Help: Simple, effective cleaning regimen

[Coomie]

I'm getting back into shooting and want to be better at a few things I know I slacked on previously. One of those things is cleaning and it's really not a matter of laziness - I just can't find anything definitive on the subject. I've looked on The Hide for hours and am starting to see various camps form on the topic but nothing that people seem to agree on.

Rifle: Tikka T3X TAC A1 6.5 Creedmoor
Rounds fired: ~500 (also need to get better at logging)
Cleaning thus far: NONE

Cleaning Wise:
What should I do now? How often should I do it? What should I use to do it? I like simple, effective, and proven; I'm not trying to squeeze out 0.08% more consistency or barrel life because I spent an extra 30 mins doing XYZ.

Please, someone point me to a thread or respond here. Much appreciated.

 

[Huskydriver]

Can of wipe out.... Let it dissolve in the barrel. Couple patches through it... Done

 

[WasNH4X]

500 rds. you say .... SS barrel ? I ain't scared........I'd be CLRing it until patches are clean. Neutralize CLR with alcohol .Montana extreme copper killa it until no more blue patches , neutralize it also......Hobbs #9 or lite machine oil patches through bore for good coating........dry patch out before firing. Clean more often using milder cleaners than stated above . DO NOT leave CLR or Montana extreme in bore for an extended period of time , bad bad ju ju .

Break Free CAC carbon cutter has worked well for me , but I haven't been able to find any for two years and my stash is about gone, don't know what I'll go to when it's gone.

Search YouTube , Believe the Target or Eric Cortina's channel for Speedy's cleaning method , for ideas.

 

[mark5pt56]

Don't over think it and keep it basic. Bore Tech Carbon Remover, Bore Tech Eliminater and any decent oil or CLP, I like Lucas.
Do use the Proof Positive/equivalent so no false reading with copper removal.
3-5 wet patches of CR, let dwell a few minutes each pass-clean the bolt, wipe off mags, gear, etc. in between
Somewhere under 10 passes with a brush with CR
2-3 wet patches of CR
2-3 wet patches of E
Dry patch and 2 patches of oil
Dry patch or slightly damp if not shooting for a bit.

This has always worked for me, My guns shoot well, no bore scope to bang my head against a wall with, no wierd CCB shifts that I could say where outside of my abilities. (example, ATX is an honest .5-.75 gun, nothing in a CB/CCB outside of that with 4 follow ons). Of course I get a few "one hole" groups, the .75 is a worse day.

The above doesn't take long, note taking, gear maintenance, brass organization, etc. done in between patching.

 

[427Cobra]

Get a borescope and figure it out, without one you'll never know for sure.

 

[Stavey]

I follow Bryan Zolnikovs method. I’ve tried literally hundreds of different products and procedures. His method is definitely the best I’ve found, for maintaining benchrest accuracy. I don’t know how to link videos but here’s a screenshot of his YouTube video.

 

[Grim's Reapers]

I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Run some Bore Tech CU+2 Copper solvent through it with a nylon or aluminum jag and patch. Let it sit 5 minutes. Repeat until your patches aren't coming out blue (Brass jags will give a false blue indication).

Bore Tech CU+2 won't harm your barrel and eats copper and fouling like it has a vendetta.

Go shoot it.

When you get home, repeat the above and lightly spray it down with Birchwood Casey Barricade, run a patch of it down your barrel and wipe off the excess. I've stored guns in safes for years with this stuff. It isn't greasy and will not allow rust to form.

I highly recommend not using a borescope unless your groups start opening up. That can lead you down an unnecessary rabbit hole of worry. If your gun is grouping well, leave it alone.

 

[Grim's Reapers]

My guns shoot well, no bore scope to bang my head against a wall with,

AMEN brother. Been down that rabbit hole before. If your rifle is shooting nice groups, leave that damned bore scope in the closet.

 

[Haney]

I highly recommend not using a borescope unless your groups start opening up.

So if you suck in the middle of match you call a time out to clean your rifle ? Or maybe after you wound that elk of a lifetime ? That advice is about as far fetched as shooting a rifle 500 times and never cleaning it once .

 

[rustyinbend]

Expect a nice carbon ring to form sometime soon, and force you to take action. BTW ... some of that cleaning decision is impacted by "powder". If you use StaBall ... you'll have to clean more than if you use H4350 ... as an example. I know this forum loves to hate bore-scopes, but I believe they're an essential tool in properly maintaining your barrels. But that's just me ...

I'm in camp camp of ...

• Patch with Carbon Remover
• Brush
• Patch with Carbon Remover
• Let sit for 15 minutes
• Dry patch until clean ... or repeat above

Every three or four cleanings I add the steps for Copper Remover ... just for fun.

I clean every couple hundred rounds, and my bore-scope (there's that awful word again) shows me if I need to concentrate on any specific areas or types of fouling. Monitoring for carbon rings is especially important.

Good luck in your quest. You'll get as many opinions here on this as stars in the sky.

 

[Ronws]

A bunch of good advice, here. Some guys clean a lot, even during a match or practice. Others never clean until the accuracy drops. I usually clean after a range trip. Bore snake a few times. Brush a few times. Hoppe's #9 on patches until white. A drying patch or two. Then at least 2 patches of gun oil.

For the action and bolt, I will swab with q-tips with the #9. Then, I lube the bolt with gun grease and cycle a few times to relube the lugs. Wipe down the outside.

Also, those cheap sanitary gloves the nurses wear to give you the vax, those are good to wear while cleaning and you can throw away when done.

However, for hunting season, I got the rifle zeroed and left it dirty for the rifle season. My thinking, possibly erroneously, is that by the time the rifle was zeroed, it was dirty. After hunting season, back to to cleaning.

 

[Grim's Reapers]

So if you suck in the middle of match you call a time out to clean your rifle ? Or maybe after you wound that elk of a lifetime ? That advice is about as far fetched as shooting a rifle 500 times and never cleaning it once .

Look at the OP's stated objectives. And if you pop an elk in the hind leg with a cold bore shot, I'm guessing that rifle of yours was showing some signs prior to your hunt. Yeah, I'd bore scope that or make sure your scope and your head was screwed on tight.

 

[Baron23]

This should be fun. This is my view of the people who say you should throw your bore scope in the thrash

I find my Teslong very handy for evaluating the effectiveness of my cleaning and the state of the bore prior to and after cleaning. For this, it serves a good purpose. Now, one needs to have the self-control to not try to scrub the damn thing to total bare metal like when it was new...particularly with abrasives or getting a case of the vapors about normal fire cracking.

I have found both Patch Out and Bore Tech products to be very good. But I do prefer Bore Tech and have their Eliminator (both carbon and copper), Carbon Remover (which also works pretty dang good on suppressor baffles), and Copper Remover. I use Eliminator mostly....it just works.

I simply follow the directions on the bottle for the most part. Wet patches down the bore, wet nylon brush (very occassionally I've used a bronze brush to no ill effects...but don't fucking chuck in a drill, right? haha). Then wet patches and let it sit for 5 minutes. Patch dry...I probably dry patch more than many as to me if the patch is still coming out with carbon marks and any damp spots at all, I just shove more patches down the bore. I stop when they come out clean. WTF...patches are cheap, yeah?

A couple of "once in a while" things I do:

1. I follow @Frank Green 's (Bartlein barrels guy who is kind enough to post here fairly often) advise on using abrasives. I do so only very occasionally and use Rem 40X (very mild) or JB Bore Compound (blue label....NOT the Bore Bright). I wrap a patch around a Parker Hale style jag, embed some abrasives, and give it 10-15 swipes down and back with emphasis on the area nearer the throat. You do want to prevent the jag from leaving the end of the muzzle....few ways to do this. Back the muzzle up against a wall if you don't care for your walls or....I have a thread protector that I put a small metal slug (really some epoxied together washers). I'm sure there are other ways.

2. I use the Teslong to look at the area just past where the neck of the cartridge ends for possible carbon ring. I do on occasion stuff a mop in there with Bore Tech Carbon Remover and let it sit. Then scrub with nylon (or bronze) brush and patch dry.

I was cleaning my 6.5 CM's every 150 rounds or so but have tried to adopt Mr. Green's practice of cleaning when I return from the range. Doing so regularly makes cleaning quick and easy before the carbon gets baked on. But, I'm not 100% rigorous about this....cause I'm lazy too! haha

With 500 rounds down the barrel, I would think you would need a pretty rigorous cleaning then maintain it.

Cleaning regime seems to be a very personal decision and people have very different views on what is sufficient. This is just what I do.

Best of luck

 

[Grim's Reapers]

I find my Teslong very handy for evaluating the effectiveness of my cleaning and the state of the bore prior to and after cleaning. For this, it serves a good purpose. Now, one needs to have the self-control to not try to scrub the damn thing to total bare metal was when new...particularly with abrasives.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Teslong. I'm just that guy who went down the road of getting concerned about fire cracking and a little gator skin when the rifle was grouping spectacularly. I've never claimed to be a genius. LOL

 

[WasNH4X]

Can of wipe out.... Let it dissolve in the barrel. Couple patches through it... Done

Just checked out this cleaner . Thanks for mentioning it . Will certainly give it a try. The added from @spife7980 is a plus ,as I respect his and your opinions/ advice , as well as unnamed others here .

The cleaners I mentioned will certainly work and don't take long to do it , BUT .....bad bad juju if left in bore for an extended period of time,whether on purpose or ,in my case ,by accident........I have the pictures .

 

[Coomie]

Thank you all, this has been incredibly helpful.

A few quick ones:
1. I hear 1 piece cleaning rod is the way to go - any preference on brand / length / etc? My barrel is 26"
2. Do I have to have a bore guide even if the rod is coated?
3. For the Jag, which one?

 

[Grim's Reapers]

Thank you all, this has been incredibly helpful.

A few quick ones:
1. I hear 1 piece cleaning rod is the way to go - any preference on brand / length / etc? My barrel is 26"
2. Do I have to have a bore guide even if the rod is coated?
3. For the Jag, which one?

Tipton 44" carbon fiber cleaning rod for bolt guns of that barrel length
Bore guide for sure if you're using metal jags
Definitely a coated or nylon jag if you're using copper solvent so it doesn't give false blue color from brass

 

[kthomas]

Thank you all, this has been incredibly helpful.

A few quick ones:
1. I hear 1 piece cleaning rod is the way to go - any preference on brand / length / etc? My barrel is 26"
2. Do I have to have a bore guide even if the rod is coated?
3. For the Jag, which one?

1a. I use pro-shot polished stainless steel rods, rather than coated. Personal preference, but coated rods can become imbedded with debris that could cause damage. However, many successfully clean with coated rods.

1b. Use a rod long enough for your barrel.

2. Yes.

3. I personally don't use a jag. I wrap an undersized bore brush (i.e 6mm in a 6.5mm cartridge) with patches.


Other than that, aim to clean every 200-250 rounds or so. Use a solvent of your choice, I use Mpro-7, but there's many out there that more or less do the same thing. I soak the barrel with Mpro-7, then alternate between brushing and patches. There's many ways to skin this cat.

 

[Baron23]

1. I hear 1 piece cleaning rod is the way to go - any preference on brand / length / etc? My barrel is 26"
2. Do I have to have a bore guide even if the rod is coated?
3. For the Jag, which one?

1. Tipton, Dewey, or Bore Tech. I have BT but any of these good, ball bearing, coated rods will do fine.

2. Yes, absolutely unless you like dripping solvent into your trigger.

3. I like Bore Tech Proof Positive jags because they don't leech copper and give false copper indications

Gun Cleaning Jag | Order a Brass Rifle Cleaning Jag by Proof-Positive - Bore Tech

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www.boretech.com

Just my utterly non-expert view

 

[mark5pt56]

 

[Grim's Reapers]

When you ask for help, we provide.

 

[mbeavers1]

I follow Bryan Zolnikovs method. I’ve tried literally hundreds of different products and procedures. His method is definitely the best I’ve found, for maintaining benchrest accuracy. I don’t know how to link videos but here’s a screenshot of his YouTube video.
View attachment 8380876

Am I crazy or was this the dude that had several epic public meltdowns on here a few months back over SD calcs from Garmin being wrong?

 

[Grim's Reapers]

Am I crazy or was this the dude that had several epic public meltdowns on here a few months back over SD calcs from Garmin being wrong?

I remember the thread, but can't remember who done it. LOL

 

[mbeavers1]

I remember the thread, but can't remember who done it. LOL

I gotcha. Sniper King 2020

 

[pangris]

Montana Xtreme Bore Conditioner is magic. Once broken in, 2 wet, 2 dry, clean when you have heavy use but for a basic range session or hunting trip its all you need.

 

[chevy_man]

Boretech eliminator, push a couple wet patches, let soak a few days, push a few more wet patches, it'll come clean.


I have the luxury of leaving stuff sitting on my bench though. So I do as little as possible and let the solvent do the work. I like boretech because I can leave it for a week and come back to it if I get busy.

 

[Modoc]

Just don’t let it get this bad.

This is the second cleaning on a new acquisition. 140 years of? Who knows how long it had been since it was last cleaned.

As for method, I follow along with Dewey rods and jags. Still use Hoppes and Shooters choice and patch until they come out white.

 

[308pirate]

I just can't find anything definitive on the subject.

That's because there isn't anything definitive.

Gun cleaning methods are like assholes. Everybody has one and they all stink.

Make up your own mind and quit overthinking something so trivial.

 

[308pirate]

Am I crazy or was this the dude that had several epic public meltdowns on here a few months back over SD calcs from Garmin being wrong?

Same one. Who fucking cares how he cleans his rifles or does anything for that matter.

 

[Frank Green]

This was awesome!

 

[mbeavers1]

Same one. Who fucking cares how he cleans his rifles or does anything for that matter.

That was the point. Wouldn't do anything he suggested

 

[308pirate]

That was the point. Wouldn't do anything he suggested

Lol oh my bad. He's on ignore so I don't see anything that posts

 

[tekmann2377]

Over the years, probably one of the most useful things that many would agree with (even Frank Green himself) is running a few patches of your favorite solvent followed corrosion preventative (IE Corrosion X) the same day after getting back from the range.

I do not advocate an "over cleaning" regimen, IE one that borders on some type of masturbatory fetish, but you would not believe how much easier fouling is to soften or remove when it is fresh. And it is much less likely to result in long term bore corrosion as well.

In terms of the other debates like abrasive cleaners, CLR, cleaning frequency, how often to remove copper, etc I will leave this to the rest of the contributors here.

 

[Trevor300wsm]

In a time where people here seem to drool over every fucking dumbass gadget possible that they can spend their money on, I do not understand all the borescope hate. Your barrel is either clean, or it isn’t. A borescope simply allows you to see that. So many of you think you have cleaned your barrel, when you really haven’t. You just got a clean patch out the end and called it good. Being able to look inside and see all the hard carbon and/or carbon ring that you didn’t even touch with your “cleaning process” is very beneficial.
If you are the type that looks down your barrel and then turns into a brainless fucking spazz over what you see, even when your barrel is shooting extremely well, that’s a YOU problem and no fault of the borescope, or using it.

 

[Baron23]

Your barrel is either clean, or it isn’t. A borescope simply allows you to see that.

If you are the type that looks down your barrel and then turns into a brainless fucking spazz over what you see, even when your barrel is shooting extremely well, that’s a YOU problem and no fault of the borescope, or using it.

I agree totally. My primary use is seeing before/after cleaning results with an eye for how effective my cleaning is working and to take a general glance at throat and rifling wear just to see how its going in there. I also find them handy for evaluating chambering on a new blank.

An example of the later, I got a nice Bartlein MTU in 6.5 CM direct from Bartein with 8-7.5 left gain twist. Sent it to @AccuSol-ERN at Altus to spin it up, cerakote barrel black, provide the Devient (the Defiance was Nitrided alread), and put a TT Diamond in it.

When I receved the BA I took a look at the throat and it was near damn perfect. Everything was square, plumb, and true. The Lead came up evernly to the freebore all the way around the chamber (and yes, I own a barrel that does no exhibit this level of proper work.) and was really clean.

The barrel shoots and I have additional confidence that it will keep shooting for a good while as the lead was so evenly done that it appear at 2,500 rounds to also have worn evenly as metal is ablated. Personally, this says to me that he knows what he's doing and puts out an outstanding product.

The throw the bore scope in the garbage crowd remind me of this:

 

[AccuSol-ERN]

Thanks for the kind words, it is much appreciated.

A borescope is just another tool in the toolbox. Use it appropriately and drive on.

Also, if you are trying to keep bullets centered.....then you need to start with a centered chamber.

Ern