• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

Help with cleaning barrel

Got some of that in my Bartlein as well.
Accuracy isn't there. It's been through an expensive load development period.
I've got 132 rounds down it and still searching for a load.
I ran it up and down about 25-30 cycles twice with JB bore paste on a patch after cleaning. Patches came out black as night and cleaned up much better afterwards.
About to try my 6th powder and 5th bullet in more load testing.
This is my first Bartlein and not sure if that is expected. Someone told me they take more time to "break-in".
We'll see.
Sorry, I clicked the like button by mistake. I wanted to say that I think you have a gun problem and not necessarily a carbon problem.
 
I have been very happy with 6.5 Rock Creek barrels. I nitrocarburize them and then shoot coated bullets. Barrels last longer. Much easier to clean. I would recommend the felt pellets from VFG. I like to use Flitz paste on them when dealing with severe carbon. Other abrasive pastes are also suitable.

 
😂...
Well, actually...I am running a little short of patience by now!
The rifle build turned out beautiful... Naturally, that would be the one that gives me fits!
3 scopes, 2 stocks, 6 powders, 5 bullets and 3 primers and won't dip under 1 moa and stay there.
Will try some flat base bullets tomorrow.
If it doesn't get under 1 MOA and stay there... I'll contact Bartlein. 😞
I have 3 Bartlein barrels 2 carbon and 1 steel no problem with them I would send back to the guys that built it and them figure it out I had to do the same with one that Barbour creek build for me . Good luck
 
I have a custom Rock Creek barrel chambered in 7 SS. I'm using a Possum Hollow bore guide, Dewey coated rod and Patch out with Accellerator.

In the first 10 inches of the barrel is black in the bottom of the grooves. I have soaked and let sit and ran a bunch of patches to no avail. I do have to bend my rod just a little to get over the higher butt on my Alpine Hunter stock, but wouldn't think that the black is from my rod.

68 rounds down the barrel.

Ideas or thoughts?
Steve
You need copper fowling paste with brass brush to clean deep
 
I had 2 experiences with name brand barrels. First a custom 7mm Rem. Spent a lot on load development with nothing working. Had my gunsmith scoped it and there was a bad spot in middle of barrel, he sent it back and they replaced it. Had a 6.5 prc built with same brand barrel, bullets were key holing, checked twist it turned out to be 1 in 14!! Both were replaced and gunsmith paid to fix problem. Both guns shoot great.
I would send barrel back to get it check and replaced.
I how my bad luck is behind me😀
 
Proper cleaning never hurts barrels...proper. My bore scope is right beside my cleaning station.

First, good brushes do the cleaning, first 60 strokes does the most work and they are completely worn out at 100 strokes. Pro Shot Broze Bristle brushes and Dewey brushes are some of the best, there are a lot of junk brushes out there.

We have struggled with the carbon issue for a while. Got together with some of the top gunsmiths on Accurate Shooter that chamber rifles for F Class shooters where they shoot 10 shot strings fast...they have to learn to deal with the carbon or had better stay home.

Couple of things that I learned from these gunsmiths:

A. CLR left in the bore no more than 5 minutes, brushed well, will get out most if not all the carbon. You absolutely must neutralize that CLR and a number of fluids will do the job.

B. When the brushes have 60 to 100 strokes on them, I save them for winding Fine Bronze wool in the bristles. This will not scratch the finest of barrels, and I shoot a lot of Krieger, Brux, Lilja, Hart, and X Caliber barrels, no Bartline barrels for me. The calibers I shoot are from 223 AI to big 7mm.

C. some powders are much worse than others, check a heat index chart. 8208 is horrible to get out in my 308 Kriegers, but brother does it hammer the bullets in a bullet hole. R#15, and H4895 are almost as bad. I pulled my hair out trying to get the carbon out of the barrel until I was told about the Fine Bronze wool( inexpensive on Ebay).

D. Penetrating oil called Free All is an amazing penetrating oil, and I have tried many others. Free All has a chemical in it that actually dissolves carbon. Soaking with Free All will break loose a lot of carbon, and if you can do this at the range while the barrel is still warm, the cleaning is much easier. Free All is available in a spray can and a 14 oz trigger pump can.

E. With a issio or Montana extreme plastic brush, you can wind the Fine Bronze wool in the bristles, and can scrub back and forth in the problem areas. The Hawkeye bore scope magnifies 25X and will show scratches in the bore. Rest assured that in your finest barrels, the fine bronze wool will not scratch the barrel.

A couple of notes from the gunsmiths, if you don't get the carbon out, it will never come out due to the fact that heat and pressure will make the carbon so hard that it will not even be able to be cut out with the exception of Silicone carbide, 600 and 800 Grit available from BRownells.

As guys on this and other sites state how they clean their rifles, they rarely set the stage as to whether it is a 222 Remington or a 7 Rem Mag. As benchrest shooters we cleaned with bronze bristle brushes every 8-10 rounds, never hurt the barrel. At a benchrest match today, you would see competitors cleaning their rifles in between matches with bronze bristle brushes.
 
Last edited:
I have a custom Rock Creek barrel chambered in 7 SS. I'm using a Possum Hollow bore guide, Dewey coated rod and Patch out with Accellerator.

In the first 10 inches of the barrel is black in the bottom of the grooves. I have soaked and let sit and ran a bunch of patches to no avail. I do have to bend my rod just a little to get over the higher butt on my Alpine Hunter stock, but wouldn't think that the black is from my rod.

68 rounds down the barrel.

Ideas or thoughts?
Steve
This is very common on all my rifles, both hunting and competition. The place you describe is where the heat and pressure are the greatest. Cleaning carbon is fruitless without an abrasive like iosso or jb borepaste. Nobody wants to hear "abrasive" in the same sentence as barrel but iosso and jb have never harmed my barrels. I get average round counts before changing barrels and they shoot much much better without the carbon during the life I have the barrel mounted. Carbon is an accuracy killer. It's sticky, builds up on itself and causes inconsistency down a bore. I don't have many credentials but I recently watched a few videos with Erik Cortina and Jack Neary discussing cleaning and carbon. Check em out and decide for yourself. As for the stock and angle of your rod: I've always cleaned breech to muzzle but many fellas with more miles than me clean the opposite. It doesn't matter as long as your careful with the crown. Absolutely do everything in your power not to bang stuff on the crown....protect it with your life. Best rifle in the world can, will and have shot horrible with a damaged crown.
 
P.S. The barrel above is a super rough factory barrel. Shoots good. Looks and fouls something awful.

This barrel sounds like a prime candidate for Final Finish fire lapping bullets from David Tubb. It should help smooth it up and help with the fouling.
 
I use kg 4 and 12. The kg 4 is for carbon and it kicks ***. That is my new routine i usually have a lot of carbon build up on my crown from shooting suppressed. The kg 4 knocks it out no problem. Nothing else held a torch to it. Id give it a shot. I usually do 3 wet 3 dry let it sit for a couple minutes if it needs it. Repeat until clean.
 
My Bartlein is the same, 450 rounds. I used CLR and a plastic brush to deep clean a few weeks ago. Groups instantly tightened up to 1/2 moa but I still had the carbon layer. Bore paste might get rid of it but I'm not using that stuff on this barrel.

View attachment 371383
I would like at what Bartlein has to say about how to clean your barrel. It will void the warrenty on the barrel. They have a guideline on how to, clean your barrel. A little food though.
 

Recent Posts

Top