Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Any advice for getting the crud out of a shotgun barrel?

I use a 3/8 wood dowel, slotted on the end, chucked in a drill.
Big dam chunk of 0000 steel wool, some Hoppes, for a little lube.
Won't take too long.

Found out my turkey gun shoots better dirty, after doing this.

Went to an x-card shoot and didn't do crap!
Took a box of shells to get her back.

Not sure if it's the barrel, choke itself, or the wadcatchers in the choke, but she like
to be dirty.

If the barrel isn't getting rusty from moisture, it has no need to actually be cleaned at all.

My kind of girl Dillonbuck. Be Well, Rusty

I don't understand the problem.

I use two patches with Hoppe's #9 followed by two with G96 for each barrel. I don't know (and don't care) if that gets every atom of foreign stuff out but it does get it down to a miniscule amount. And it doesn't build up.

Lubing wads? That's a joke. I either shoot factory ammo or use Claybuster Winchester clones.

This was to prep the barrel for Dyna Tek bore coat, otherwise I do as you do. But I was seeing my patterns get tighter and tighter due to plastic build up that even the Carb cleaner wasn't getting. This shotgun had had well over 40,000 rounds through it.

Lubing wads: This came from Loyal Brezny and Ballistic Products Research when steel was in it's early years and so bad I almost gave up waterfowl hunting altogether. He pushed the envelope to over 1,600 fps and certain loads that were effective out to 60 yards or more. This when the factory steel would take multiple shots at 40 yards. His work pushed the envelope and the big factories took note and incorporated some of his techniques and eventually improved their steel loads. This is maybe on the specialized and lunatic fringe of shotgun reloading.

None of this is applies to people that just pop off a few rounds a year and don't push the limits.

Interesting. Full disclosure: I only shoot lead shot and only 1200 or 1250 fps. Usually 1.0 ounce loads and never more than 1-1/8 ounce. Other conditions might vary. I shoot a few thousand rounds each year.

I chuck up a wooden cleaning rod with a bronze bristle brush in a drill, use plenty of RemOil, and grind the stuff out. I do this twice a year on my target guns. Gets it all out, and I don’t need a magic potion. I don’t like the idea of steel wool on steel barrels, but to each his own. Bronze wool should be fine though.

If you use 4/0 steel wool, be sure to lube it well and follow with a polish as it can scratch the bore easily. I've polished many shotgun barrels and the best option has been cotton patches wrapped around a proper size brass brush, soaked in oil, then covered in JB. Chuck a rod in a drill and move slowly back and forth(change the patches every 20 passes). A good polish can really improve patterns.

I am a high volume shotgun shooter, nothing takes plastic out of the barrel better than brakleen. Shoot some down the bore, hit it with a brush, let it sit, then knock it out with a patch.

Will give this a try along with a tornado brush. The carb cleaner from NAPA was just barely making the plastic softer. Hopefully after the Duna Bore Coat the build up will never get out of hand like I let happen.

Careful spraying that CRC Brakekleen.. Per MSDS 80-90% acetone, 1-3% toluene, the rest CO2 propellant. Well ventilated area and no open flames. Like garage with the door open. A difference between chlorinated (percholrethyline) and non-chlorinated "eco-friendly" (volatile hydrocarbons) brake cleaners.

I'm old. Used to be all were chlorinated and not a fire hazard, didn't know the flammables predominate now.

All spray carb cleaners I've looked at contained a mixture of hydrocarbons with a BIG proportion being acetone. Cheaper the brand the more acetone.