Barrel cleaning how often and accuracy

[Paladin529]

How often are you guys cleaning your barrels? I don't like cleaning my barrel to often and believe a fouled barrel shoots better. I recently cleaned my fairly new barrel (around 300 rounds) with copper solvent and noticed my accuracy went out the door. Now I'm not sure if It's just me or the barrel. What have any of you seen with your experience?

[cjl2010]

The guy that built my rifle said not to clean until you can see copper at the muzzle so that's what I do

[bigorange]

The guy that built my rifle said not to clean until you can see copper at the muzzle so that's what I do

Never heard that advice, but sometimes the way I feel about it. Never clean it before a hunt unless I know I'll have time to shoot it again. Fouled barrel much more accurate for me too.

[Viper]

You'll get a bunch of opinions on this. I've researched this too. I like this guy's videos. He is an ex-sniper and sniper trainer with real field experience, and keeps it simple. I like the Gunwerks videos too.

My rifle also shoots better after a couple fouling shots.

[WampusCat]

The barrel will usually tell you when its time to clean. You will see groups open up.

 

Cleaning can be as simple as a wipe/brush with a powder solvent and go or a thorough deep clean with both powder and copper solvents. After a deep clean your barrel will need to foul and settle back in usually.

 

The smooth internal surfaces of custom barrels from high end companies will not only be easier to clean out but they will settle down much quicker after a cleaning.

[lancetkenyon]

Yep. I only clean when accuracy starts to fall off. For some rifles, that is around 100-150 rounds. Others go 800+.

It usually takes 5-20 shots to foul them back to where they shoot like they should.

[Viper]

Oh, I've been cleaning too much then. I usually clean after each outing, which is typically 20 - 40 rounds. Maybe that's one of the reasons I seem to be having trouble getting tight groups.

[Red Rabbit]

I would say one might clean when they notice groups opening. Most probably do not shoot a hunting rifle enough rounds (unfortunately), or have a rifle accurate enough to notice, so a clean and oil at the end of the season would suffice. I usually shoot at least 3 foulers after cleaning.

 

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/barrel-cleaning-debate/

[rossislider]

I used to clean way to much, pretty much after every trip out to the range, hunt, etc. I now clean at the end of the season (spring) and re-foul the barrel over the summer and fall as I prepare for the upcoming season's hunts. So to answer your question, about once a year.

[Paladin529]

Thanks guys. Ya guess I'll just keep shooting it and hope it tightens up before this season hunts. I like that guys videos too. Learned a lot from his long range shooting vids too. I see gunwerks using that wipeout I may give that a try next time I clean it. Came across this article in my research http://www.6mmbr.com/borebrushing.html

You're right there is a lot of opinions on this matter and these bench shooters clean after every group. But I'll stick to maybe once a year cleaning.

[firstcoueswas80]

Wipe out patch out and the accelerator work great.

[Tac]

I use wipe out and accelerator after every time to the range first shot is dead on and no oil in barrel. My .338 lapua shoot 1/2 moa and likes to be clean. My 6.5 creedmoor I have not had long enough to know what it likes yet but have been treating it the same way. and it shoots 1/2 moa also.

I can control the clean barrel and if it shoots well with a clean barrel I will keep doing it.

I used to rarely clean a barrel and had accuracy go away on .338 lapua after 60 rounds when most guys claim they get better. I think you have to take each one on its own .

Most trips to the range are 3-10 shots through the .338 and 20-40 through the 6.5

I have spent the last year with .338 and learning its likes and dislikes and with two tags this year I will stay with what is working but I often want to shoot till loss of accuracy to see how long it will go.

[L Cazador]

A rifle shoots better fouled than a clean barrel ! Well if that were case I'd be buying those factory barrels that I use for tomato stakes rather than spending all that money on these nice smooth custom barrels that I own that take a lot of shooting before they foul. Well what fits one shooter as "still shooting good" can definitely be garbage for another. I have owned a borescope for some 25 years now and the one thing I learned with it is how clean is a clean barrel. Fouling deposits in layers and just because you don't see blue on the patch doesn't mean it's clean. It's probably not blue because you just penetrated the first layer. More work will probably reveal even more fouling. As this fouling accumulates it will build layer on layer even faster because copper adheres to copper easier and because carbon deposits will also deposit it will keep building and hiding the copper underneath. Nothing wrong with shooting a fouler before you shoot for record. I shoot benchrest matches and I clean every ten shots, some guys clean every five and that's a custom barrel that fouls very little. I use custom barrels on my hunting guns as well and I clean every 20 shots. I use Sweets first as that product provides lubricity for my cleaning brush and then I use Bore Shine on a phosphor bronze brush. I also clean the chamber ring after each cleaning which will also affect accuracy. I always use a bore guide and dry patch the chamber as well as the bore. Watch the video that Viper posted and you will get an idea how to properly clean a bore. There were some things I disagreed with on the video, don't put your patches in a jar, use a plastic solvent bottle for dispensing your solvent onto the patch or brush. Sweets comes in a bottle with a drip top so you can dispense on to a patch. Another thing the guy did was not wear gloves, use some type of rubber glove like nitrile gloves so the solvent doesn't come in contact with your skin. Cleaning is not a race to get it done as fast as possible, although I wish that were possible, so don't run the rod back and forth like in some kind of race. Use a slow stroke so the patch or brush does not skate over the rifleing. Always cover your scope lens as solvents will destroy the lens coatings and can etch the surface as well. You'd be surprised as to the amount of solvent that sprays out as you clean so clean in a well vented area.

[PRDATR]

Only thing I will add is anything that is not bio-degradeable will get absorbed through your skin and go to your liver. I hear guys say things like I use Hoppes No9 as aftershave but Sweets is some nasty, but effective, stuff.

Pay attention to to your rifle and how cleaning works for it, everyone is different if you are a good enough marksman to take advantage of it and be consistent.