Would You Dare Clean This Barrel ?!

[tbrice23]

I've only been using HBN plated bullets for about 6 months or so. My past cleaning regiment was clean every 50 to 60 rounds and a 10 rounds fouled fouled barrel before hunting season.

My 300wm barrel has 125 rounds shot and still shoots excellent. However, I'm going to hate the thought of going into hunting season with that many rounds fouled.
Does anyone with more HBN experience than me have a problem with this?
This site will not let me post pics right now for some reason!!!!!!
But 3 groups at 200 yards , .253 moa, .188 moa, .258 moa.
Each shot was from a DEAD cold bore.
Would anyone have problem with this??

 

[Pdvdh]

All I'd do with that barrel is shoot it!

Dunno how long you can go. Is it factory or custom barrel?

 

[Rich Coyle]

Shoot it.

 

[tbrice23]

All I'd do with that barrel is shoot it!

Dunno how long you can go. Is it factory or custom barrel?

Hand lapped button rifled custom barrel.

Cleaning ritually is so ingrained in me it is a hard habit to break.

 

[tbrice23]

Pic test. Hey it came through.
Shot from my hunting bag, no rear rest. Zeroing a VX6 4-24

 

[HARPERC]

No HBN experience, but even if your group size doubled you'd still be in good shape for hunting season.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Once I have a load established, I clean when accuracy falls off or long term storage is needed. Many barrels will shoot great for 200 plus between cleaning.

 

[huntsman22]

If you'da just cleaned it instead of posting on the innernet, you'da been done by now.......

 

[NoFences]

Shoot it. When accuracy falls off, clean it.

 

[Don A Parsons]

I only clean my barrel if I notice my group is spreading.

Factor and custom barrels see cleanings at around 400+ rounds.

No brushes ever. Couple of passes of wipe-out using the accelerator, then another 400+ rounds.

My barrels see 7 cleaning then they get re-barreled.

I get "about 1500 to 1800 shots from Factory barrels, and about 2500 to 2800 chrome moly.

I order un lapped and choked barrels,,, no need to smooth lap my rifling for F Class since the pours fill with copper to make a smooth surface,,, about 100 shots.

I never remove this fouling. Just a quick wipe only.

Western Canada Don

 

[tbrice23]

Amazing Don, thanks.
That makes me feel a lot better.

 

[tim_w]

My rule has been for years now to only clean when I see accuracy fall off. I use to be one of those clean every group if possible shooters. Not any more. I am fairly certain my barrels are lasting longer.

 

[WeiserBucks]

A very reputable gunsmith once told me that he's seen more barrels ruined by excessive/improper cleaning than by any high velocity cartridge.

 

[tim_w]

I believe that.,

Another thing I switched from is I never use ammonia based cleaners anymore and had not used pastes in forever but never used them much in the first place.

I tested lots of cleaners. Wipe out, boreshine, hoppes, boretech, etc you name it. One day I collected all the ones I had 6 or 7 IIRC and took out some GS solid copper bullets. Weighed each one 0.1 grain. Then dropped them each in a shot glass of each copper cleaner. Tested them at 8 12 24 hr. Washed off and weighed. I could think of no better real test that could be done so simple although it hurt using those bullets up like that though.

One cleaner took all of them by a huge margin and to this day I have found nothing better yet. KG Big Bore Cleaner. KG does not seem to be the most popular as I do not think they advo much but when it comes to working well it does an awesome job. I have to see if I still have all the photos I took of the different bullets with each cleaner.