What about a bristle brush?? Some feel brass to harsh.
What about a bristle brush?? Some feel brass to harsh.
Pete Wass
Well-known member
Someone once said,
I can duplicate clean but am guessing otherwise. Having said that, there exists barrels that shoot better when filthy dirty. I don't think many but I talked to a well known shooter recently and he told me he had one, it was old and he is still using it competitively.
The answer is, let the barrel tell you when to clean.
Speaking of that, a fellow shooter noticed yesterday that my rifle, with it's new barrel, was shooting better after it had shot half a card. So, I am going to clean it less to see where that goes. If I can get two cards or more, I'll save a bunch on cleaning stuff.
Pete
I can duplicate clean but am guessing otherwise. Having said that, there exists barrels that shoot better when filthy dirty. I don't think many but I talked to a well known shooter recently and he told me he had one, it was old and he is still using it competitively.
The answer is, let the barrel tell you when to clean.
Speaking of that, a fellow shooter noticed yesterday that my rifle, with it's new barrel, was shooting better after it had shot half a card. So, I am going to clean it less to see where that goes. If I can get two cards or more, I'll save a bunch on cleaning stuff.
Pete
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Pete - you're absolutely correct that the rifle will tell you when it needs cleaning. I know you know this but will say it anyway on a rhetorical basis. What if the rifle tells you it needs cleaned in the middle of a target?
I'll say what I'm thinking on this. Clean your rifle every target and if it won't win...get one that will.
I'll say what I'm thinking on this. Clean your rifle every target and if it won't win...get one that will.
A clean barrel won't win unless the shooter can win. You can chase barrels a long and expensive time if the shooter isn't up to the job.
D
Dave Shattuck
Guest
I once owned a 40X w/Lilja tight bore barrel that hated to be shot clean and needed at least a full card shot before the barrel would settle back down.
My practice was: I'd clean the gun on the Friday before a match, head out to the range and shoot a full 25 to 30 shots, then pack it up for the next days match and not touch it again until I got back home after the match (±150 rounds).
This gun helped to carry me into the Hall of Fame (bronze level), but it was the only gun out of all the ones I've owned that liked being shot dirty. The rest all needed to be cleaned between each card, especially my Sporter.
Dave
A short stroke rod and brush (like a 6" pistol length rod) should remove most of the crap (carbon ring) from the throat.
Use a decent solvent, but don't believe the crapola on the can as not many substances can dissolve carbon and lead. Mercury comes close, so basically you have to scrub it out.
When to clean? When the groups open up, when changing ammo brands (lube) or you are just having a crappy day and need an excuse.
Have fun learning.
.22's are like women, no two are the same, they are picky on their diet but get it right and then the fun begins.
* doghunter *
Use a decent solvent, but don't believe the crapola on the can as not many substances can dissolve carbon and lead. Mercury comes close, so basically you have to scrub it out.
When to clean? When the groups open up, when changing ammo brands (lube) or you are just having a crappy day and need an excuse.
Have fun learning.
.22's are like women, no two are the same, they are picky on their diet but get it right and then the fun begins.
* doghunter *
Absolutely true !!!
Pete Wass
Well-known member
On the subject of solvents,
Not all solvents are made equal. Some time ago BC said water was as good as anything. To a certain extent, he may be right. I worked in the Gu Shop for the Vulcan cannon when I was in service and we used hot soapy water to clean them. They did not, however, shoot waxed projectiles nor did was there any exposed lead. Both those items add to the difficulty curve with RF rifles.
New barrels clean a lot easier than barrels that have a lot of time on them, from my experience.
If you've read any or much of what I have had to say about cleaning you have seen that I am against the grain , pretty much, all the time. Having said that, I found a great commercial wax stripper that will take the wax out, Right Nowand it also tends to take most of the carbon with it. It does not touch lead, however. Sharp Shooter's Supply sells a product named No Lead that works. It takes lead out quite readily. I have reduced my cleaning time dramatically by using these items. Shooters choice Lead Remover works but I find it to be slow if there is much accumulation. The Lead Out is faster, from my experience.
Pete
Not all solvents are made equal. Some time ago BC said water was as good as anything. To a certain extent, he may be right. I worked in the Gu Shop for the Vulcan cannon when I was in service and we used hot soapy water to clean them. They did not, however, shoot waxed projectiles nor did was there any exposed lead. Both those items add to the difficulty curve with RF rifles.
New barrels clean a lot easier than barrels that have a lot of time on them, from my experience.
If you've read any or much of what I have had to say about cleaning you have seen that I am against the grain , pretty much, all the time. Having said that, I found a great commercial wax stripper that will take the wax out, Right Nowand it also tends to take most of the carbon with it. It does not touch lead, however. Sharp Shooter's Supply sells a product named No Lead that works. It takes lead out quite readily. I have reduced my cleaning time dramatically by using these items. Shooters choice Lead Remover works but I find it to be slow if there is much accumulation. The Lead Out is faster, from my experience.
Pete
K
K80
Guest
Best Cleaning Information
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums...d.php?t=940113
I'm sorry my previous link was incorrect.
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums...d.php?t=940113
I'm sorry my previous link was incorrect.
C
cobra1
Guest
D you o only pull a brush from the muzzle end through to the breech? It would seem pushing a brush through would bow the rod into contact with the bore.
gn
gn
I have never seen a rifle cleaned this way at a match by anybody. Not to say some don't do it this way but.. What you presented has some merit, but for me anyway, I don't want to pull all that crap back into the chamber or action.
As far as a rod contacting the bore, it happens. Just be careful, not heavy fisted.
But I think you know all this...
Keith
HuskerP7M8
Member
Grover and Keith,
It's mostly dependent on the bristle density and diameter of the brush, but with probably most "NEW" brushes, I would never try to push it through the bore....the rod will contact the bore. Will it cause damage to the rifling....maybe yes, maybe no, but I prefer not taking the chance.
Even Calfee, who I hate to agree with on anything, advises the brush should never be pushed thru the bore. He tells his shooters to use a new brush and pull it from muzzle to chamber and then throw it away after so many passes, but I don't remember how many passes he suggests.
I grew up poor, so I don't throw away the brush and I'll continue to use it until I reach the point where it doesn't remove the C/L ring when I perform a deep cleaning on a barrel. That's usually around 3 to 6 passes with the brush after I've cleaned the bore with patches.
I want the bore as clean as possible with patches before I start dragging a brush thru it, and I'll use brake cleaner on the brush to minimize any embedded material on the brush before I put it away till the next time.
If I only want to remove the C/L ring, I use felt pads and "Bore Tech C4 Carbon Remover".
JMHO, but it's based on the use of a borescope with every rifle/barrel I test in my tunnel, even when I only shoot a few rounds.
Landy
It's mostly dependent on the bristle density and diameter of the brush, but with probably most "NEW" brushes, I would never try to push it through the bore....the rod will contact the bore. Will it cause damage to the rifling....maybe yes, maybe no, but I prefer not taking the chance.
Even Calfee, who I hate to agree with on anything, advises the brush should never be pushed thru the bore. He tells his shooters to use a new brush and pull it from muzzle to chamber and then throw it away after so many passes, but I don't remember how many passes he suggests.
I grew up poor, so I don't throw away the brush and I'll continue to use it until I reach the point where it doesn't remove the C/L ring when I perform a deep cleaning on a barrel. That's usually around 3 to 6 passes with the brush after I've cleaned the bore with patches.
I want the bore as clean as possible with patches before I start dragging a brush thru it, and I'll use brake cleaner on the brush to minimize any embedded material on the brush before I put it away till the next time.
If I only want to remove the C/L ring, I use felt pads and "Bore Tech C4 Carbon Remover".
JMHO, but it's based on the use of a borescope with every rifle/barrel I test in my tunnel, even when I only shoot a few rounds.
Landy
C
cobra1
Guest
I have been using the Iosso blue nylon brushes which are quite stiff, mounted on a pistol rod and short stroked only about an inch with hoppe 9, totally removes the carbon ring with only about 5 stokes.
gn
Every gun is a law unto itself and cleaning will depend upon how the gun shoots clean or dirty. Many shooters won't clean a .22 rimfire rifle bore for hundreds of shots or until the accuracy begins to fall off. Other swear by cleaning after every session. They go by how THEIR rifle shoots best and that may not be best for YOUR rifle.
True story: I once sold a Remington Model 37 to a friend. It had a Redfield 24X Model 3200 scope on it. Some weeks later I asked about the rifle and he said "It's in the safe. It won't shoot." I said "That's odd; it shot for me." I offered to take it back but he said he'd keep it.
A couple of years later he came to me and said " I got that 37 to shoot." I asked how and he said "I quit cleaning it after every time I shot it. The more I shot it dirty, the better it did. It's a real tack driver." He further told me that he'd been advised by friends to clean the bore after every session and that's what he had been doing.
So my advice is to try it both ways and see what YOUR rifle likes.
True story: I once sold a Remington Model 37 to a friend. It had a Redfield 24X Model 3200 scope on it. Some weeks later I asked about the rifle and he said "It's in the safe. It won't shoot." I said "That's odd; it shot for me." I offered to take it back but he said he'd keep it.
A couple of years later he came to me and said " I got that 37 to shoot." I asked how and he said "I quit cleaning it after every time I shot it. The more I shot it dirty, the better it did. It's a real tack driver." He further told me that he'd been advised by friends to clean the bore after every session and that's what he had been doing.
So my advice is to try it both ways and see what YOUR rifle likes.