Serious Rifle Cleaning

loaded question right there,

you goin to get answers from

dont clean it unless you have to, patches only no brushes

to clean it every range trip with a harsh copper solvent.


are you having problems with copper fouling, or just wanting the most out of your gun?



me- i used hopes foaming bore cleaner, muzzle down, fill the barrel, let it soak, run patches threw on a jag untill the come out clean my bores are as shiney as the day i boght the gun after cleaning, i only clean when my groups start to open up, this varies depending on caliber and rifle then im shooting


i only use a copper sovent dureing my 5 "break in" rounds or when i notice my barrel is copper fouling..


as for rods, tipton or dewy will be the best bang for buck, bore guides.. take your pick really
 
My match guns get Dewey rods and Jags (push through style but used as a wrap around, has checkering on the jag)

Hoppes #9
Industrial strength Ammonia and/or Sweets 7.62
JB Bore Paste occasionally (maybe every 400-500 rounds)
I use a bore guide from Sinclair with an O-Ring to keep solvents and cleaners out of the locking lug area.
Cheap Locking Lug cleaning set with dental swabs
Bronze brushes with brass (not steel) cores

I clean after every match whether it's an 85 or a 240 round match. Clean and foul with 5 rounds the week before match day.
 
Dewey rods and jags for me as well, and good quality 100% cotton patches, the stuff that is typically sold under the big brand names don't cut it. The size of the patches and the jag size is important as well. The use of a bore guide cannot be overemphisized. I get most of my cleaning supplies from Plenty ``O`` Patches in Drayton Valley AB.

I use Sweets as a copper cutter in my match barrels and WipeOut in my hunting rifle barrels. Of course there is more to gun cleaning than bore cleaning, and the more demanding your shooting conditions are, the more important good cleaning is to the proper cycling and function of your firearm.

Since I began a commercial firearms cleaning business, I use this:
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Janitorial grade ammonia.

Cotton patches cut from flannel

1pc steel rod which I think is a proshot (been over a decade) w/ slotted steel jag

That's it.

Remember that quality match barrels do not have the fouling issues of a factory or rough barrel. Very little cleaning is needed and not very often.

So the cleaning procedures of a true BR rifle is super simple vs the needs of many factory rifles.

Jerry
 
If you like max, I can show you my firearm cleaning equipment, and you can get some ideas on what you want to try.
I think cleaning can be wayyy over emphasized!

Clean to your individul firearms needs.
My 700XCR cleans so easy its never a chore
But my 110BA is a real bugger! I will clean it every 100 rounds or less.

Thats my approach on this subject.
Have fun and straight shoot'in you gunnutz!
 
I'm excited to have an actual name brand match grade barrel. Still 3 months away.

A few of my guns don't have much of a copper issue. I'm pretty sure one of my hunting rigs has a barrel made out of the stuff though. Still shoots good so I won't complain. I have several milsurps where a "rough" bore is an understatment. They get cleaned after every range trip and it's never a quick process.
 
I bought 3 Pro Shot rods at P&D and I was regretting buying them without even using them.

I ahven't been cleaning my rifle allot. Went to a BR clinic earlier this year and Dan Opel (of Plenty O Patches) was my coach and used his rifle. His cleaning regiment was simple but semi scientific like.

I am hoping to take my accuracy to a higher level. Part of this will be cleaning. Looking to start putting custom barrels on factory rifles in the near future.

Thanx guys. If there is any more please let it fly.

Also heading down to Calgary?edonton/Red Deer on Turkey weekend, so looking to do some shopping for supplies. Will also mail order if need be.
 
so nother question for u kids, i clean my 700 every time out, but when i do it i still get grey stuff coming out on the patches, no matter how many i put through. is this normal. i start with a patch with hopes solvent on it, then brush the poop out of it, then run patches through again to try to get it clean, but the grey keeps showing up. am i missin something?
 
I know this goes against the grain of some shooting disciplines but dirty barrels can be a very good thing.

F class shooters shoot with silly dirty barrels and can provide LR accuracy that is spectacular.

To a point, its not the fouling but the load tuning that will determine your results. Modern powders and bullets do not foul anywhere near as much as they used to. Couple that with a quality match barrel and cleaning is really going to be optional.

Consider that some F class matches are OVER 200rds fired through several days and almost no one cleans yet accuracy hovering on 1/4 min is maintained. Some are even shooting magnums burning over 60gr of powder PER BANG.

As has been said, clean only when the barrel tells you. Do your load tuning with a bore that has seen at least 5rds. Some may take 10 to 15rds to settle down. If you have one of these barrels, keep them dirty and monitor when accuracy falls.

One of my Shilen 223s gets better the more I shoot it. After 200rds, I felt guilty and cleaned it. Shot the pits until a few rds brought the bore and load back into tune. Now I just don't clean the bore unless weather warrants it.

When it comes to cleaning, it matters more about your discipline and its needs then some procedure.

Every clean bore lasts for exactly ONE rd....

Jerry
 
mattyboy72 said:
so nother question for u kids, i clean my 700 every time out, but when i do it i still get grey stuff coming out on the patches, no matter how many i put through. is this normal. i start with a patch with hopes solvent on it, then brush the poop out of it, then run patches through again to try to get it clean, but the grey keeps showing up. am i missin something?
Click to expand...

Yes, you are working way too hard...

Keep track of how your barrel shoots from a clean bore to say 20rds. I bet the first few shots aren't as good as those later on.

Jerry
 
I hate to open another can of worms but Ive got a Q about barrel break-in. I'll be taking my Howa to the range soon (finally) and honestly Ive probably read 100 different ways to break the barrel in. I'll be using Tipton bore guide, rod and jags and have Hoppes BR copper solvent and every M pro7 product they make including their copper solvent. What do you guys suggest?
 
Ive been using a Dewey rods, jags and butches and only when needed. Have had to use a copper remover on my hunting rifles (they don't get the attention they deserve sometimes)
 
If, and only If, you have a copper issue, the best stuff available is KG-12. It will cut copper quicker and better than any copper solvent I have ever used, including CR-10 and Sweet's 7.62.
As many have already stated, a lot of shooters are a bit too anal about cleaning.
Many rifles will take 200 or more rounds without losing any accuracy potential.
Obviously, some factory barrel leave a bit to be desired, and foul up rather quickly.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
supernova said:
I hate to open another can of worms but Ive got a Q about barrel break-in. I'll be taking my Howa to the range soon (finally) and honestly Ive probably read 100 different ways to break the barrel in. I'll be using Tipton bore guide, rod and jags and have Hoppes BR copper solvent and every M pro7 product they make including their copper solvent. What do you guys suggest?
Click to expand...

I sell barrels so it can be argued I have a vested interest in helping shooters use up their barrels faster.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY SO CALLED BARREL BREAK IN.

I have shot a number of rifles both factory and custom barreled, brand new and "lightly used".

In ALL instances, shot and clean as a break in procedure did nothing vs just shoot and clean it when needed.

A barrel WILL find a level of break in all on its own and it usually takes quite a bit longer then the typical 20 to 50rds used as the break in process.

Clean it well the first time out as the rust preservative typically used is tenacious. Shoot it, and clean it after say 20rds.

If there is alot of copper, then you know you have a typical rough bore. Start taking notes on what happens next.

Clean the bore till lilly white - strip it of all copper or fouling as you see fit.

Now shoot 3 groups of 3 to 4 rds each. Did the groups shrink as you shot?

If it got better then found a level, shoot a few more groups and see if groups stabilize. It should

Clean it to bare metal again and see if the pattern repeats. you will quickly see a pattern of large groups then shrinking rapidly after so many shots are fired. Then the groups are stable for whatever time you want to shoot.

After a few cycles, you will also notice that the amount of copper fouling DROPS. It may never stop but the amount will reduce.

The reduction of copper typically happens after 200 to 500rds are fired. This is when I consider a barrel truly broken in.

I shoot to as many rds as the barrel will tolerate - for most barrels, even those that show ALOT of copper, this number of shots is way more then usually spoken of.

Then clean only enough to restore accuracy. You know you have cleaned too much if it takes more then 5 rds to stabilize the groups.

Some barrels will be/MUST BE fouled in order to shoot with any decent performance.

It is up to you to find out the quirks of your barrel.

YMMV.... Enjoy your new rifle.

Jerry
 
Awesome posts, i like when people speak from experience not from oh i heard some guy say this and that. My rifle seems to shoot fairly decent clean or not clean. Thank u very much for the info!
 
Wow ..... very interesting! Explains allot & confirms many of my suspicions. I now only clean when the groups start to open up and I most definitely have seen that 5 to 10 rounds were necessary to foul the barrel afterwards for the groups to tighten up again. Excellent advice in this thread! Sure helps getting input from people with real world hands on experience! :cheers:
 
Great thread with lots of good advice. I have a question for you all. On the flip side what procedures and or cleaning tools/products should one not do or use? Some things are obvious but in your experience are there some things you have done when cleaning that you wished you hadn't? Or things you have seen others do that hurt accuracy?

Thanks
 
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