I only got into plinking recently and saw many conflicting opinion regarding when to clean. Some said it's good to clean every time they go shooting since the round is dirty. The others say over cleaning will ruined the rifle and they rarely clean it. What is a good amount of time before i should clean my rifle while maintaining its accuracy?
- Thread starter pepelefrog
- Start date
Sorry if i am misleading you, I was wondering how often should i clean my rifle.
million answers on the way but..
most guys i know (that are good shooters) and that have posted replies on other threads asking the same type question
every 2-500 rounds or accuracy drop off
some guys never do
bench rest guys do after every session
some run a dry patch after every range session
some guys dont use a brush
some guys do use a brush
some MFG's say dont clean for several thousand rounds
there are a million opinions
if you are a "cleaning" person, make sure you get a bore guide
one thing that is fact is that every time you switch ammunition manufacturers the barrel will take 10-20 rounds possibly more to be conditioned and reach peak accuracy with the new rounds
most guys i know (that are good shooters) and that have posted replies on other threads asking the same type question
every 2-500 rounds or accuracy drop off
some guys never do
bench rest guys do after every session
some run a dry patch after every range session
some guys dont use a brush
some guys do use a brush
some MFG's say dont clean for several thousand rounds
there are a million opinions
if you are a "cleaning" person, make sure you get a bore guide
one thing that is fact is that every time you switch ammunition manufacturers the barrel will take 10-20 rounds possibly more to be conditioned and reach peak accuracy with the new rounds
Thank you for your reply. I was told to clean the gun before trying out new type of 22lr as so it wouldn't affect how that round performs, guess i do not need to do it anymore.
I believe that how often you clean should be determined on how good of barrel you have in the beginning. If you have a mass produced barrel, it may take more rounds (up to hundreds) before it hits the sweet spot. Whereas if you have a higher-end barrel that has been hand-lapped, it takes less fouling rounds to get the best accuracy.
Even on my mass produced barrels, although I may not scrub them clean very often, I do at least run clean patches through them regularly.
Whatever barrel regiment chosen, I'd keep the chamber clean to insure the rifle cycles without issue.
Even on my mass produced barrels, although I may not scrub them clean very often, I do at least run clean patches through them regularly.
Whatever barrel regiment chosen, I'd keep the chamber clean to insure the rifle cycles without issue.
My match rifle is shared between 3 shooters and will see ~240 rounds per match. As such, it gets cleaned and re seasoned before every match. By cleaned, I mean I pull a bore snake through it a couple of times. Then it is off to the local indoor range to put about 1/2 box of ammo through it and confirm zero...
I pull a bore snake through mine 2-3 times after every range trip. Other than that as long as it’s shooting well I don’t mess with it.
When I read that they use crushed glass in the priming compound to aid ignition, I began cleaning the barrel after each shooting session. A 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of Hoppe's #9 and Kroil for a few passes down the barrel - nothing too drastic. Then maybe twice a year a really good cleaning, maybe with some JB bore paste when I notice lead on my cleaning patches.
I have a bore scope and with it's use, I noticed that I was probably one of those who cleaned my barrels too much, so I don't work as hard as I used to; I'm trying to work smarter, not harder, when it comes to cleaning.
I have a bore scope and with it's use, I noticed that I was probably one of those who cleaned my barrels too much, so I don't work as hard as I used to; I'm trying to work smarter, not harder, when it comes to cleaning.
I run a bore snake soaked with Hoppes through it after shooting. Maybe once a year I'll go for a thorough cleaning - but then I do plan on a 'break in' period after that cleaning.
Everyone has an opinion.
Mine would be to clean prior to extended storage. Clean when accuracy falls off. Clean with a patch and Wipeout or their rimfire solution. Use a bore guide and no brush or nylon brush.
Leave the boresnake to the guys who reuse toilet paper. Why in the world would you re introduce the foul crap you clean out of a bore back into it?
Beware, bore snake advocates get their feelings hurt easily. They will arrive in mass and defend what is basically laziness, often with considerable vigor.
What they will fail to do is explain how reintroducing crap in the bore aids accuracy.
Mine would be to clean prior to extended storage. Clean when accuracy falls off. Clean with a patch and Wipeout or their rimfire solution. Use a bore guide and no brush or nylon brush.
Leave the boresnake to the guys who reuse toilet paper. Why in the world would you re introduce the foul crap you clean out of a bore back into it?
Beware, bore snake advocates get their feelings hurt easily. They will arrive in mass and defend what is basically laziness, often with considerable vigor.
What they will fail to do is explain how reintroducing crap in the bore aids accuracy.
I clean when I feel like the action is to sticky or when the suppressor is is being shot with it for a over a few hundred rounds. Typically it has to do with its functioning on a 10/22.
I clean every 150-200 rounds or after a range session.
Lots of people say I clean when accuracy falls off. So why wait until then?
A few VFG pellets and its spotless. Much easier than "Holy shit, my barrel is so dirty it took me hours to get it clean and shooting again."
It only takes a few rounds to get it shooting perfect again after cleaning.
Lots of people say I clean when accuracy falls off. So why wait until then?
A few VFG pellets and its spotless. Much easier than "Holy shit, my barrel is so dirty it took me hours to get it clean and shooting again."
It only takes a few rounds to get it shooting perfect again after cleaning.
Ok, I'll bite. Yes, the bore snake is a lazy way to clean.
It also seems to work for this 10/22 barrel, at least the way I use it.
First, I do not "soak" it in anything. I put a small amount of cleaner on the knot that separates the leader from the cleaning section of the device.
I think of it as a "progressive patch." The vast majority of the snake is dry. As such, the knot is wetting the bore as it passes. Then, the rest of the snake is removing fouling and cleaner as it passes. The majority of the snake is essentially clean- because the very front section is doing the cleaning and the remainder is just traversing a clean bore. These devices are also consumables. They are relatively cheap, easy to use, easy to carry, and disposable. If it is dirty, throw it away.
Is it better than other options? No, but it is easier. Is it worse? Anything can be used such that it produces poor results. At the end of the day, what we are going for is a rifle that shoots well. If you use Charmin Extra Soft to get there, great. I'm not going to get butt-hurt about how you clean your rifle.
You'd probably object to how I clean the bore of a shotgun too...
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Bore snake hasn’t cost me a match yet. Maybe I’m the lucky one. Or maybe I spend more time shooting and less time cleaning ?
My Tikka T1X, after cleaning, groups go to shit for about 150 rounds. Though also after 2000 rounds w/o cleaning, it was consistently shooting great. I only cleaned it because I thought I should clean it (and I was cleaning out my suppressor).
My 10/22 match barrel after cleaning it, only took 20 rounds before it started grouping well.
My 10/22 match barrel after cleaning it, only took 20 rounds before it started grouping well.
Bore snake hasn’t cost me a match yet. Maybe I’m the lucky one. Or maybe I spend more time shooting and less time cleaning ?
Can you explain how you could possibly know if it cost you a match?
Can you explain how dragging the crap you are trying to remove back through the bore is beneficial?
Can you quantify the increase or lack of increase in bore wear caused by doing so?
Reusing toilet paper will not cost you a shit either but it’s doubtful your ass will be cleaner by doing so.
There is a difference in time spent shooting and proper training time with well maintained equipment.
Call any quality barrel maker or winning shooter. DTubb, Tony Boyer, or the late Lons Wigger and see if they recommend or recommended a bore snake. I think you will find them laughing at you.
Would you drive your car for 100,000 miles without changing the oil ? Whats the big deal with cleaning a .22 ? I clean all my guns every time I shoot . I paid a lot of money for these guns, why not take care of them.
I used to train with Lones Wigger at the Olympic Training Center here in Colorado Springs. We would also shoot an occasional Team Match together. He was a good man and an incredible shooter.
He would clean his rifle every range session as soon as he was done shooting for the day. I asked him once about it. I figured it was his Army training kicking in where you clean after every time you use it. His reply was "My rifles shoot better clean. And clean rifles are easier to keep clean." I started tracking how my rifles actually shot after that. The number random flyers went down and my scores went up. Who am I to argue with a dude with a bunch of gold medals and a Hall of Fame shooter...
If you take a peek inside a high mileage rimfire barrel you will see a lot of pitting at the bottom where all that unburned garbage lays. So I tend to keep them clean.
Or, just watch what rimfire benchrest shooters do. They clean often.
If the bore is cleaner than when you first started, is probably a clear indication that the bore snake is doing it's job??
You can clean them and remove the crud that is collected.
No one is claiming they are the be all end all, just an extra tool too add to the arsenal.
As a proud member of BSOA ( bore snakers of America) I happen to be in the boresnake camp and I am deeply offended by your post.
So much so that I am calling upon all boresnakers to descend upon your post in nation wide, mass protest.
Most of us seasoned boresnakers will typically use some type of solvent on the brushes, and then let the trailing tail,, mop the solvent and fouling out.
None of us seasoned boresnakers put dirty, fouled snakes down our bores. Most often we will also follow the boresnake ritual with pathces after initial cleaning, until the bore starts squawking at you as the patches come out Lilly white, indicating that , Hey im clean. Thus eliminating the need to stick a rod down the bore.
I have seen this before where certain individuals stuck in their ways will assume that using a bore snake means that you are dragging fouling back through the bore. I do not know who came up with this, BUT, we at BSOA have concluded that this is false. Additionally , most of us have more than one boresnake. Which allows us to make more than one pass with one boresnake,,,,,,and then follow that with a clean boresnake........IF the need be, which most often , it need not be.
In fact, many of you conventional wisdom guys will take a rod and scrub the barrel out with a back in forth motion with jb bore paste.......do you think that foulng is not mixed in with this practice?
With the boresnake , you pull it through one time. Follow that with patches on some type of pull through cord. Wash boresnake with Dawn and allow to dry.
T.S.
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When groups open up I clean.
boresnake and a wipedown after each trip
full breakdown when obviously dirty
full breakdown when obviously dirty
this is something ive played with....i shot just over 5000 rounds through my kidd 10/22 before i sold it and bought my vudoo....im about half way through my 3rd case in the vudoo...both of these shoot much better when clean and neither one took 10 or 20 rounds to start shooting after cleaning...even a deep cleaning only takes 3-5 rounds.
i clean every time i shoot....dirty bore snake with solvent 2-3 times then a clean snake 2 times...every 4-5 cleanings i toss the old dirty snake...every 5-600 rounds it gets scrubbed out with solvent,brushes and patches.
22 ammo is dirty nasty crap and leaves a lot of un-burnt powder in the barrel why would you want to leave all that in there and add layer after layer of crap until your gun stops shooting.
i clean every time i shoot....dirty bore snake with solvent 2-3 times then a clean snake 2 times...every 4-5 cleanings i toss the old dirty snake...every 5-600 rounds it gets scrubbed out with solvent,brushes and patches.
22 ammo is dirty nasty crap and leaves a lot of un-burnt powder in the barrel why would you want to leave all that in there and add layer after layer of crap until your gun stops shooting.
I just purchased a Lilja barrel for my cz455, they have a recommended cleaning procedure that i have decided to try to stick with and it is not that strict. You can find it on their website, but they recommend only solvent cleaning every 200-500 rounds and dry patch after the first 50-100rds. The main thing I have seen when testing different ammo is to give that particular brand a few rounds after switching to settle itself in. I've often seen it take 25rds of one brand of ammo before I was getting consistent group patterns to make my judgement on whether it was a good fit for the rifle.
Seriously, boresnakes are just a convenient tool. They serve a purpose of knocking out a great deal of the bore garbage quickly. They take up very little space. They are not perfect, but neither is any other method. They are field expedient.
Live and let die. You aren't changing anyone's mind.
Live and let die. You aren't changing anyone's mind.
Here at BSOA ( Bore snakers of America) we do not judge a clean bore by the people who get them dirty.
Living vicariously though others accomplishments does not make a bore clean either.
Barrel makers make barrels. Here at BSOA we clean barrels. With copious amounts of technical data to support our findings, we here at BSOA have concluded that 3 minutes with a bore guide and a rod achieved no more cleanliness than 30 seconds with a snake. We have also concluded that field use is much more user friendly. At BSOA we do not condemn or denounce those who institute different methods of cleaning, while making a big mess, to accomplish the same thing.
T.S.
Absolutely! lol
At team BSOA our slogan is simple - Make a-bore great again.
We are a non-profit organization who take matters like this seriously, as you can see.
There are two sides to every story and two sides to every bore.
A chicken in every pot, car in every garage and a bore snake in every gun case.
Interested in joining BSOA? Don't wait, don't hesitate. We welcome one and all.
BSOA making the world a better place.
T.S.
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Welcome to BSOA! Please submit your address so I can have the Mariachi band welcoming committee greet you at your front door before you leave for work. They will have your starter kit , consisting of a single q-tip, 3 feet of weed eater string and one patch, with them.
T.S. - Founder of BSOA.
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