Centerfire Rifle Cleaning Techniques

[barnesuser28]

I thought i would start a thread were members could share how THEY clean their rifles, and what works for THEM.

I'll start, i clean with Bore Tech Eliminator and Iosso bore paste.

Step 1: I start by pushing patches soaked in BTE until the patches come out with almost no black color to them (usually 4), then i let the BTE soak for 20 minutes.

Step 2: I push 1 dry patch and 2 wet patches down the bore and let sit for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Repeat step 2, 4-5 Times or until patches come out clean.

Step 4: If the patches are still coming out green/blue after repeating step 2, 4-5 times i take a patch with some Iosso bore paste and scrub the whole bore for about 30 seconds, then push another patch with iosso straight down the barrel without scrubbing. Then alternate between dry and wet patches soaked in BTE, about 4 patches of each.

Step 5: Repeat step 2, 4 more times or until patches come out clean.

Step 6: If patches are not clean, i brush with a nylon brush soaked in BTE 25 times down and back.

Step 7: Repeat step 2, 4 more times or until patches come out clean.

Step 8: If patches are still dirty, repeat step 4 and 5.

Step 9: If patches are still not coming out clean, go visit your local smith for a rebarrel.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I use Hoppes #9, Hoppes elite gel, Shooters Choice copper, Kroil, Powder Blast, and JB bore paste. It really depends on severity of fouling as to what I do, but I'll tell ya'all the main run and also that I do what is necessary to get it down to bare metal, not just clean patches.
1. wet patch with hoppes #9 ( or kroil if severly fouled- kroil will need to sit for a while) and push through bore after and installing bore guide
2. Give 10 reps with brush soaked with hoppes #9 and wipe down cleaning rod( I wipe down the cleaning rod after every 10 reps)
3. wet patch, dry patch with hoppes until clean
4. brush again with hoppes after rinsing bore brush with powder blast and re-wetting with hoppes-- repeat steps 1-4 until most of fouling is out of bore and if copper fouling is obvious switch to combo cleaner (hoppes Elite) after first rep to begin to remove it
5. after cleaning carbon fouling look for copper fouling by using a patch and shooters Choice
6. soak and patch with Shooters choice until no more blue patches and no more visible copper in bore
7. check bore visually to make sure everything is fine and the bore is shiny all the way down. Especially check the throat area as I've dang near filled a throat before on rifles that appeared clean going until patches were still white.
8. stubborn deposits may require jb bore paste and a tight fitting patch if soaking with Hoppes Elite or Kroil doesn't work
9. clean the action and oil and wipe down the rifle with a silicone cloth

 

[barnesuser28]

I like to clean down to bare metal too, And what i mean by patches come out clean is no carbon fouling and the patch comes out the color it was when it went in.

 

[MSLRHunter]

I use bore tech products ONLY, I've tried the others and nothing works as well for me. I start with 2-3 wet patches, let sit for a while then 2-3 dry patches. Alternate until clean. Sometimes I use a nylon brush if the barrel is being stubborn. A little off topic but I have found that solid copper bullets foul way more than jacketed bullets in my rifles.

 

[kennygss]

Before I leave the range, I foam the bore with Gunslick foaming bore cleaner, blug the breech, finger cot the muzzle to keep the chemical from dripping on my foam. When I get to the house, or sometime that day, I start with a batch and a jag and run 1 or 2 to get the chemical out with the loose stuff. I then brush from breech to muzzle. ( I know, its odd, but I remove the brush on every pass, only pushing, nver dragging the dirty brush back over the muzzle) Then patch till a clean patch and repeat until I get clean patches. Once that occurs, I use a wet bore mop with corrosion X to coat the bore till next outing. ( run a patch before shooting)

 

[SidecarFlip]

Hoppes because my wife likes the smell.....

I tend to use non-chlorinated aresol brake cleaner to clean out the barrel and action before anything else. Just have to be careful with plastic parts. Brake cleaner eats them up, like right now.

I initially clean the bore and action with the barrel pointed downward and a raf at the rnd to catch the ugly colored brake cleaner that comes out. When it comes clear, then I continue with some Hoppes and the snake....

No patches here, in fact no nothing except a Bore snake and the Hawkeye to make sure it's clean inside because you can't be sure if you can't see it.

IMO, most of the elixirs are snake oil anyway. Might as well use something that smells good.

 

[Truc]

same way I clean my Benchrest rifles
bore guide only
1 piece rod SS or Dewey type
patch w/ TM copper remover, why, because it don't stink (wife mandates)
patch til no copper shows
JB bore paste if needed on nylon brush (the stuff in the tube not the round jar)
Balistol oil after cleaning w/ the other two patch till dry

 

[Thomas B.]

I used to do the Hoppes, JB bore paste routine until I got my first bottle of boretech eliminator. Now I just follow the directions on the bottle, (not like anybody follows directions anymore); Always use a bore guide, dewey rod and I get great results from this. Every 300 rounds or so I will run a couple patchs of JB wrapped around a jag to get up any carbon fouling the boretech missed.

 

[green 788]

Hoppes number 9 works for most cleanings... on occasion, some Montana Extreme or Wipeout for the copper.

Most folks clean their barrels too much...

Todd Hodnett thinks so as well... see this video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbMuknl677A]Todd Hodnett- shooting on a clean bore - YouTube[/ame]

I had espoused for years that too much barrel cleaning was actually shortening barrel life--rather than lengthening it. It seems that Hodnett agrees, from his comments in the video.

These "death by unga-bunga" barrel cleaning rituals likely do a lot more harm than good.

Dan

 

[SidecarFlip]

Very interesting Dan.....

I'm kind of suprised that no one commented about me using non-chloronated brake cleaner.

I set my rifles muzzle angled down and spray it in, in the chamber end with a plastic straw and it comes out gunky.

I was a doubting Thomas myself until one of the shooters in my pistol league showed me how easy it was to clean my Ruger Target Pistol without having to strip it (a royal PITA). Brake cleaner strips out carbon and copper, right now and it's cheap. much cheaper (at Pep Boys) than any spray gun cleaner.

It's just holy heck on plastic and laminate.

Problem is, it stinks and it's hard (dry) on your skin.

 

[Archery1973]

Interestingly, I follow Todd's cleaning advice and have emailed him about it. After barrel break in, I only clean carbon with M Pro 7. No copper removal.

Since doing that with my new barrels, all of my guns maintain 0.5 MOA or better.

Kelly McMillan says the same thing.

 

[bigngreen]

I don't like to get to carried away, some of my rifles go longer than others before fowling starts causing accuracy issues. I clean between different bullets also.

Bore guide, Tipton rod and KG product is perty much what I've settled on, a couple soaked patches of KG1 to loosen the carbon then a clean patch and I bore scope. Then I hit the throat with KG2 and run a couple patches down and blow it out with Brake clean, bore scope. Then I hit it with some KG12 to take the copper out and bore scope till it's either at the point I don't care or if I want it 100% I continue with the KG12. Finish it of with a Kroil patch and a chamber mop. The bore scope let's me know how to proceed!! I also will sometimes just use a brush instead of the KG2 to work on the carbon a little, just depends on the round count.
The KG1 is amazing on carbon, I have used just about everything from top end engine cleaner, Brake clean and various solvents to clean muzzle brakes and on my most used rifle the brake had some carbon that just would not come of so I didn't worry about it, the KG1 wiped it of with ease which really surprised me after hammering it with every thing including brushes.
I've been really interested in throat maintenance, I've watched with a bore scope as I shot a barrel out without any attention to the throat and the current one I've given the throat attention when I clean and it's maintained a much better throat and accuracy has been much more even through it's life.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Very interesting Dan.....

I'm kind of suprised that no one commented about me using non-chloronated brake cleaner.

I set my rifles muzzle angled down and spray it in, in the chamber end with a plastic straw and it comes out gunky.

I was a doubting Thomas myself until one of the shooters in my pistol league showed me how easy it was to clean my Ruger Target Pistol without having to strip it (a royal PITA). Brake cleaner strips out carbon and copper, right now and it's cheap. much cheaper (at Pep Boys) than any spray gun cleaner.

It's just holy heck on plastic and laminate.

Problem is, it stinks and it's hard (dry) on your skin.

AR guys do similar with simple spray carbon removers for shotgun. Brake cleaner really isn't that odd. I've even used gumout on semi- auto gshotgun parts if the crap is burned on enough and they are 100% steel.

 

[SidecarFlip]

At least I don't feel like the only person using brake cleaner on rifles now. I see Savage recommends brake cleaner to keep the adjustable muzzle brake on their 110BA working (adjustable).

Applying Dans regimen of leaving the copper behind for the most part, the brake cleaner is pretty ideal