpbs out.

Try a wad between the conical and powder.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/174/1/OX-WAD-50-D

[kyles_88]

I have some experience with the FPB bullet I was using a 350gr this last week and will say from my experience do not use this bullet for deer.  I think it would be a great bullet to use on elk and have not had any issues with accuracy.  When I cleaned my Optima V2 preseason I Just let it dry no oil and it shoots right where it should.  Accuracy issue aside I would suggest a different load for hunting purposes especially for deer.  I lost a doe on Sunday with the FPB hit her good lots of blood and chunks of lung tissue.  We followed the blood trail for about a 1/2 mile which got lighter and lighter at one point she laid down in a pool of blood but in tracking we must have bumped her up.  Shortly after the blood trail petered out which we searched for about 2 hrs to pick it back up which was unsuccessful.  Going back to the moment of the shot I heard the big FPB hit and saw a large slash of dust on the other side of said doe.  Seeing the amount of force the bullet struck the ground with after exiting the animal I don't think the bullet expanded at all.  I will be switching from using the FPB to using barnes TEZ's or hornady XTP magnums with sabots from now on.  Buddy of mine took a doe with the 240gr XTP's with 110gr 777 and even that bullet was a complete pass through but it looked like it had been hit with a 30-06 huge hole punched right through one shoulder and took out 2 vertebrates.  Shot placement is definitely the key to any humane kill, since I didn't recover my animal I will never know for sure where I hit.  That being said I feel that if i had used a faster opening projectile I would have recovered my animal but perhaps I can help someone else not have to live with the same guilt as I am now.