Before I get into my cleaning methods, let me say I have a Hawkeye Bore scope and a Lyman bore scope. I would suggest anyone that does not have a lyman bore scope to purchase one. The Lyman is a digital image and the Hawkeye is a true optical image, but the Lyman will show copper and powder fouling left in the barrel. We have our own rifle range, shoot and reload for a heated and AC house, shoot all year long, rain, shine, and snow up to 300 yards. I shoot thousands of rounds per year from 22 caliber CF to 7/300 Win mag, 7 STW, and 7/300 Win mag.
Also, this is a general purpose discussion, and 22RF, 223, Various Ackley Improved cases, large hunting calibers all have different fouling characteristics. Also, barrel quality(micro finish) is of paramount importance. There is a world of difference in dealing with a 223 and 7mm STW in fouling issues. Various powders foul VERY differently, and some powder start fire cracking the barrels within 400 rounds, while others contain so much DNT, they just seem to eat the throats in the barrel like you were shooting dried battery acid.
It is important to keep in context how a particular person likes their particular method. P. dog shooters and ground squirrel shooters have the most demanding challenges in cleaning their guns as they shoot up to 25 thousand rounds a year through their various rifles. They don't have time to phart around, they have to clean and clean down to bare metal in a hurry.
Also, as you read how various shooters clean so wonderfully with a product. Again, remember that some powders clean EASILY, and a guy that is loading 19-30g of powder is going to have very, very different needs than a guy that is shooting 60-80+grains of powder, which may have a burning chamber up to 10"-17". Another thing to remember is that some guys clean after every 20 or so shots or less, this requirement is much less than a guy that may shoot 125 - 300 or more rounds.
Guys that make a simple statement that they like xyz or zyx product, and just let it go with this simple statement is like saying that they like Red, or Orange with yellow stripes. The particular method that someone likes may work and work very well for his shooting style and number of rounds fired with a particular barrel and it's internal micro finish. Now that same shooter puts 80 rounds down the barrel, his favorite cleaning method has to be repeated several times. Also, some people are just going to spend so much money and apply so much effort, and Hell with it if it does not do a complete job...it is just a hobby, nothing wrong with that either. After all, Daddy never cleaned his rifle or owned a gun case.
FIRST THING YOU LEARN WITH A BORE SCOPE IS THAT CLEAN PATCHES DO NOT INDICATE A CLEAN BARREL!!!!
Let me start with Wipe out products. Since I am shooting a lot of over bore Centerfire cases, lots of powder fouling accumulates from the throat to 17" down the bore, and often the accumulation in the middle of the barrel is the most stubborn.
The procedure that I ended up with that DID WORK with my particular lot# of wipe out is as follows:
1. push 4 patches of Wipe Out accelerator down the bore
2. Brush 10-25 strokes with Accelerator, depending on the caliber, throw away Bronze bristle brush every 100 strokes
3.Push 2 wet patches of accelerator down the bore
4. push 4 patches of Wipe out Patch Out down the bore, let sit overnight
NOTE: some powders are stubborn to get out, it may take a second Brushing and soaking...I did say brushing as plain soaking was a futile exercise.
Soaking with foam, NEVER got out all the powder fouling( I tried 4 different cans), copper was removed, however.
Key on the Wipe out, brushing with the Accelerator, and the brush was carrying the heavy weight in removing the carbon. I also have come to the conclusion that any of these chemical products may have different characteristics based on the Lot# as it was produced.
We are subject to:
a. the quality control of the manufacturer
b.how they may change the formula
c.how the quality of the formula is changed by the fools running the machines at the plant where it was produced.
Shooters choice works well with good brushes and good copper solvent afterwards, so does Witches Brew.
Currently, I use Montana Extreme Bore solvent, this stuff is safe to let sit in your gun, it is an oil bases product. You can let it sit overnight, But I always brush to get the
Rough carbon out and last tid bit of copper out if there is any.
Many people are no SOAKERS, and I fall into that crowd. I like to clean the gun and be done with it.
So, here is a method that works, and I always check with a bore scope.
1. 4 wet patches of Montana Extreme bore solvent
2. Brush with good bronze bristle brush soaked with bore solvent, 10-20 strokes, wet the brush as it extends from the muzzle every 5 or so strokes. I never run a dry brush
down a bore.
3. Dry patch to remove loose carbon
4. Push Montana extreme Copper killer on 4 patches push through the bore
or
saturate a wool mop with the Copper killer and work back and forth in the bore, wetting it a time or two, you want the mop soaked to the point to where it
drips. Wool mop is more effective, just a tad more messy
5. let the copper killer sit for 15 minutes
6. push 3-4 dry patches through the bore, if you have a bore scope, inspect at this point
7. push a wet patch of cigarette light fluid down the bore
Note: if you do not have a bore scope, look in the muzzle with a small flash light, copper will be visible if it is still there, so will drill marks in the factory barrel if you use a
magnifying glass.
NOW
if you have a barrel that is hard to clean, older Military barrels, try this more aggressive method
1. 4 wet patches of what ever your favorite bore cleaner is
2. using a Montana Extreme plastic brush, brush 20 strokes with JB or Montana Extreme Copper Cream-reapply every 5 strokes
3. Push 4-6 patches of Bore cleaner down the bore to get out all of the very mild abrasive,
4. 4 Dry patches
This is the method that I use when I shot a rifle 350-600 rounds on a p. dog town, but on a factory Chrome Moly barrel it may take 1 application of the Montana Extreme Copper solvent to get the last bit of copper out, but it will not be much, this would indicate that I should have brushed 5 more times on that particular barrel.
I have most of the chemical products mentioned, and the vast majority of them failed miserably when the bores were examined with a bore scope. You have to realize that a chrome moly factory barrel will have different fouling tendencies than a Stainless High-grade match barrel.
I usually test chemicals on SS and Blued barrels in my 7 Mags, lots of carbon and some copper. I will not mention which ones of the chemicals mentioned by other posters that failed miserably. I do also like Shooter's choice and Witch's Brew, Sweets's 7.62 copper remover.
I am just not a soaker. I tried the Wipe out with smaller cases also, powder fouling was always in the barrel but did not show up on clean patches pushed through the bore. Again, I maybe a victim of lot to lot changes.
There are a lot of folks that are scared of using brushes, you need to get over that. I have the highest quality SS match barrels that have been cut off and re chambered up to 4 times(301" unturned blanks, and Max Heavy Varmint contours) that had a LOT of brush strokes through the barrel, I do my own machining.
There are some warnings to using chemicals, it would be good practice to use rubber gloves, which are very cheap. The best powder solvent was made by General Motors, Top Engine cleaner also marketed by Mercury Outboard Motor cleaner. These products take the Oxygen out of the air in an enclosed space. They also go straight through your skin to your kidney walls, this is a dangerous product to use...so take heed.
The politically correct trend now is to not use brushes on those very precious barrels, hog wash. Those that are scared of bronze bristle brushes, you really need to get over this because those brushes are the main thing that gets stubborn carbon fouling out. Also, the coeficient of friction of a plasctic brush is more than a bronze bristle brush.
In some extreme cases, I have had to wrap oooo steel wool in a new bronze bristle brush and brush with JB. My neighbor had a 6.5 Sweede that had so much copper fouling in it that minimum loads were causing very high pressure. This method also works on smoothing out a barrel that has some rust in it with a lot of fouling in it.
I bought a 22/250 that was so full of copper fouling from H380 it was hard to get a patch down the barrel. Obviously, the barrel was ruined if I could not get the powder fouling out. So, I tried the 0000 Steel Wool with JB and it got most of the fouling out. I called an old gunsmith named George that lived in San Leandro, Ca. He told me to use Comet on that oooo steel wool...glad I was sitting down when told me. Well, 10 strokes with Comet, and the barrel was clean, but had a roughted up surface finish. Groups out of that 22/250 got down to 3/4" and I killed another 100 coyotes with it before I found a new Remington take off to screw on.
It is a great idea to use a Neil Jones or a Lucas Bore guide. These bore guides have a bushing on them that centers the rod in the bore, which keeps the lands from getting wiped out from 8-5 o'clock.
Good luck in your cleaning!
