When to clean and copper fouling

P

PurpleCoyote

New member
Ive been shooting a long time and have reloaded a little and had great groups or at least I thought so. I shot 3/8 in at 100 anyday with my 22-250 and hand loads.O.K. my questions are and Im no bigtime shooter or firearms expert but,,,,How do I know when to clean for copper fouling and with what? I only shoot about 40 rounds a month through each of my rifles if that helps. I just dont want to wait until I have big copper foul problem before cleaning. In the past Ive used the really strong amonia smelling stuff and a few patches although I really didnt see any difference.My eyesight is not great so the copper is hard for me to see. Maybe I should just shoot my few rounds and about every third outing clean for copper???????
Im shooting a 204 ruger,, a CZ in243 and a 17 HMR.
Thanks
Daryl Pelfrey
 
I guess I am from the old school... I clean after every outing. "No if's, and's, or but's"... that would be my father talking. I use Butch's Bore Shine in my 22-250, .223, 22 Hornet, and .308. I have never had a copper fouling problem, and I don't want one. Just my 2 cents...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Wipe-out bore foam!!!!!!

There is absolutely NO work involved. Foam the bore, and patch it out in 24hrs. Done deal.

Every 3rd or 4th cleaning, a good brushing will bust loose the carbon fouling in front of the throat. Use something like montana extreme 50bmg for this.

You really have to evaluate your barrel to know for sure. Some barrels foul quicker and need more frequent cleanings, and some will go much longer. Also, some will need a lot of fouling rounds to settle in, and some won't. It is a trial and error game with every new rifle.
 
Clean for copper when you notice a decrease in accuracy.

There is way more damage done to barrels from improper cleaning than from any build up of copper. I just looked in my log book for one of my 22-250's. I have not cleaned it in a little over 200 rounds. The rifle has about 600 total through it. This is a hunting rifle and when it will not keep moa out to 250 yds that is when I usually clean it. Until then, "if it aint broke dont fix it".

I also have a 308 with a factory barrel that shows a noticeable decrease in accuracy after about 60 rounds. So I have to clean it more often. The drawback is it takes about 10 rounds or so to settle back down after it has been cleaned. So, you end up with about 50 rounds at top accuracy. That barrel will be a tomatoe stake before long though.
 
I found my Tactical .20 fouled quickly. I cleaned it real good and applied Moly-fusion, I no longer get any copper fouling. I do get powder fouling, after 35 shots or so I start seeing a bigger group, so I clean it.T.20
 
improper cleaning hurts a barrel, not proper cleaning. Bore guides and not runnning brushes over the crown continualy will make a barrel last a lot longer.

There are lots of barrelmakers opinions on breaking in bores (involving cleaning every shot or two for quite a while) who say that hurts a barrel and makes them more money. That is IMHO without the use of coated rods, nylon brushes, and bore guides. With these tools, you can clean after every bullet if you want to, it won't matter.

Go to the line and watch a benchrest match and see what happens to their rifles after EVERY RELAY, they are cleaned with brushes and solvents, and these are MATCH GRADE barrels that cost many times more than standard.

I have gone to cleaning only when I need it for accuracy so as to leave a slight coating over the metal in my bore, and therefore I am cheating the erosion just a little bit. Also, if it takes a rifle 10-15rnds to settle in, you have to shoot at least that many sighters to get the gun to settle in,...NOW you still have to shoot the match. That is a lot of bullets wasted and bore life toasted. Save your ammo and time on the bench. many of the BR guys are starting to go to this method. I see these guys clean them down to bare metal between relays, and the guns need a lot or foulers to get ready for the score/group shots. They get all kinds of mad, or can't compete, and the worst part of it is, it isn't the gun or the shooter's faults, it is a perfectly clean bore that is to blame for them not placing as well as they could.
 
Thanks for the help everyone.I do not have a bore guide yet but I am using dewey rods and being careful. I think I will get the bore guides this weekend.My guns are all bolt action which helps so I can clean from the breech.I have ran some J.B. down the barrells ,about40 strokes each barrell and alot of dry patches and then oily ones.
I will have to post some groups if I ever get the time.
Thanks Again
Daryl Pelfrey
 
Thanks for the help everyone.I do not have a bore guide yet but I am using dewey rods and being careful. I think I will get the bore guides this weekend.My guns are all bolt action which helps so I can clean from the breech.I have ran some J.B. down the barrells ,about40 strokes each barrell and alot of dry patches and then oily ones.
I will have to post some groups if I ever get the time.
Thanks Again
Daryl Pelfrey P.S. I like the tomato stake
comment.Sounds like some of
relatives in K.Y.
 
Thanks for the help everyone.I do not have a bore guide yet but I am using dewey rods and being careful. I think I will get the bore guides this weekend.My guns are all bolt action which helps so I can clean from the breech.I have ran some J.B. down the barrells ,about40 strokes each barrell and alot of dry patches and then oily ones.
I will have to post some groups if I ever get the time. P.S. I like the tomato stake
comment.Sounds like some of
relatives in K.Y.
Thanks Again
Daryl Pelfrey
 
Thanks for the help everyone.I do not have a bore guide yet but I am using dewey rods and being careful. I think I will get the bore guides this weekend.My guns are all bolt action which helps so I can clean from the breech.I have ran some J.B. down the barrells ,about40 strokes each barrell and alot of dry patches and then oily ones.
I will have to post some groups if I ever get the time. P.S. I like the tomato stake
comment.Sounds like some of my
relatives in K.Y.
Thanks Again
Daryl Pelfrey
 
I followed the break-in for OLY, which they say helps the break-in for the whole weapon on cleaning and lubing and such. Here's my very first sight in for group after the break-in.......... 100 yards with a 3x9x40 Simmons cheap-o scope.

407350.jpg
 
Quote:
I followed the break-in for OLY, which they say helps the break-in for the whole weapon on cleaning and lubing and such. Here's my very first sight in for group after the break-in.......... 100 yards with a 3x9x40 Simmons cheap-o scope.

407350.jpg




That is a good group, except for the flyer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Seriously though, breaking in and cleaning procedures are are pretty subjective topics. How many rounds do you get through the tube before you have to remove copper fouling from the barrel?
 
Slip 2000 carbon cleaner for powder fouling and followed by Boretec Eliminator for copper fouling. fast and easy and you just use patches, no brushes.
 
brdeano..... that goup was shot at the end of the 100 round break-in. During break-in, I cleaned once every shot for 24 rounds using Break free CLP and Butches bore shine, then switched to cleaning after every 3 rounds with a Bore Snake treated in CLP between the brushes and shortly after the brushes with CLP, about 30-35 rounds into the process I cleaned with the wipeout foam once. Then I moved to cleaning with the treated Bore Snake after every 5 rounds with a regular full cleaning session after 15+ rounds.
 
If you lap your bbl. in frist you will have less fouling.My 223 now just takes three pathes to clean after a long weekend hunt.Thanks Clint.
 
my 220swift was lightly lapped prior to getting started and I got only ONE blue patch after 70rnds at a match the other weekend. That DOES work,..even if the bore has been fired. Clean it to bare metal and then lightly lapp it,...damn thing will clean up multitudes easier.

No need in a match tube, but a great move in a factory tube IMHO. Vmaster59 hit that one spot on.......x-ring.
 
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