First shot out

[Jack Stanley]

I'm getting some decent groups from my Stevens model two hundred that's chambered in .223 Remington . Good enough to hunt chucks to about the same distance as a 22 magnum but for one little thing . It seems that the first shot from a cold barrel is out from the rest of the group ...... enough that it would likely be a miss at a hundred or so yards .

Does anyone have any tips to keep the first shot where the crosshairs are looking ? The rifle is bedded and scope is tight any help would be apprieciated .

Jack

[runfiverun]

lube.

[trk]

Take the gun to the range and fire one 5-shot group. Usually the first shot is high. How high? Find out - then you'll KNOW where to aim on that cold-barrel-first-shot.

[Jack Stanley]

Current lube is Alox 50/50 , there is a trace of JPW because I use that to seat the gas check in a Lee seater before applying the alox conventionally .

I will remember to check for direction but it seems to be left as I remember .

Jack

[stubshaft]

Both of the preceeding posts posts are correct. Most lubes will take a shot or two to start grouping.

[runfiverun]

try softening the lube....
i'd bet it's at 10-11 o' clock.
since you have the jpw there, add about 5-10% to the 50-50.
as is don't cook it down.
or a little white lith,or a half teaspoon atf to a stick of the 50-50.

finding a viscosity balance is very important to keeping the first shot in/close to the rest of them.
especially in cold weather.
i add atf for the winter,and leave it out for the summer.
it works pretty well as i need a bit of heat for my summer lube and don't for my winter blend.
it's a good balance.

[44man]

Was it a cold barrel or a clean barrel?
A clean barrel will almost always throw the first shot even with jacketed. It is a rare gun that won't.

[Jack Stanley]

The Alox I'm using is the older GAR stuff in stick form not the liquid stuff . This isn't even close to the Recluse formula but I did get the idea of JPW to help while seating checks .

If temperature is a factor here , that makes me wonder if this load would work OK in normal woodchuck temperatures . Yesterday it was about forty plus and I didn't see any chucks during my walk .... I did look though with a .22 magnum .

Another question would be are all lubes temperature sensitive for the first shot like that ? I do have LBT blue in another sizer that could be tried without a ton of effort . I'm sure I have a stick or two of some other lubes , Mirror lube and Hawkeye lube come to mind but I'll have to check but they are not in the sizer . You know the mess changing out completely can be .

Thank you , Jack