Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Best powder solvent

Pretty much any of them will do the job. My issue is with CFE-223 powder. Yes it seems to greatly reduce copper fouling, but it isn't a panacea for it doesn't eliminate fouling entirely. I follow the same cleaning protocols as before, and am pleased to find I require fewer passes when cleaning up behind it, and can continue shooting somewhat longer before accuracy goes south but that's about it. I like the powder primarily for the accuracy I get with it and its wonderful metering.

Powder is the easy part.

What ecactly IS the difference between carbon and powder fouling? I never imagined a difference.

Wipe Out is all I use anymore. It works very well for me.

I use to use GM top engine cleaner , they changed the formula - I read it didn't work as well .
SO now I hear SeaFoam cleans carbon out of barrels , just bought a can to try it out .

I don't remove copper anymore a well known LR shooter advised he didn't remove copper - I gave it a try in a few rifles and really enjoy hitting bullseyes first round cold barrel . Just saying .

I've been using MC25 to remove the carbon fouling in my rifles. It's water soluble and doesn't smell. It removes the carbon fouling quickly. Of course, you still have copper fouling to be concerned about. I like Wipe-Out, but don't like the foaming action which sometimes gets out of hand. If copper fouling is still an issue after using MC25, I often use Iosso on a shotgun patch wrapped around a undersize brush.

Barnes CR-10

that's a old secret of long range shooters, now you left the cat out of the bag, have been doing this for 40 some years

Don't quote me on this, but carbon is powder fouling pretty much caked and baked on. You take something burnt and then burn it in more, basically. Powder deposition is when the hot powder gas actually condenses like steam does onto cool metal. But the carbon is when the deposited guck gets nuked onto the metal after it's already attached.

I just finished cleaning a 243 that I had a lot of burnt vitrified carbon in the barrel. Started with Shooters choice, then a bronze brush, then kroil, then a nylon brush, then Butches bore shine, all of this over about two weeks of soaking with no luck. Then I dug out the Wipe Out Foam and Wipe Out accelerator. It still took about a week of overnight soaks. Finally came clean after about three weeks of soaking. In 55 plus years of shooting I have never powder fouled one this bad. I shot H100v.