Boresnake?
- Thread starter Zey
- Start date
One of the most important areas of a rifled barrel concerning accuracy is the crown. It is the last thing that affects the bullet as it leaves the barrel. The other area is the throat. I know of one serious winning Benchrest Shooter who will re crown his rifle every 400 rounds or so. He believes a fresh crown is extremely important.
Dragging a dirty snake through the crown rubbing where it may on a regular basis will not be good for accuracy.
Precision barrels should be cleaned from the breech using a quality bore guide helping to protect the throat, and a quality cleaning rod. Brush as little as required using quality bronze or brass brushes or use patches on a proper fitting jag. NEVER use a stainless steel brush. When the rod exits the muzzle, stop pushing... the rod is now laying on the rifling. It does not need to be pushed along anymore.
A snake should be used rarely on more of an emergency field cleaning procedure on your hunting rifle, if you don't have anything better.
Dragging a dirty snake through the crown rubbing where it may on a regular basis will not be good for accuracy.
Precision barrels should be cleaned from the breech using a quality bore guide helping to protect the throat, and a quality cleaning rod. Brush as little as required using quality bronze or brass brushes or use patches on a proper fitting jag. NEVER use a stainless steel brush. When the rod exits the muzzle, stop pushing... the rod is now laying on the rifling. It does not need to be pushed along anymore.
A snake should be used rarely on more of an emergency field cleaning procedure on your hunting rifle, if you don't have anything better.
I clean my 10/22 from the crown with a muzzle guard and a slow patient hand. I have a Green Mountain barrel and it is an exceptional shooter, I hope to keep it that way.
These are 25 meter 1 inch circle targets. Not bad for a semi.
What muzzle guard are you using. I would like to buy one. Thanks.
I use them all the time , Im having a hard time though, all i can find is a snake in 223 will this fit in my 556 and they sell a 308 boresnake will this work in my rifles chambered for 762 nato, I heard it is extremely dangerous to mix and match the two boresnakes !??!?!?!?
So you guys are saying that for a fact the a cloth bore snake does more damage then a bullet travelling down a dirty bore that is heated up and moving at 2500+fps???? Why am I finding this hard to believe? I know this has been discussed on some other board in the US and many guys use them without issue.
Someone convince me that I am wrong with some actual proof, not just jumping on the band wagon. Maybe with a boroscope or the like?
Someone convince me that I am wrong with some actual proof, not just jumping on the band wagon. Maybe with a boroscope or the like?
Your super-heated, high velocity bullet isn't rubbing one side of the crown on the way out of the barrel either. Since this is a precision rifle forum I wonder how many Fullbore, F Class or Benchrest competitors use Boresnakes. I'll bet zero. I know I have never seen anyone use one at a fullbore match and I have been to a couple
How many guys clean their rifle at a match though? I know I wouldnt as it will take a few shots for it to stabilize again. Plus the bore snakes fit tightly so why would they rub on only one side of the crown instead of coming outstraight like a bullet does?
- Location
- calgary alberta
Surprisingly alot clean at a match.
The crown and throat get rubbed on 1 side because it is a rope and many guys will just pull it not thinking that having it pull to 1 side is damaging things.
I have a borescope, if you want to run your snake a few hundred times through your bore and then bring it down I am pretty sure you can see the damage, then I can sell you a new barrel.
Benchrest shooters will clean after every relay (20 rounds +/-)
Some F-Class shooters clean daily during a match and some, like myself, clean when I get home after the match is over.
So you are saying it damages only the crown then? I guess the other I need explained to me is how does a piece of cloth damage steel? Lets say I run one down and clean my barrel every 500 rounds or until accuracy drops off. Now if all the "experts" say you can only get 8-12000 rounds through a 308 barrel before it is shot out that would be 16 to 24 times I would run my bore snake. So again how would a bore snake do that much damage? Not trying to be a #### or anything but I am still having trouble with this.
A fired and fouled barrel has many components of 'dirt'... one being carbon. It and other fouling is easily pickup up and retained in the snake and dragged through the rifling and over the crown. This acts as an abrasive to the rifling and crown. It can never be a good thing. To the vast majority of hunters it will never matter.
I doubt that anyone in precision shooting and extreme accuracy would subject their barrel to this procedure.
I'm not trying to be a #### about this either but...
Do you really think you will get your barrel clean with one pass or even a couple passes of a boresnake after 500 rounds.
Take ATR up on his offer to have a peek at your bore with his bore scope. You are kidding yourself if you think your boresnake is getting your barrel clean.
Do you really think you will get your barrel clean with one pass or even a couple passes of a boresnake after 500 rounds.
Take ATR up on his offer to have a peek at your bore with his bore scope. You are kidding yourself if you think your boresnake is getting your barrel clean.
LOL I almost bought a new borescope with a color monitor on the snap on truck tuesday just for this. I might still.
Now for the best response I have heard on this thread actually makes sense. That is that metal, basically copper etc embedding itself in the fiber will in fact act as a file if you will.
The other thing is does a barrel have to be totally spotless when cleaning it. It seems to me that of you are cleaning it to that point you may be doing more damage to it.
Now for the best response I have heard on this thread actually makes sense. That is that metal, basically copper etc embedding itself in the fiber will in fact act as a file if you will.
The other thing is does a barrel have to be totally spotless when cleaning it. It seems to me that of you are cleaning it to that point you may be doing more damage to it.
I shoot moly bullets and have gone over 800 round without cleaning. The groups were still tight and still won matches. When I do clean I take it right back to bare metal and start all over again. With proper cleaning methods you will not damage your barrel.
