Rifle Cleaning Procedure & Products?

You really need your rifle to tell you what it likes. See how it shoots after 5, 10, 20, or 50 rounds.Ive seen rifles that'll shoot an ugly minute till it had 20 rounds down it. After 20 rounds, It would then tighten up and shoot 1/2 MOA for about a 200 rounds. When accuracy started to open up then we would strip out the copper with Wipe Out bore foam. Then foul it again and rock on. We'd use CLP after each range day, to remove carbon. Other guns may be most accurate clean and cold. Listen to your rifle, it'll let ya know.

Can anyone speak to using a bronze brush with Boretech eliminator instead of a nylon brush?

Will this just cause a false positive when running patches back through? I'm wanting a thorough clean and have read nylon brushes may not be quite aggressive enough to actually work well on the barrel.

If you have copper that won't come clean with adequate time, BoreTech and nylon, use a bronze brush. It gives blue to the patch for sure, but so does the copper you loosen up.

Cleaning without a bore scope is guessing at best, unless you have a lot of experience with the same barrel and load.

Brydawg512 said:

Can anyone speak to using a bronze brush with Boretech eliminator instead of a nylon brush?

Will this just cause a false positive when running patches back through? I'm wanting a thorough clean and have read nylon brushes may not be quite aggressive enough to actually work well on the barrel.

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Bronze brushes are all I use on benchrest quality barrels with bore tec. Use aluminum jags to push patches that way there is know transfer. The barrel will come clean if done properly

Phil Rizzo said:

Cleaning without a bore scope is guessing at best, unless you have a lot of experience with the same barrel and load.

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Amen!

Op, please consider the purchase of a Teslong Bore scope as one of your Priority purchases.

Bronze brushes will definitely give you a false positive if using any copper solvent. Even the nylon brushes that have a brass ferrule will do the same. Make sure the center of the brush has non brass metal or you will see blue all day long. Bore Tech makes all types of cleaning rods and attachments (brushes, jags, etc) that work best with any copper solvent. The nylon brushes are not as effective in quickly removing copper fouling, but they do work .

Glad this thread came up, and what follows is a small deviation, via a question I have. Several years ago I purchased for my buddies one Christmas a compact, solid stainless steel, machined, 6" sectional cleaning rod that came with about 6 sections, a 3" flat ended solid piece for using as a ram in clearing a stuck bullet, rotating red rod handle and a slick clear plastic carry case for all along with 2 brass bore guides. I always keep it in my hunting gear or anytime I'm shooting, it's been a life saver. The handle resembles the Pro-Shot cleaning rod handles. For the life of me, I can't find anything in my emails and I really need to order a few more. Any of you guys know where to get one by chance?

VinceMule said:

Amen!

Op, please consider the purchase of a Teslong Bore scope as one of your Priority purchases.

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Which Teslong would you recommend?

Thanks!

It would be interesting to hear what "run a patch through it until clean" means. Its a subjective saying , to me as close to a white patch as possible. I'm curious because is it necessary to get a rifle bore how clean, using the stains on the patch as a guide. I am a bit OCD, or so I'm told............lol

It usually takes 10 - 12 patches to get there and its still not "brand new" white. I use a brass jag and wipe-out foam copper cleaner after I run a soaked patch with Birchwood bore cleaner (I've used shooters choice, Hoppes 9, CLP before), then a brass brush both ways for 30 or so times, followed by another soaked patch, then another round with the brass brush. Follow that up with a couple dry patches to clean that out.

When I'm running the jag I will pass the jag back and forth the length of the barrel, removing it from the chamber and to the end each stroke. I scrub the bore with the jag as opposed to pushing it all the way through once and replacing it with a new one. The first 5-6 patches come out dark purple. Each patch getting lighter. I start seeing a lighter purple color until about the 9-10 patch then a couple patches after that that are slightly discolored. I will clean my bore this way after 20 rounds but have gone as long as 40-50 rounds.

When I go shoot after a cleaning, I will put 3-5 rounds down range to foul and heat the barrel, let it cool then shoot for the day. These rifles are regular stock rifles off the shelf. I like my rifles to group, each touching or close. I'm a hunter and don't shoot competitively. I may or may not be overcleaning, its just my routine.

I start out with bore tech carbon cleaner then I use bore tech camelian to polish throat then clean all bore tech out of barrel then I use wipe out. Had good success with the process.

I use the model that has a solid rod type wand in which I plug into an old lap top, love it! I use two of them, one at the lathe and another at the rifle cleaning station.

It is amazing how much "Snake Oil" is sold as "Bore Solvent"!

Hint: Pro Shot and standard Dewey bronze bristle brushes cut carbon their very best within the first 60 Strokes and by 100 strokes, they are practically worn out. I buy the Pro Shot and Dewey by the dozen. Iosso and Montana Extreme plastic brushes are the very best of the plastic brushes.

If you wait till your barrel quits shooting to clean, you may not get it clean, as the carbon is so darn hard it will not come out without very harsh abrasives such as Rem Clean and JB Bore Brite(Red). N500 series of powders super cook carbon, so stay ahead of the carbon build up, and familiarize yourself with the "Heat Index" chart of how hot various powders burn. The hotter a powder burns, the harder it is to remove an accumulation.

Each barrel will have it's own personality, and powder type and powder amounts sure come into play regarding cleaning frequency. You may make a decision on what is "good enough".

You have to ask yourself, what level of accuracy do you need at 300,600, etc. yards?

Some good advice here; but the best are the ones who say, in essence, don't overdo it. I used to be in the camp of clean, clean and clean til it's clean! Not anymore! A fine barrel maker gave this great advice that I have used and have wonderful results.
Buy a "boresnake" of the right size. Remove the bolt, drop the lead "rope" down the barrel and out the muzzle. Pull to where the "business" end gets close to chamber and then, using a pipet bulb squirt about 1/2 " of Ballistol oil into bore. Then pull the rope and turn muzzle up to complete the pull. There will be oil coming out so have a rag around the muzzle to catch it.
This is for "used" barrels. You won't need to do it but after either you see accuracy dropping off, which will be a long time later, or once a year. For new barrels, shoot 5, pull once, for 20 shots. No more patches, no brushes, no more rods for cleaning. It works!!
If you watch benchrest shooters, you will observe they clean hard after each target shot. But then they fire fouling shots!!! Why clean and then foul?? Because they need to prepare the bore for accurate shots! That is why this "boresnake" cleaning works. Bores have microscopic pits and even minute scratches that bullets will fill and smooth out. Cold bore shots will be just as accurate as "dirty" bore shots.
Try it. What do you have to lose? Oh, brushes, patches, cleaning solutions, rods. And you save a whole lot of time! Your barrel will like it.

Woodnut, respectively, I do not agree with your advise. I have my own 300yd rifle range, reload, clean barrels on the spot. It is easy to tell when a barrel starts throwing shots where groups open due to fouling, and these are the finest custom barrels on the market today.

I do not like cleaning, but it is necessary evil. My brother has a 600 & 700 yard range. Another 1200 yd range not far away. If you can hold a 3" group at 600, you are good way on out there, barring wind of course.

VinceMule said:

Woodnut, respectively, I do not agree with your advise. I have my own 300yd rifle range, reload, clean barrels on the spot. It is easy to tell when a barrel starts throwing shots where groups open due to fouling, and these are the finest custom barrels on the market today.

I do not like cleaning, but it is necessary evil. My brother has a 600 & 700 yard range. Another 1200 yd range not far away. If you can hold a 3" group at 600, you are good way on out there, barring wind of course.

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Have you found a general round count when this appears?