Cold bore shot is always off

[Jshots]

First shot of the day never hits the group the rest of the shots will hit. Every time. Is it the gun, the barrel, or me? How do you compensate for cold bore shift?

 

[Hawked]

Every time I hit the range, I write down where my first shot lands when the barrel's cold. Mine always hits about an inch high at 100 yards. I figure it's just the barrel settling in. I zero my scope for that first shot and make sure it's still good before hunting season.

 

[Godzilla]

My rifles sometimes shoot differently when they're cold, too. I figured out where that first shot goes and remember it when I'm hunting.

 

[Alan]

First shot of the day never hits the group the rest of the shots will hit. Every time. Is it the gun, the barrel, or me? How do you compensate for cold bore shift?

Cold bore shift is real but sometimes it’s the shooter warming up too. First shot tells the truth about your fundamentals..

 

[Quark]

Cold bore, ambient temperature, and lack of bore faulting are usually the problem.

Cole bore especially with a hunting rifle is pretty hard to fix.

When you are at the range and are shooting check on what the temperature is as that will effect the first shot and possibility the altitude as well can effect that first shot.

Fault the barrel before you go hunting and that might fix the first shot problem.

 

[Howdy]

When I have a rifle with cold bore shift, I zero it to cold bore because the first shot matters most.

 

[Quark]

I've been thinking about this some more. Check the bore to make sure the bore is properly rifled. Many standard barrels have a choke machined into the barrel.

 

[Howdy]

Often what causes cold bore shift is the stock pressing on one side of the barrel. You fix it by channeling, bedding or free floating the barrel.
Composite barrels are problematic about cold bore shift, too.

 

[Quark]

Often what causes cold bore shift is the stock pressing on one side of the barrel. You fix it by channeling, bedding or free floating the barrel.
Composite barrels are problematic about cold bore shift, too.

Two points well taken and I had forgotten about. That is a real problem with two-piece stocks.

 

[Howdy]

Two points well taken and I had forgotten about. That is a real problem with two-piece stocks.

Yes, on my lever guns, I like the forend to have just a slight bit of slop. If they're tight, the cold bore is likely to shift.