PredatorSlayer
Well-Known Member
I heard the creedmoors clean themselves...
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Rifle Cleaning
- Thread starter Remmy700
- Start date
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In my experience I will save some time cleaning down-the-line if I will spend some time at the beginning with some type of "break-in" process. Thoroughly clean to bear metal every few rounds until the copper build-up becomes minimal, and it will. I have seen rifles only partially cleaned when new that seemed to initiate the formation of a copper bridge, of sorts, on a ruff portion in the barrel that was never fully removed and was never smoothed out with a break-in process. Have also had to soak some barrels for days to remove this build-up and repeat the break-in process. Granted many barrels will not be problematic and smooth up quickly but I alway spend some extra time cleaning to metal early on to assure a smooth and easily cleaned barrel from then on. After that just play it by ear; some simply require more cleaning than others.
D
Deleted member 107796
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I like David Petzal's comment about not worrying about copper buildup by never letting it build up. Len's primer on cleaning is a must read:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/breaking-a-new-barrel-rifle-in.160321/#post-1125731
From that info, your 100 round interval seems right. My magnums seem to soak up copper so I'm a clean freak.
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/breaking-a-new-barrel-rifle-in.160321/#post-1125731
From that info, your 100 round interval seems right. My magnums seem to soak up copper so I'm a clean freak.
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Thanks for info brother. Naw I didn't reverse lol two different charge weights. Ol' girl just gets down, clean, dirty, whatever she just does work lolYou sure you just didn't reverse that target on the right then shoot it
Pretty much a re a carbon copy in reverse!
I am a clean the rifle after every use person, doesn't matter the use.
To me as JE pointed out, they are so much harder to clean when you allow a build up of both carbon OR copper.
Apart from that my other reason for cleaning the rifle after each firing is that summers here where I live are quite humid, I would rather not have anything in the bore that could attract moisture & promote rust & I also leave a light film or gun oil in the bore which I mop before use.
I will start another one what do u want the name to be???I do not clean any rifle I have. Match or hunting, until accuracy degrades. That's the answer to your question. If you start another thread I'll tell you how I do it
Another thing. I call dibs when you decide to sell that Surgeon NM!
Why clean and change anything until Accuracy is affected
I wish they put them same directions on the side of a Jack bottle lol I am good at directions !!
johnnyk
Well-Known Member
Good topic and I'm kinda in the middle of both ends. In a transition phase, if you will. I used to be a "clean it after every 20 rounds" no matter what. I thought that worked pretty good and I read about others not cleaning for 100's of round but never considered it or gave it a chance.
Then I put together a 6mmBR on a SA Savage with a Varmint contour, Shilen Select Match, 1-8t. This thing is one of the most accurate, consistent and easy to develop a load for (I would've said "inherently accurate" but let's let sleeping dogs lie) rifle/cartridges I've ever seen/had. I put it together about a week before a local competition, worked up a good load and a couple of days before the comp, I cleaned it. The barrel cleaned up really quick with little copper fouling. I shot it the day before and I'm glad I did. The first three shot's printed 3, 2 and 1" above zero at 100 yards with a sticky bolt lift. I was like "What the heck (replace with more common expletive's) is going on?!" After those 3 shot's it calmed back down and starting printing it's normal .1-.2's. All I could figure at the time was the clean bore caused stress on the bullets. I did the same thing again after the comp to see and same thing. So I know there's something to not cleaning so often but each barrel/caliber is different.
I'm going to pseudo experiment with my 6.5-284 (Lothar Walther barrel) and .300WinMag (PacNor barrel) to see how they do. I have a .270AM (Lilja barrel) but I'm gonna just keep it clean and in "smack down" mode for deer season. I know what she likes!
Then I put together a 6mmBR on a SA Savage with a Varmint contour, Shilen Select Match, 1-8t. This thing is one of the most accurate, consistent and easy to develop a load for (I would've said "inherently accurate" but let's let sleeping dogs lie) rifle/cartridges I've ever seen/had. I put it together about a week before a local competition, worked up a good load and a couple of days before the comp, I cleaned it. The barrel cleaned up really quick with little copper fouling. I shot it the day before and I'm glad I did. The first three shot's printed 3, 2 and 1" above zero at 100 yards with a sticky bolt lift. I was like "What the heck (replace with more common expletive's) is going on?!" After those 3 shot's it calmed back down and starting printing it's normal .1-.2's. All I could figure at the time was the clean bore caused stress on the bullets. I did the same thing again after the comp to see and same thing. So I know there's something to not cleaning so often but each barrel/caliber is different.
I'm going to pseudo experiment with my 6.5-284 (Lothar Walther barrel) and .300WinMag (PacNor barrel) to see how they do. I have a .270AM (Lilja barrel) but I'm gonna just keep it clean and in "smack down" mode for deer season. I know what she likes!
dok7mm
Well-Known Member
I think that how often you're shooting a rifle has some impact on the round count to clean. If I'm shooting every few days, I'll clean when it opens up, regardless of rd count. If it's going back to the safe, I want it clean. We often mean to shoot it soon, but don't get around to it for months, so I sleep better knowing it's free of carbon.
On the rifles I'm using HBN, I usually run 100-200 rds prior to cleaning. I could probably shoot more, but got in the habit of checking distance to lands every 200 rds.
Back in the old days of hunting 200 yds max, my cleaning method was once a year, if I remembered. Probably a poor job at that.
Nowadays, we have the tools to view inside our barrels and can set our cleaning specs for each rifle. The truck gun might not get the best care, but the high dollar customs and quality factory rifles deserve our scrutiny on bore condition.
Different powders foul and heat barrels differently. Bullets can vary in copper fouling. High velocity over-bore rifles, in general, are rougher on throats and seem to increase fire-cracking. FC leads to hard to clean copper and carbon deposits.
I guess my point is that we have to keep aware of bore condition in every rifle we shoot, all are a bit different. Clean as you need for accuracy and/or barrel life.
On the rifles I'm using HBN, I usually run 100-200 rds prior to cleaning. I could probably shoot more, but got in the habit of checking distance to lands every 200 rds.
Back in the old days of hunting 200 yds max, my cleaning method was once a year, if I remembered. Probably a poor job at that.
Nowadays, we have the tools to view inside our barrels and can set our cleaning specs for each rifle. The truck gun might not get the best care, but the high dollar customs and quality factory rifles deserve our scrutiny on bore condition.
Different powders foul and heat barrels differently. Bullets can vary in copper fouling. High velocity over-bore rifles, in general, are rougher on throats and seem to increase fire-cracking. FC leads to hard to clean copper and carbon deposits.
I guess my point is that we have to keep aware of bore condition in every rifle we shoot, all are a bit different. Clean as you need for accuracy and/or barrel life.
Well put brother
kiwikid
Well-Known Member
Norma conducted a test using what they called "one of the newer 7mm Super Magnums". They didn't let the barrel get hot shooting only a few rounds then allowing the barrel to cool to room temperature. After 30 odd rounds the chamber pressure began to climb from the initial 63000 psi. With 100 rounds down the tube pressures had built to 74000 psi. By 250 rounds the pressure had exceeded Proof Testing pressure of 84000 psi. Soon after 300 rounds had been fired the pressure was so great it broke the transducer. They found the barrel was 0.003" smaller in diameter than when they started.
