Shooting New Loads, feed back please

[Brian49]

Wondering other views on shooting new loads:

1. Do you shoot fouling shots?
2. Does anyone clean between different loads?
3. How thoroughly do you clean if you do?

• I run a dry patch prior to first shot, since I lightly oil the bore after cleaning.
• I usually shoot 2 or 3 fouls, but they shot well so I wonder if they are worth it?
• About every 20 shots gun) i brush and dry patch, but haven't done this between different loads, since i usually shoot no more than grps of 5. I usually don't use solvents I just clean off the high spots.

 

[winmag]

I HAVE A CLEANING DISORDER..........on my guns anyway. I cant sleep well knowing one of my guns isnt thuroughly cleaned.

I have recently started to clean less between groups however, and got better accuracy..........I hate that. But its true. I used to scrub the snot out of em every 5-10 rounds. but it took a couple fouling shots to settle the bbl. enough to get real tight groups. Ive read articles in American Rifleman, and here on L/R/H about wearing out your bbl quicker by cleaning too often. I want so much to disagree, but I cant, because it makes sense. So now I shoot 20-25 rounds cooling to ambient like temp between shots before cleaning, at the range and yes I use Shooters Choice for a solvent, then EEZOX. My rifles get cleaned no matter what when I get home. And I mean scrubbed. Some habbits are hard to break.
My cousin has an old .222 Rem. that takes about 10 rounds to settle after cleaning, and he refuses to clean it with anything less than 4-5 boxes of ammo run through it because it shoots so well when its dirty. Drives me nutts, but its true.

 

[4xforfun]

Brian49....What exactly is "brush and dry patch" ? I hope you are using lots of solvent when you brush....never run a dry brush through a dry boar. I am pretty sure you know this, but just making sure. I just re read your post...."I usually don't use solvents I just clean off the high spots".....OMG...I would stronngly sugjest you change your ways!!!!

Winmag.....I am the exact oppiset.....I clean when the bbl is still hot.....they clean up much faster. If they are really hot I don't let the solvent sit for too long.......it's when the harsh chemicals start to dry up is when they start causing problems. As a matter of fact, I use a Black & Decker heat gun to warm up a cold bbl before I clean.


As far as the origonal question. yes, I clean between different powders, or bullets, or...whatever. I want to controle all of the variables. I also shoot at least one fouling shot. I clean them CLEAN!!!!

 

[winmag]

Brian49....What exactly is "brush and dry patch" ? I hope you are using lots of solvent when you brush....never run a dry brush through a dry boar. I am pretty sure you know this, but just making sure. I just re read your post...."I usually don't use solvents I just clean off the high spots".....OMG...I would stronngly sugjest you change your ways!!!!

Winmag.....I am the exact oppiset.....I clean when the bbl is still hot.....they clean up much faster. If they are really hot I don't let the solvent sit for too long.......it's when the harsh chemicals start to dry up is when they start causing problems. As a matter of fact, I use a Black & Decker heat gun to warm up a cold bbl before I clean.


As far as the origonal question. yes, I clean between different powders, or bullets, or...whatever. I want to controle all of the variables. I also shoot at least one fouling shot. I clean them CLEAN!!!!

I dont wait for them to cool before I clean, I wait for them to cool between shots. And I never ''heat em up beyond ambient temp'' for anything. That being said, it gets up to the hundred and teens in August in Hells Canyon, where I hunt bear, and its been as cold as -teens where I elk hunt. I shoot in all conditions because I hunt in all conditions. Ambient temp or as close to it as possible is always best IMO for real data, and prolonged bbl life. I NEVER shoot so many rounds that my bbl gets hot, and keep going. I know that WILL shorten bbl life.
On another issue, I always start with a clean bore. And I will certainly clean thuroghly before I swich brands, ie; Hornady, vs Nosler or whatever. I f I shoot both on the same day at the range.
Proper bbl break in is crucial IMO, and takes time to do properly. I thought I was more anal than anyone till I read some other folks' tecniques. Namely, MontanaRiflemans way. I plan to try his tecnique next. But once the bbl is broke in, I have proven to myself that longer strings are ok, as long as the bbl does not get hot. I hate to belive this, but the theory has merrit, and holds water.
Not that it works on all rifles. I had a 223wssm that required a rediculous amount of scrubbing every 10 rounds or less, or it would foul so bad that a sub moa rifle would shoot almost 1 3/4'' at 100yds. But for most of my rifles, the less cleaning, and longer strings(on a cool bbl) works better. But I still scrub the snot out of all my guns, when I get home, even if its only been fired a couple times. I cant go to bed knowing I have a dirty gun.

 

[Brian49]

Thanks for all the input, i'll try to intergrate.

Update: on my last two trips to the Larken Range i shot both times just over 30 rnds, the first i got my best groups after shot #12 shooting 5 shot grps, and Today my best started W/ #10 shooting 3 shot grps, and that's w/o any cleaning between different charges or powders, but starting with a totally clean & dry bore. Generally accuracy stayed better that, but W/diff loads that hard to know. I hate to think I'll have to burn 10 rnds just to get in the zone.

The barrel on the 22-250 in question is a Jilja stainless barrell with about 60 rounds after breakin.

when the sun is out which it usually is my barrels stay hotter than ambient temp just from radiation.

 

[Moman]

When I used to brush my bores, it was pretty typical to shoot anywhere from 8 to 12 rounds to get them to settle back down again. I pretty much quit using a brush altogether. With todays cleaning products that are available, I don't think brushing is as necessary as it once was.

I like and use Wipeout-Patch Out along with their Accelerator. After one or two treatments, I thouroughly clean out and soak muzzle down with Hoppe's #9. Others use Boretech Eliminator with the same results. Try one of these without brushing and see if it helps. I typically clean after every shoot since with these products, my cold bore shots are spot on with every shot that's fired.

 

[Mikecr]

Brian49, to begin the reason it took ~10rnds to settle is that 'light oil' you're leaving in the bore(burn-off).
Then, a new track of fouling was laid with different powders, still ~10rnds.
A solution to everything mentioned so far is pre-fouling the bore, and coating the bullets with WS2(tungsten). With this, no settle shooting is required and you can extend your strings way up there -with the same powder.
You will always need to start over with a new powder though.

But pre-fouling doesn't take to an already fouled bore. It has to be a clean bore.
And dry cleaning don't get it. That's not clean at all.

 

[Brian49]

Interesting Mikecr, thats really new info for me.

 

[Oliveralan]

I used to really nuts on my cleaning like winmag, i would run a bronze brush x3 100 times with montana extreme bore solvent, let sit for 15min patch till clean then repeat, THEN use wipeout accelerator and let wipeout foam sit over night.

Now i brush em pretty good and run a few patches till clean, then done. Accuracy is probably better than before. Before i would need a new brass brush every 2-3weeks, for each of my guns. I shoot every weekend, a weekend were i dont shoot 30+ centerfire rounds is the exception.

Then on the other hand, i know a guy in TX who cleans his guns 1-2times... A YEAR. This gave me goose bumps because i was in my really anal-about-cleaning phase. And he is a hunting guide, he has that gun with him almost every day and shoots it A LOT. He also has a 17 HMR that has about 8000rnds down the barrel with zero cleaning.... if you work the bolt back and forth you can have carbon flakes drop off. But that gun is still about 1.5moa at 100... so i really dont know what to think. But this is definetely not the right way to go! Heck i bet the 17 has a 14caliber barrel by now, with all that crap buildup inside it...

 

[Brian49]

I really appreciate the replies its almost TMI, but I will definately save it and intergrate. I too can't stand to not clean after every shoot even if its only a couple of rnds.

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