does anyone know if the phenominum of copper eqilibrium [the build up of copper in the bore across a number of rounds - generally several hundred - where a barrel's accuracy reaches it's full potential] applies to .22 rimfire target rifles shooting copper coated rounds as it does to centerfire?
copper "jacketed" rounds
- Thread starter truenorth777
- Start date
No I have never heard of it. As I posted in the other forum to your same question:
To the best of my knowledge copper only hurts accuracy. In a good hand lapped barrel very little copper will be retained in the barrel of a centerfire. The break in of shooting a round, removing the copper, and shooting another round, etc. is designed to smooth out the barrel so it doe not retain any significant copper. A poor barrel with the wrong surface finish, will probably never "break in" and will always retain copper. That is not a good thing, and accuracy usually suffers.
On rimfires that flash coat of copper on the bullet is just for show. It does nothing. Copper build up in a rimfire is highly unlikely to be a problem. Any time I have used copper cleaner in my rimfire, I fail to detect any copper at all, even when shooting the cheap copper coated plinker stuff.
o.k., thanks Ron. (thought i might get away with less cleanings
Actually you can. I only clean a rimfire about every 500 rounds fired. But, it is certainly not because I want to form some magic copper coating. The reason is that rimfire bores do not get that dirty. Powder and bullet lube residual seems to be good for accuracy if anything.
I'm not aware of any "target" or "match" grade .22 ammunition that is copper coated, usually one does not shoot such ammo in a target rifle. Target ammo for target rifles is lead and coated in lube. Full accuracy potential is seen anywhere from 15-50 shots from a clean barrel to redeposit the lube in the barrel. At the low pressure and velocity .22 is shot at, the copper bullets only leave a very thin wash is the barrel that comes right off with regular Hoppes #9. The manner in which .22LR barrels and centerfire barrels foul is markedly different. In a high quality .22 barrel bore fouling is essentially a non-issue, but regular attention must be given to the chamber area where a "carbon ring" quickly builds and will affect accuracy in as little as 100 rounds in a tight, match chamber.
A rough centerfire barrel can take on an unholy amount of copper fouling from a single shot. Such barrels never reach the accuracy "sweet spot" or equilibrium as you put it, as by the time the copper is evenly and thinly distributed through the rest of the barrel, the rough spots have built up gross fouling to the point accuracy is severely affected.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
That wash that is on 22lr ammo won't do anything to the barrel. It is not like a copper jacket at all. As for cleaning a 22lr. I have yet to clean the barrel of any of my 22's since I got them years ago. They still shoot great so why mess with it. Besides after you clean it you have to dirty it up again so it will shoot. Think my one cz must have a few thousand rounds down it now and still shooting great.
There are always extremes. You may be at one end. Steve Boelter, who wrote this blog on rimfire cleaning is probably at the other end. Good article to read, even if you are not a believer in frequent cleaning like me. He comments on the copper wash issue.
^I also haven't seen the accuracy of my 22s suffer, but I clean them once in a while anyway.
The bore is rarely the issue though, more the bolt face/receiver etc. Takes allot to really gum them up, but I never let them get that far.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
There have been more damaged rim fires around due to improper cleaning then just shooting them.
