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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 84
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 84 |
Please educate me! I grew up hunting deer and cleaned a rifle the way my Dad taught me. For the last few decades I have almost exclusively hunted with shotguns, but am now back into rifle hunting too. New products and procedures have been developed... Please give me your steps for cleaning the barrel after a range session (or shooting at game). Also, you might add if and how you clean at the range. I'm talking 308 and 3006, if it matters. Thanks so much!
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,269 Likes: 21
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,269 Likes: 21 |
munster
I'm no gunwriter or even an "expert". The last few years I've taken the minimalist path.
New to me gun: a shot or two of Wipe Out and a few patches pushed thru with a nylon bush after it sits, sometimes overnight if needed. Repeat until no more evidence of crud/copper.
Range trip: a quick pull thru with a bore snake or similar, usually with a little Tuf-glide stuff on it. Wipe down with a Marine Tuf-cloth.
Accuracy seems to be falling off at the range, a pull on the Bore Snake and if that doesn't fix it, then back to the Wipe Out.
Hunting trip: much the same as Range trip as noted above.
After reading some articles by "experts" and barrel makers/gunsmiths I'm pretty much over the scrubbing with a brass brush and harsh cleaners. Every once in a while I've had to use one on a new to me gun, but even that's been rare. Nylon brushes for "scrubbing" and a smaller diameter one for wrapping patches around for a trip down the barrel. Make my life a lot easier.
Hope that helps some,
Geno
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,379
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,379 |
i break it in, and clean the barrel after 300-500rds or whenever accuracy is going away, Wipe the outside of the gun down every time i handle it.
I kill chit. "The Heathens nest"
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,511 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,511 Likes: 1 |
i'm just a hunter. for a new rifle i run a patch thru the barrel soaked with hoppes 9. then a few clean/dry patches. then i shoot enough to get scope dialed in. no more cleaning until after hunting season. post season i run a soaked patch, followed by brass brush, then dry patches until last one comes out clean. last patch thru the barrel is soaked with oil. i've been doing this since 71'. as always, ymmv.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,970
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,970 |
+ one on what valsdad said.
Ed
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 29,383
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 29,383 |
Get a good cleaning rod Get a Good Bore guide Use proper sized patches and jags Use nylon bristle brushes
I am to the point where I use Kroil, Wipeout or KG gun solvents and nothing else for bore cleaning Ballistol or Clenzoil for the rest of the finishes and shooters choice bolt grease for the locking lugs..
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,770
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,770 |
i'm just a hunter. for a new rifle i run a patch thru the barrel soaked with hoppes 9. then a few clean/dry patches. then i shoot enough to get scope dialed in. no more cleaning until after hunting season. post season i run a soaked patch, followed by brass brush, then dry patches until last one comes out clean. last patch thru the barrel is soaked with oil. i've been doing this since 71'. as always, ymmv. That's how I've been doing it also. Not quite as long, probably started closer to 79'.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28,268 Likes: 7
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28,268 Likes: 7 |
A patch or two soaked with kroil, patch out, foam up with wipe out, let it sit for a few hours, patch out.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,536 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,536 Likes: 3 |
DBC. WipeOut. Maybe the odd patch or two with Hoppes #9 just for the smell. Done.
Brushes are for applying DBC, and that's the only time they see the light of day.
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335 |
A patch or two soaked with kroil, patch out, foam up with wipe out, let it sit for a few hours, patch out. My procedure as well, and as seldom as possible . I'll use copper killer sometimes on rough barrels.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,027 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,027 Likes: 2 |
For barrels that clean up easily I generally run a few patches with M Pro-7 solvent (odorless and non-toxic) down the barrel and then dry patches until clean. Sometimes I use a nylon brush if there's more powder fouling to clean up. If there's copper in the bore I use Montana Extreme Bore Solvent and let it sit overnight followed by dry patches. Barrels that copper foul get Dyna Bore Coat to reduce the cleaning effort.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 29,786
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 29,786 |
Please educate me! I grew up hunting deer and cleaned a rifle the way my Dad taught me. For the last few decades I have almost exclusively hunted with shotguns, but am now back into rifle hunting too. New products and procedures have been developed... Please give me your steps for cleaning the barrel after a range session (or shooting at game). Also, you might add if and how you clean at the range. I'm talking 308 and 3006, if it matters. Thanks so much!
Nylon brush with military formula break-free each time I put the rifle up, JB paste occasionally (six months or so) to shift anything in front of chamber...worked for fifteen years roo shooting and none of my barrels tipped over prematurely. Cleaning is a bit like having a thing for knives in that you can end up chasing your tail for no advantage.
These are my opinions, feel free to disagree.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,836 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,836 Likes: 2 |
+1 on poster hotsoup's routine, I've been doing it about as long as he has with no problems. No need to make a simple chore anything other than that.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,927
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,927 |
I used to get into all the drama, but am down to wipe out for the bore, then Hornady One Shot (cleaning version of course) for everything else. Little grease on the lugs. Done.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,126 Likes: 6
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,126 Likes: 6 |
Besides cleaning the bore, I'll occasionally clean the lug recesses with the Dewey tool and cotton swab for that purpose. Fouling tends to collect down in there. And clean/re-grease the bearing surfaces of the lugs.
No one mentioned a bore guide to fit in the action and keep solvent out and keep the cleaning rod centered, I always use one. Or a vise to keep the rifle from moving--if you run a tight-fitting jag and patch down the bore the rifle will move unless you have a way to hold it in place. And a good quality one-piece rod. I use Hoppe's on a plastic brush followed by a couple patches to get out the bulk of carbon, and then let the bore soak overnight with Wipeout sitting horizontally with the muzzle slightly down and the chamber plugged with a big patch. I built a simple wood rack that holds 4 rifles for that.
If there's a lot of copper in the bore, after cleaning I'll run a patch soaked with Hoppe's through and let it sit for 2-3 hours. Then run a clean patch through. If there's any copper left the clean patch will come out blue, and I'll soak it with Wipeout again. That rarely happens though.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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