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22lr maintenance

Dphung1

Dphung1

Private
Minuteman
Nov 15, 2024
25
4
Baton Rouge, LA
#1
For the bench rest and PRS guys. How well and how often do you guys clean your 22lr. I’ve owned multiple 10/22s but only clean them when they start having problems. I just picked up a bolt 22 and would like to keep it accurate, do you only clean it when your accuracy goes down ? Thanks
 
#2
Dphung1 said:
For the bench rest and PRS guys. How well and how often do you guys clean your 22lr. I’ve owned multiple 10/22s but only clean them when they start having problems. I just picked up a bolt 22 and would like to keep it accurate, do you only clean it when your accuracy goes down ? Thanks
Click to expand...
History says you really have two choices. First is never until you see an issue. A variation is to run a solvent patch through the barrel when changing ammo manufacturer to remove lubricant. The second is to clean after every outing.
The results are actually similar and a set of fouling rounds will be required to reset the barrel. For most of my life I have followed the first including extremely accurate bench rest and position rifles. Let the religious wars begin😆
 
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#4
I clean mine after every outing, because it's easy and because I've seen multiple bores get pitted by carbon deposits exposed to ambient moisture over a long period of time.

I wedge a C4 patch in the leade, let it sit for 15 minutes, spin it to remove the carbon ring, then push it all the way through the barrel. Then run three dry patches and I'm done. Takes no more than two fouling shots to get POI and MV back to baseline on the next outing, verified consistently with a Garmin.
 
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#5
I clean after every match. Bore mop in the chamber with c4 for 30 minutes. Then Rimfire blend a few wet patches, let sit for 5 minutes, then a wet nylon brush for 20 strokes, let sit for 10 minutes, 2 more wet patches, then a few dry to ensure it’s clean. I rarely bother borescoping it now, because with that routine it’s the same outcome every time.

I foul 30 shots through the barrel with various SK or Lapua of dead lots, then it takes 4-5 shots to zero with match ammo.

It’s consistent every time that way. No surprises, at least until I need new match ammo like recently.
 
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#6
J_D said:
I clean after every match. Bore mop in the chamber with c4 for 30 minutes. Then Rimfire blend a few wet patches, let sit for 5 minutes, then a wet nylon brush for 20 strokes, let sit for 10 minutes, 2 more wet patches, then a few dry to ensure it’s clean. I rarely bother borescoping it now, because with that routine it’s the same outcome every time.

I foul 30 shots through the barrel with various SK or Lapua of dead lots, then it takes 4-5 shots to zero with match ammo.

It’s consistent every time that way. No surprises, at least until I need new match ammo like recently.
Click to expand...
You don’t need my help of course, but consider skipping the rimfire blend and see if your results stay the same, with reduced fouling requirements.

Rimfire blend takes out the lead, but I want that to stay in the bore. Curious what you find out, if you choose to try it, since I expect you know what your system gives you when it’s fully fouled and ready to shoot for score.
 
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#7
KnowNothing256 said:
You don’t need my help of course, but consider skipping the rimfire blend and see if your results stay the same, with reduced fouling requirements.

Rimfire blend takes out the lead, but I want that to stay in the bore. Curious what you find out, if you choose to try it, since I expect you know what your system gives you when it’s fully fouled and ready to shoot for score.
Click to expand...
I’ve tried various scenarios and this one seems to work best for my main match gun. I never had my RimX long enough to try other scenarios since it took awhile to find the right ammo for it, but I will try a few things over time with the new DPG that’s incoming.

Really need to be meticulous with that one to get the right feedback and I’ll be doing a few things different to start off and see if they end up the same way.

Appreciate the tip though.
 
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#8
Keep on top of the carbon ring, if you don't shoot copper plated ammo minimal maintenance to the barrel...less is generally better. Stay away from the muzzle crown, you'll be fine. Could get a hundred different answers here, none have been quantified to beat the last one.
 
#9
J_D said:
I clean after every match. Bore mop in the chamber with c4 for 30 minutes. Then Rimfire blend a few wet patches, let sit for 5 minutes, then a wet nylon brush for 20 strokes, let sit for 10 minutes, 2 more wet patches, then a few dry to ensure it’s clean. I rarely bother borescoping it now, because with that routine it’s the same outcome every time.

I foul 30 shots through the barrel with various SK or Lapua of dead lots, then it takes 4-5 shots to zero with match ammo.

It’s consistent every time that way. No surprises, at least until I need new match ammo like recently.
Click to expand...
This is pretty much what I do....bore mop with C4 in chamber for 15-30mins...3-4 wet rim fire blend patches....15-20 strokes with rim fire blend and an Iosso nylon brush...2-3 wet rim fire blend patches....4-6 dry patches...I always keep some of the old lots of the same ammo I shoot for matches to foul...20-30 rounds to foul and I'm good and like JD I rarely use the scope anymore it just works.
 
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#10
After 300 shots down the barrel, give it several strokes with a C4 soaked nylon brush, then a two patches with c4, next a dry patch, then at least three patches soaked in quality gun oil, then a dry patch. preferably shoot a practice session before a match. If not possible, be sure to be at the match early enough to get sighters in to foul the barrel
 
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#12
J_D said:
I clean after every match. Bore mop in the chamber with c4 for 30 minutes. Then Rimfire blend a few wet patches, let sit for 5 minutes, then a wet nylon brush for 20 strokes, let sit for 10 minutes, 2 more wet patches, then a few dry to ensure it’s clean. I rarely bother borescoping it now, because with that routine it’s the same outcome every time.

I foul 30 shots through the barrel with various SK or Lapua of dead lots, then it takes 4-5 shots to zero with match ammo.

It’s consistent every time that way. No surprises, at least until I need new match ammo like recently.
Click to expand...
When mixing the SK or lapua do you just stick to SK match and LR or do all of their bullets have the same lube?
 
#15


I do the Vudoo method.
Every 500 rounds or so:
soak the chamber in C4, clean the breach face and extractor cut out, run a few wet patches through the bore, then dry patches. Clean the bolt as required, usually just brush off the bolt face.
 
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