Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

[MadKap]

I wanted to get a few different data-points on how many rounds people send through their rifles without cleaning before they find accuracy begins to fall-off.

I'm particularly interested in .308, but would love to hear about other calibers as well.

 

[Graham]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

It depends. My .308 match rifle goes 400-600 rounds between cleanings.

 

[buffybuster]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I've gone 1048rds between cleaning with my .308Win. It didn't really need it but the guilt got to me.

 

[Cascade Precision]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

The only reason I ever clean mine is if it is going to sit in the safe for more than a month.

It also depends from rifle to rifle, barrel to barrel.

I have a Rock Creek barrel on my 308. The factory barrel got the same treatment. I have 400+ on the factory rifle barrel and never cleaned it but one time; when I first bought it.

Shoot till accuracy falls off. Clean. Rinse lather repeat.

 

[matt2143]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I had over a 1000 rounds through my TRG and hundreds of those were fired during comps before cleaning. Most all were suppressed and it just gets dirty. Broke down and cleaned it after an incident when moving through rough terrain and got a bunch of crap in the action which migrated to the chamber, it would no longer close on a live round.

 

[SilentStalkr]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I think the general consensus seems to be around 400-600 rounds, but it also depends on your idea of accuracy drop off I would imagine.

 

[ANGLICOMarine]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

http://www.6mmbr.com/borebrushing.html
it does not matter as long as your cleaning regimen is not harmful. As you can see the experts don't even agree...the only thing they seem to agree on is that how you clean has to make sense. These are barrel makers and world champions and they often contradict each other (as you read). I thoroughly, common sensically and very carefully clean after every match and my rifle still shoots tiny groups and great scores...at range.

To each his own, but I've never understood why people would want to treat their gear as if they are 6 months into a 7 month deployment if they didn't need to. I'd rather take care of my gear so it's ready to go if I really need it. It almost seems to be a contest to see how long you can go without cleaning...kind of like seeing how long you can go without an oil change before your car won't run...sure you could go 10,000 miles between changes but why on earth would you if you didn't need to.

I know these guys are mainly talking benchrest, but I'm pretty sure that what they do to shoot at least sub .25 MOA (routinely) to even be competitive could probably benefit those of us trying to hit 1-2 MOA steel plates. If it works for them...probably works for us.

 

[Don-n-Texas]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

^^^^ +1 I've never seen anything metal that clean and oil hurt.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I don't think that cleaning with bore foam is especially harmful to either accuracy or reliability. I find it's easy and quick enough that there's no good reason why a rifle of mine should need to go 24 hours past leaving the range before it's cleaned. The foam is very effective, I think that it's the most effective method I've found yet in terms of effort vs results.

I also think that trying to get every smidgin of fouling out is counterproductive, and that the main issue is the prevention of bore pitting. Whether a rifle is cleaned or not, some effort should be made to ensure that air and moisture cannot combine with fouling to attack the bore surface.

The things I learned in my youth about rifle care have never stopped working. The only thing I can see that has significantly changed is individual attitudes. Mine has only changed in terms of finding the most effective cleaning agent.

Greg

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I've moved away from "abrasive" cleaning (bronze brushes) to Patch Out and Bore Foam cleaning on bolt rifles. Occasional run-throughs with a nylon brush if guilt sets in...

...but I do clean after every outing, dry and oil - as taught in my early days (by guys who would have used corrosive primers!).

+1 on the comments by ANGLICO Marine and Don-n-Texas. I don't like leaving crap in the bore even for a couple of days. Rust never sleeps so don't give it a chance to get started!

Most of the claims on cleaning damaging bores seems to boil down
using inappropriate materials/solvents or bad technique.

You'll never get concensus on this subject.

It's your rifle/money - just do what works for you.

 

[Longbow_06]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I give mine a good cleaning at the end of hunting season. This includes removing the action from the stock to check for any rust spots, what with hunting in Georgia and the condensation/moisture issues. I soak the BBL with Hoppes and let it stand for a while and then pull through until clean. No brushes are used.
If I'm just out at the range between seasons, I use LoneWolfUSMC's way of just pulling a bore snake through to knock the crap out of the BBL.

Disclaimer !! I'm not an expert. Everything I learned I learned on this site

My rifle is not a multi-thousand dollar custom build, it's just a Rem 700 SPS tac, but it hits what I point it at out past 600 yards and I thouroughly enjoy shooting it.


Lee.

 

[drewhenson]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I run some patches with ballistol down the barrel almost every time I shoot. I generally don't use solvents or brass brushes. I may or may not wipe the barrel down with some ballistol. Mostly in the name of preventing rust/pitting.

 

[groundhogbuster]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

M PRO 7 and sweets 7.62 when needed. The rifle WILL NOT shoot as good when clean. There's a difference in a "cold bore" and a "clean bore". I always "foul" my rifles before shooting groups, or at game, because when that brrl strips copper, it creates a "new" surface if you will. After a break in, and I start to not see alot of blue/green copper fouling, I use M PRO 7. I do not think a nylon brush will get all the crud out of the lands and grooves, so I do pass a bronze brush toward the muzzle a cpl times, let soak, and patch it. I used to clean (scrub the crap) out of the barrel after every outing, whether it was a 2 groundhog day or 10, but have learned that I was hurting my barrels life more than helping. So now I clean (remove copper) when I see accuracy drop, foul a cpl rounds, and get back to target.
I also am NO EXPERT. But this works for me

 

[leadbullet]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

when accuracy deteriorates in my 308 it is usually at around +/- 500 rds, i simply clean it with patches soaked in slip 2000 until they come out clean followed by sweet 7,62 and done.

 

[RTK]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

If I am using my rifles frequently during hunting season I rarely clean them and only if accuracy drops, if they are going to sit for a time (a few weeks) I at least do quick cleaning with a few patches, storage over the winter months I clean them to the metal and oil them well. Same goes for a wet hunting trip.

My shot guns are a different story, they only get cleaned when they quit functioning, funny how that works

 

[Clay_James]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

I run an oiled patch through my .308 Remington to keep the bore from rusting. It gets such little fowling that pretty much gets it clean. They come out very light gray. The rifles I use corrosive ammo in always get a thorough cleaning.

 

[majohnson2]

Re: Cleaning and accuracy fall-off

The whole cleaning process has changed drastically from what most of us were taught by are fathers. It use to be 2 strokes w brass brush for each round fired. No telling how many barrels were ruined over the years.

I have a Krieger barrel and I was amassed by what little copper fouling there is. I thought I was doing something incorrectly. It is more about carbon build up, just a few patches and some Hopps deals with it quickly, however it still take a couple of rounds to get the accuracy to settle down.

No matter what your choice is proceed with caution because its easy to damage the barrel and your accuracy goes out the window.