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How do you clean your bolt gun?

N

Nisils14

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 8, 2012
222
1
Denver, CO
I'm trying to get a perspective on this. There seems to be so many different philosophies on this subject, but I sometimes wonder if I'm being too aggressive with it. When I clean I use a Gunslick .30cal SS rod, bronze brush, brass jag, Proshot patches, Dewey rod guide, Shooter's Choice bore solvent and Slip2000 EWL. With all that this is what I do.
1: run two wet patches of SC and let it soak for about 30mins
2: wet the bronze brush in SC and run 10 passes through the barrel.
3: run another wet patch to remove the carbon
4: run 2 dry patches and alternate between 1wet and 2dry until the patches come out clean.
5: Visually inspect for any more fouling. Repeat 2-4 if necessary.
6: run two patches of EWL through barrel.
7: wipe the gun down inside and out. re-lube necessary parts.
8: Run a dry patch the next day to remove any excessive lube.


I live in a dry climate and A/C'd home so rust won't be a problem for me.
What are your procedure when you clean your bolt guns after a good day of shooting? What kinda products do you guys use?
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Similar...taught to me by my dad 20+ years ago. Flame away.

1: Run 2 wet patches using Hoppes #9 powder solvent.
2: Wait 15-20 mins
3: Run a wet (H9 again) bronze brush ~15x times both ways down the barrel
4: Alternate wet/dry patches using Hoppes #9 powder solvent until most of the solvent is gone (anywhere from 2-3 times to 20+ depending on the rifle and ammo
5: Inspect bore using Hawkeye borescope
6: Perform copper cleaning if necessary (Hoppes copper solvent)
7: Inspect bore again
8: Run a semi-wet patch with RemOil down the barrel
9: Wipe-down / clean bolt and anything else that needs it with a silicon infused cloth
10: Put into siliconized soft gun case
11: Put into humidity controlled safe

NB: I always use a bore guide
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I have a R700 AAC-SD in .308 and it shoots .75 moa with FGMM 175smk and it's gets near .5 with 44gr varget x 175smk. I also have an AR15 but that's obviously not a bolt gun.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I just follow the directions on the Bore Tech bottle.
smile.gif
There products work awesome, I used Hoppes forever, glad I switched.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I'm 0.5MOA with my remmy 700 SPS Varmint shooting factory FGMM 168's.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Brosseau</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just follow the directions on the Bore Tech bottle.
smile.gif
There products work awesome, I used Hoppes forever, glad I switched. </div></div>

I do the same thing if/when I clean.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Little oil on a boresnake....one pull through... DONE!

Matt (LEO SOUTH GA.)
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Run one patch of Hoppes #9 thru and take it off when it gets out the muzzle, then wet a patch again with #9 and run thru the bore back & forth a few times, bring it back out of the breech and wet it down more and go back & forth a few times, after that gets good and blue ill use a fresh patch and repeat that second step and let it sit in the bore, sometimes overnight, next day ill run a patch of kroil and let that sit a while then run a patch of Militec-1 followed by a dry patch or 2 hours later or the next day. Dont use a brush anymore. Brush the bolt with a toothbrush and lube it with Militec-1.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I do similar to you but only every 2-300 rounds.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Little bit of Boretec solvent, good quality patches, and when the patches come clean (usually within 8-10 patches)dry. If Rifle is ging into the safe at this point the bore gets a pass with Eezox. I normally only clean after a couple hundred rounds, or if the rifle is not going to be shot for a month or so.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

A few patches with lip 2000 for the carbon, once patches come out clean i run a few with sweet 7.62 and let it sit foe a bout 5 min, then keep going until no more blue comes out. retry with slip 2000 and sweet until all patches come clean, usually the second time around in unecessay.
hope this helps.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: onyx1357</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I do similar to you but only every 2-300 rounds. </div></div>

I recently changed to this approach.

I have trouble with the wait 15 minutes too after the first wet ones. I just start going after it. clocks ticking. We were running a patch upon leaving the range, thats GTG for me, even better.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Brosseau</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just follow the directions on the Bore Tech bottle.
smile.gif
There products work awesome, I used Hoppes forever, glad I switched. </div></div>

If you haven't already, you really need to try bore tech solvents. Eliminator is my go to do all solvent. The cu+2 is amazingly fast on copper and c4 is super on carbon making it perfect for revolver cylinders. Get bore tech and forget all the other smelly cleaners.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Dang some of yall are anal. Ive cleaned my 700 3 times. Had it for more than a year.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Butches triple twill patches are my favorite as well along with bore tech proof positive jags. Dewey rods for now. Tipton bore guide.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Isn't that too many passes through the barrel with the bore brush? Doesn't that much brushing damage the lands by scratching them excessivley, even though you're using bronze brushes?

I was always told "patch, patch, brush, patch, patch, brush, patch, patch" if the last patch is still dirty, only then do you brush a third time. Use copper remover every third cleaning (approx. at 300 rounds).

Bore Tech? I'll have to try that. Been using Hoppes for 20 years now...
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mr.Maim</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Isn't that too many passes through the barrel with the bore brush? Doesn't that much brushing damage the lands by scratching them excessivley, even though you're using bronze brushes?

I was always told "patch, patch, brush, patch, patch, brush, patch, patch" if the last patch is still dirty, only then do you brush a third time. Use copper remover every third cleaning (approx. at 300 rounds).

Bore Tech? I'll have to try that. Been using Hoppes for 20 years now... </div></div>

You really think a bronze brush is going to hurt stainless or Chrome moly? I dont think so. Hoppes #9 brings out the blue in the patch when I clean, so why would I need a brush in the first place.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Brass jags and bronze brushes make purty colors too!!
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Bore tech pretty much phases out brushing. Only time I brush is on barrel break in. And a nylon brush is used then.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Wet patch of Kroil
Wet patch of Kroil
Bronze Brush
Dry patch
Dry patch
Wet patch of Hoppes
Bronze Brush with Hoppes
Dry patch
Dry patch
Wet patch of Kroil
Dry patch
Dry patch
Dry patch
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I brush the bore first with a solvent wet bore brush then follow with a dry patch and then a wet, let it soak while I clean the bolt and chamber.
I then run a dry patch and one with oil and then dry patches till I get a clean one.

Now if I am putting the rifle in the safe for an extended period I run another oiled patch.

How much do I brush, depends on how many rounds I have fired.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Bore snake dipped in Butch's Bore Shine up front pulled through a couple times every 500 or so rounds. 6XC Bartlein, 1/2moa at 500 usually, 2100+ rounds.

"to clean your bore before accuracy wanes is akin to wiping your ass before you crap"-NOBODY

Bronze brushes can harm if they're twisted on steel.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I just do not see it, where does all this come from, cleaning every 500 rounds, twice a year and so on........is there some secret I missed out on, in the military we cleaned them every day?
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: red6actual</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just do not see it, where does all this come from, cleaning every 500 rounds, twice a year and so on........is there some secret I missed out on, in the military we cleaned them every day?</div></div> I clean mine right after i shoot it, every time. And i dont use hoppes. I use rem oil for about everything.

1. Wipe down bolt, exterior barrel, and actions with remoil on a cotton towel/rag.
2. Run a bronze brush through the barrel from BREACH to muzzle acouple time around 5 times
3. Run a mop through with remoil on it acouple times.
4. Run a dry patch through
5. if it comes out clean i run a patch with remoil down barrel again.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

In the military you were probably exposed to a lot worse environmental conditions than us casual shooters-I might be wrong. I clean every 300-500 rounds-let accuracy be your guide.
Find a good fouling and copper cleaner and push patches through until they come out clean. Quality barrels clean quick and easy. I shoot Krieger stainless barrels.

I use nylon brush soaked with BoreTech Elinator (back and forth about 5 times). Make sure you push the brush all the way through the end of the bore before you pull it back. let it sit for 10 minutes and push 3-4 patches soaked in Eliminator. let that sit for 10 minutes and push 3 dry patches through- Clean as a whistle!

What is ultimately going to protect your gun is a quality bore-guide. I say Lucas bore guides for the win!
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

"to clean your bore before accuracy wanes is akin to wiping your ass before you crap"-NOBODY

</div></div>

Great quote. I could not agree with this more. The bolt and action gets cleaned after every outing. The barrel gets cleaned when it tells me it needs cleaning and not before!
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Bore Tech Cleaner is the best. I use it for ALL my rifles. They make a good copper cleaner too. I also used Hoppes for a number of years.

I clean my semi-autos after each range session. I clean my bolt guns after accuracy starts to fall, about 500-700rds or more. If i plan on storing it for more than a couple weeks i clean it.

I keep all my rifles and pistols in Pelican and Storm cases with dessicant (the ones you could recharge in the oven). Never had a problem. I also have dehumidifiers running at 50% humidity in my basement .
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Haven't used a brush in any of my barrels since the late 80's.

Why dry patch after only a couple of wet patches. Your taking the solvent out and not letting it do it's job.

Wet patch one after another until it comes out clean. If I'm not in a hurry I just use Hoppe's No.9 solvent. Will always keep cleaning and protects as good as any oil.

You can write a book on this stuff!

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

I run slow burning powders in fast twist 22's. I need to be concered with carbon just as much as copper. I rarely go over a hundred rounds without cleaning.

I'd rather soak than scrub. I'll put a rifle in the vise, saturate the bore with pro shot copper remover, and let it sit over night. I'll push a few more wet patches through it the following day. Patch it dry and call it good. Relatively painless, but still effective.
 
Re: How do you clean your bolt gun?

Todd Hodnet states that you do not need to remove the copper from your barrell. Remove the carbon only but leave the copper. He has done research on it and put several thousand rounds through his rifle without using a brass cleaner. No accuracy problems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbMuknl677A
 
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