F T/R Competition 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

[Ammo dog 2311]

Just went to the range with my model12 f/tr and put 30rds down range. She can shoot ! The question is... Do I clean it or just keep shooting till the groups open up. I ran a boar snake down the tube twice during the string with a little #9 on it. I did clean it before I went to the range and was very careful not to do any damage to it.

So what would you do if it was yours ?

 

[Killswitch Engage]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

Choot it Liz!!!!!

 

[no1special]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

an average f match is 3 relays of 20 rounds plus sighters. usually 75 rounds total. keep this in mind both from a cleaning and a shooting p.o.v. plus pulling targets. a long day that needs practiced for.

 

[scaxeman]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

Shoot it! In the bigger competitions, it is not unusual to go (.308 only) 300-400 rounds without cleaning. This can vary dramatically, depending on what sort of powder/reloads you're using.

The big thing is; you cleaned before you fired it. With new firearms, this is generally a good idea. That way a stray bit of machining debris won't get a high-speed, high-pressure introduction to your chamber/bore!

 

[DerMeister]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

Assuming you clean it before you shot it, I'd wait for a couple, or a few hundred rounds then clean the bore.

But between those times, I clean the bolt, chamber, receiver, the outside and oil the bore. Before shooting I run a bore snake through the bore to remove any oil.

 

[Ammo dog 2311]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

Thanks guys, I will clean the bolt and chamber area and probably send a patch or two down the boar just to get rid of some of the powder fouling.

Do you guys leave your boar dry or put a little oil on it ?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

I shoot about fifty rounds per match, twice a month.

I foam my bore with Outer's Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner, let it soak muzzle down for an hour, and patch it out. Repeat until the patches come out without any staining.

I do this after each match, and the patches generally come out clean on the second soak. Once clean, I patch some more until the patches come out completely dry.

If I'm going to be shooting again within a couple of weeks or so, I leave the bore dry and oil-free. If I'm doing a longer layup, I'll ensure the bore is completely oiled. It doesn't need to be a heavy coat, but it does need to be thoroughly coated along its entire length.

Before I shoot again, I'll patch out the bore so at least most of the oil is out. The chamber needs to be oil-free.

I was raised to shoot in the old school, with supplemental training in the Marines. My main concern remains about preventing bore pitting. The combination of acidic or alkaline fouling deposits and atmospheric moisture and oxygen is the ideal recipe for pitting the bore. Overnight, usually not a problem; longer, you neeed to clean it out, or at least cover it with a moisture barrier, like a coat of oil. I find that what I learned worked quite well enough back then, and hasn't stopped working since then.

Greg

 

[Ammo dog 2311]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

Hi Greg, I use the foam also.works great. That's pretty much exactly what I was goin to do. Foam , patch, then dry patch, then a light coat of oil at the end. When or if ever, do you use a brush ? What boar guide do you use ? What rod do you use ? Mine is stainless steel but it is a little short for the model 12. It won't make the muzzle if I use the boar guide. I need another longer rod.

Also if you shoot the model 12 f/tr what load are you shooting. Mine liked the hornady 150's but not the 165's. I put 20 rds into an inch but when I used the 165 the group grew to 2". The barrel was a little hot by then.

 

[jwf100p]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

I have a shoot this Sat and I am getting a little scared myself. These guys shoot X-course for the most part with a few of us Fclassers. They go around 200 rounds without cleaning so I hope I at least get a break where I can run a few patches of TM solutions with out a brush between the 88 rounds Ill be shooting. When I get done, I use Wipe-Out. This stuff is great. I use the acceleration with it and it takes two appliances to get the rifle clean. The first time I run the accelerator patches twice then put the foam and let set for an hour then patch it out. Then I do it again and it usually runs clean around patch number 5. Sometimes I don't get it all out because the Wipe-out works so well, it takes more than a few fouler to get the gun shooting really good groups. But on long matches, I get it as clean as it will get.

 

[scaxeman]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

*STRONGLY* recommend against cleaning in the middle of a match. I can almost guarantee that your next few shots will not be where they ought to be. A .308 *will* wait until the match is completed!

my .02

Darrell

 

[calling4life]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Darrell Buell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">*STRONGLY* recommend against cleaning in the middle of a match. I can almost guarantee that your next few shots will not be where they ought to be. A .308 *will* wait until the match is completed!

my .02

Darrell

</div></div>

Man, I can't agree enough with this, I shot about 200 rounds my last range session, cleaning didn't even pop into my mind.
Trip to the smith for a new trigger, definitely gets cleaned, now I'm ready to throw, probably around 300 through the tube this weekend.
Let the gun tell you when it needs to be cleaned, unless it is going to sit.

 

[Ammo dog 2311]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

I will not be cleaning during a match but I did run a boar snake during practice after 10 rds. That did not change poi. I did this just to remove a little powder fouling for its a new gun I just pulled out of the safe. I think I mite keep doing this in the beginning and see if it effects the grouping at all. I HATE a dirty weapon but realize that it's not so bad for accuracy.

 

[lal357]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

i'll clean mine after a match then i shoot 200-300 rnds in practice (i shoot 50rnds each session) every other weekend to keep myself tuned up then the session before the match i will clean it then dirty it back up for the match .as doing anything to it during a match no not even a dry patch goes down it this system has been working good for me for 2 years ago match shooting. i use to shoot 10 clean shoot 10 clean but that was when i was shooting 100yds bench style.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

I use a Pro-Shot rod guide and a 36" Pro-Shot stainless ball bearing rod with a slotted steel tip that has a long shank. I currently have no rifles chambered for .308.

I have just acquired a Stag Arms Model 6 Super Varminter, which I am planning on having my 15 Y/O Granddaughter run in FV250 F T/R. FV250 is a local club event, fired at 250yd on a V-style MOA-correct=for-F-Class and distance target at 250yd.

As received, I seriously doubt this rifle will be needing any tweaks to be competitive. It's a 24" 1:8" stainless HB AR with A2 Stock, A4 Rail, Hogue Grip, and 2-stage Match trigger. 9.7lb barenaked.

Received Wednesday, it has an older 6.5-20X50 Whitetail Classic mounted directly to the A-4 style rail using Weaver Quad-Lok See-Thru rings, and a Harris BR Bipod. I have added a Limbsaver pad for a longer LOP, but will be pulling that off for my Granddaughter, who is a rather petite sized 100% Tomboy. While she's learning the gun, she will be using Federal economy pack 55gr ammo.

If the weather picks up on Monday as predicted, I will be sighting it in for the following weekend's match. Will also be evaluating a 1943 91/30 Mosin-Nagant acquired at the same time.

I completely agree about not cleaning during the match. I clean after the match, and seriously doubt you'll see any significant accuracy degradation until after at least well after 100rd between cleanings.

Stop messing around with your bore. Frequent cleaning probably does more bore damage than any beneficial effect it might (and I doubt it has any) have. I consider light-to-moderate powder fouling to be beneficial. When I clean, it comes out; but it's the copper fouling I'm really going in after. Also, a good cleaning does not mean you need to get mental about getting every bit of fouling out. Get out what you can by basic means and leave the faint traces; they're not the problem.

If I end up handloading for this rifle, I'll be trying the new Hodgdon CFE223 powder in it. I don't like running foam through a gas gun. I very seldom use a brush where I'm using foam.

Where are you located in NY? Anywhere near the Finger Lakes?

Greg

 

[jtkite]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

I very rarely use a brush on the bore... it makes little sense to remove all foulings so that first shot can go somewhere that none of the rest will.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

When I use a brush, it's not for scrubbing.

I have significant doubts in the ability of a bronze brush to abrade/erode a baked in carbon ring, etc.

To me, cleaning a bore is all about the action of the solvent over a decent amount of time, to penetrate and dissolve fouling.

I use a brush as an application aid, to help ensure spreading the solvent more evenly and deeply into the rifling, to start off the soaking process. For my purposes, a nylon brush is every bit as effective as a bronze one, and it leaves no deceptive green/blue staining.

The expanding action of the foam appears to me to negate the need for a brush.

Greg

 

[scaxeman]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

To me, cleaning a bore is all about the action of the solvent over a decent amount of time, to penetrate and dissolve fouling.



Greg </div></div>


Yeah.. +100 here! When it is time to clean, it is typically a day's evolution... leave the solvent in 12+ hours, patch out, repeat as necessary!

Darrell

 

[Ammo dog 2311]

Re: 30 rds. Now what ??? Clean or not to clean

Hey Greg, I live 20 miles north of NYC . Lots of snobby rich people around here. The good part is its only an hour trip north and I am in the woods. I do a lot of work in Sullivan county. I am trying to join the Forbes range near Albany. Waiting to hear back from them.

I am not smart but can see a patern here. The only reason I sent the boar snake down was for powder fouling. Thinking that friction of the powder would slow down the bullet. I guess that was wrong. I will follow the cleaning procedure you stated. It's not the first time I heard that.

I guess it's time to take out the model 110 ba and shoot that this weekend. That .338 ammo is a little on the pricey side. This should be fun.........