dressing bore

[nail]

I am new to casting and shoot a 444 marlin and noticed that my groups got better after I shot the first five rounds, My question is do you have to dress the bore down like a 22 long rifle for accuracy. thanks Steve!!

[duckndawg]

yes and no. some guns like to have a clean bore and some dont. i have a 243 that wants the bore clean, the dirtier it gets the worse it shoots. my 223 is just opposite, it likes to be kinda dirty to shoot itty bitty groups.

[Cherokee]

And a welcome to the forum. My cast bullet guns do not get their bore cleaned until winter when I don't shoot them for a while. Seems a few shots lays down some "conditioning" and cleaning it means you have to start over. The "conditioning" protects the bore so cleaning is not necessary.

[RobS]

Ive used a patch of LARS/White Label Xlox or Lee Alox and run it down the barrel after cleaning.

[runfiverun]

i have noticed it takes about 7 shots for lube to appear at the muzzle.
thats exactly how many my 223 took today.
it took 11 for my squeaky clean 30-30 to get lube there.
me and little girl put 150 rounds through the 308 today and about 80 through the 223 [it's first time out with cast]
the 308 hasn't had a patch through it in over 3 years and it gets shot a lot.
today we spent about 100 rounds shooting steel bowling pins at the 300 yd line.
a lot of being able to do so depends on the lubes make-up and final viscosity.

[DIRT Farmer]

Someof my guns shoot fine with the oil left from cleaning in the barrel, one my 03A3 if the barrel is wiped out will take 5 to 10 shots to get to speed. This gun has an unknown number of cast through it and never has been shot with j. Itwas a new barrel when I got it. My 1917 Enfield has a long throat and fine pitting in the barrel. There is no differance between clean and oiled and 500 rounds in group. These two guns only get the bore cleaned when I want to look at the bore and shoot cast only.

[AZ-Stew]

Dress the bore?

Chiffon, Chantilly Lace and fuscia ribbons. But that's just me.

Regards,

Stew

[nicholst55]

Some of the varmint hunters on another board I frequent swear by running a patch wet with Lock Eze (or an equivalent product containing graphite) down a freshly cleaned bore before shooting it. They dry-patch it afterwards to remove any of the carrier that hasn't evaporated or run out the muzzle. Their feeling is that the graphite residue conditions the bore by simulating powder fouling. Of course, most of those guys wouldn't know a cast boolit from a cruise missile, so I don't know how well this translates to cast.

I bought a can of Lock Eze to try, but never got around to it before I came overseas.

[Bret4207]

Some folks here say that dressing or seasoning the bore is utter bull. They are of course wrong, but I wanted to get that out there. It's a "'pendzon" question, it depends on the gun! I have some that need the bore seasoned and others that don't care at all. Give the gun what it wants.

BTW- those same folks who say it's bull never heard of 22's having to get 20-50 rounds of new ammo down the tube to straighten up either.

[nail]

Thanks for your replys fellows, I am hitting the range again today and I will pay more attention to the groups as I shoot more.
I know my rimfire rifles like a few down the bore after changing ammo before they start to shoot good but I am new to casting for my 444 and I was not sure if it was just me with a first lousy group or it was the dreesing thing. Thanks Steve!!