Best Pattern to Date (problem)

[tnanh]

I shot my H&R single shot yesterday with a new Trulock Heavyweight seven choke and Federal Heavyweight seven loads. The barrel and choke had been deep cleaned and the first shot was the best pattern I have ever shot. There were 170 in the 10 inch and I was very pleased. The second shot was 104 and the third was 98 with the same load. I know some guns are super sensitive to fouling but my question is are they this bad? The weather was sunny and about 54 degrees. Could the chilly weather make the gun more sensitive. The first wad was perfect. Pearl colored with no fouling. The second and third wad had some black fouling on them but were intact. Is this decline normal and would just brushing the barrel between shots help. I don't want to have to clean the gun every shot when patterning. Any help would be appreciated. The gun has a 4x Simmons Pro-diamond in it.
                                                                                                                                         Andy

[gophert]

I shot my H&R single shot yesterday with a new Trulock Heavyweight seven choke and Federal Heavyweight seven loads. The barrel and choke had been deep cleaned and the first shot was the best pattern I have ever shot. There were 170 in the 10 inch and I was very pleased. The second shot was 104 and the third was 98 with the same load. I know some guns are super sensitive to fouling but my question is are they this bad? The weather was sunny and about 54 degrees. Could the chilly weather make the gun more sensitive. The first wad was perfect. Pearl colored with no fouling. The second and third wad had some black fouling on them but were intact. Is this decline normal and would just brushing the barrel between shots help. I don't want to have to clean the gun every shot when patterning. Any help would be appreciated. The gun has a 4x Simmons Pro-diamond in it.
                                                                                                                                         Andy

Did you bore snake between shots or just shoot dirty?  It may just be you have to clean it real good before you hit the woods and repeat after a kill. 

[tnanh]

No. I didn't bore snake it or anything. Still trying to get the scope dialed in perfectly. I just though this was a large drop off and wondered if it was unusually high after just one shot. When you bore snake during a patterning session do you use solvent or just the dry bore snake?

[gophert]

When you bore snake during a patterning session do you use solvent or just the dry bore snake?

Always a dry boresnake.  Having some type of oil or solvent in the barrel will absolutely kill a pattern.  You may find a dry boresnake (i run mine through 3X) after each shot gives you a good consistent pattern each time.  Once I have mine ready to go for spring, I only run the boresnake through it after a shot at a turkey. At the end of season I deep clean.  Hope this helps!

[dirt road ninja]

My 10 gauge is like that. The first shot is great, from there it goes to might as well carry the 12 gauge

[tnanh]

Thanks for the input. I was worried it may not be normal. I thought the dry bore snake question might sound stupid but i asked anyway. I appreciate the help.