what is the best/most effective way of cleaning a 22 rimfire barrel and get out all of the lube/wax as well as the carbon and lead build up without running a bronze bristle and patches endlessly
how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
- Thread starter 1shot2kill
- Start date
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
I use Hoppe's. I don't clean the barrel on my precision rifle unless I'm starting to see accuracy falling off, which is usually at around 5000 rounds. When I do clean, I just use Hoppe's No. 9. Nothing elaborate. Getting the lube/wax out isn't a big deal. It literally just wipes out with a patch.
I do, however, brush my chamber and throat out at the end of every shooting session, while the barrel is still hot. I haven't had any problems with carbon buildup or anything like that in many thousands of rounds.
I use Hoppe's. I don't clean the barrel on my precision rifle unless I'm starting to see accuracy falling off, which is usually at around 5000 rounds. When I do clean, I just use Hoppe's No. 9. Nothing elaborate. Getting the lube/wax out isn't a big deal. It literally just wipes out with a patch.
I do, however, brush my chamber and throat out at the end of every shooting session, while the barrel is still hot. I haven't had any problems with carbon buildup or anything like that in many thousands of rounds.
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
the reason why i ask is i am going to do some accuracy testing with many different types of ammo and i want to have a clean bore for each type
the reason why i ask is i am going to do some accuracy testing with many different types of ammo and i want to have a clean bore for each type
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
I also use Hoppes #9. You only need a patch or two.
I also use Hoppes #9. You only need a patch or two.
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
shooters choice seemed to work the best for me as far as getting all the gunk out. the lead remover stuff
http://www.shooters-choice.com/product-information
practically strips everything out, don't know exactly if it gets the lead out, but does pull out more gunk when using it after i cleaned it with other cleaners.
if not wanting to use bristle brushes, remington make a "sueegie" type tip that's pretty effective, a plastic / rubbery type o" thing.
what's also nice is weed wacker string the length of the barrel, a knot on one end, and angled cut on the other. puncture the patch with the "pointed" end, slip down to the knot, insert into barrel from the receiver or muzzle. basically a homemade "otis" that's quick and easy.
brake cleaner works well too, but takes off rust protection and lube everywhere else, be carefull if using it.
shooters choice seemed to work the best for me as far as getting all the gunk out. the lead remover stuff
http://www.shooters-choice.com/product-information
practically strips everything out, don't know exactly if it gets the lead out, but does pull out more gunk when using it after i cleaned it with other cleaners.
if not wanting to use bristle brushes, remington make a "sueegie" type tip that's pretty effective, a plastic / rubbery type o" thing.
what's also nice is weed wacker string the length of the barrel, a knot on one end, and angled cut on the other. puncture the patch with the "pointed" end, slip down to the knot, insert into barrel from the receiver or muzzle. basically a homemade "otis" that's quick and easy.
brake cleaner works well too, but takes off rust protection and lube everywhere else, be carefull if using it.
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
If as average precision .22rf we can accept a anschutz 54match,the last step can (for me,"must")be done with IOSSO paste (from Sinclair,etc.)_
If as average precision .22rf we can accept a anschutz 54match,the last step can (for me,"must")be done with IOSSO paste (from Sinclair,etc.)_
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
I have had good luck with Bore Tech Rimfire Blend. It also works well on my .22lr suppressor.
I have had good luck with Bore Tech Rimfire Blend. It also works well on my .22lr suppressor.
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
Like a previous poster, I don't clean my .22 rifles until accuracy falls off. At the point, I have had good luck with the Wipe-Out products -- no brushing, just patches and dwell time.
Like a previous poster, I don't clean my .22 rifles until accuracy falls off. At the point, I have had good luck with the Wipe-Out products -- no brushing, just patches and dwell time.
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
I follow Lilja's instructions
http://www.riflebarrels.com/support/rimfire_maintenance.htm
I follow Lilja's instructions
http://www.riflebarrels.com/support/rimfire_maintenance.htm
Re: how to clean a precision rimfire 22 barrel ?
Using a patch of Kroil then a couple dry patches is a reigimen known to work wonders for many of the top shooters and it doesn't strip the barrel too harshly which only means having to fire a box or more of expensive ammo to re-foul the barrel and restore accuracy. Doing that between different test lots could be time consuming and unnecessarily expensive and accuracy during the re-fouling process can be horrible depending on your barrel and no fun.
When switching lots or even different brands just a few fouling shots with the new ammo will almost always get the barrel re-seasoned with the new lube and ready for testing and overcleaning a rimfire is almost always a detriment to accuracy and probably shortens barrel life as the lube onthe bulklet seals and protects the bore from rust/corrosion by it's nature and this is hard for a centerfire shooter to get accustomed to.
Using a patch of Kroil then a couple dry patches is a reigimen known to work wonders for many of the top shooters and it doesn't strip the barrel too harshly which only means having to fire a box or more of expensive ammo to re-foul the barrel and restore accuracy. Doing that between different test lots could be time consuming and unnecessarily expensive and accuracy during the re-fouling process can be horrible depending on your barrel and no fun.
When switching lots or even different brands just a few fouling shots with the new ammo will almost always get the barrel re-seasoned with the new lube and ready for testing and overcleaning a rimfire is almost always a detriment to accuracy and probably shortens barrel life as the lube onthe bulklet seals and protects the bore from rust/corrosion by it's nature and this is hard for a centerfire shooter to get accustomed to.
My wife and I each own a Remington 40X in .22 RF caliber. Both bought basically as a "pig in a poke"...in other words I never got a chance to shoot either one. Hers is a 1965 Rem 700 based heavy barrel and, luckily, shoots very well...nice groups and she is kicking my (and other guys' butts with it in our 100 yard Mini Palma Matches.!). Mine is a 1964 Rem 722 based rifle and is not too much different visibly from hers other than one having a straight bolt handle and the other a "swept" bolt handle. Barrel measurements are ALL the same and both have had Calvin Elite triggers put in them (we both like 2 stage triggers) and are both in their original stocks (as far as I can tell). Mine shoot shotgun groups (as luck would have it) and I figure that somewhere in its long life someone has ruined the barrel with a cleaning rod, so I decided to do an experiment on it. What I decided is to either ruin it completely by cleaning VERY HEAVILY ( I am kind in the market for a good replacement anyway) OR maybe just find out how clean I can actually get it. BTW, after spending literally ALL DAY (stuck in the house here due to COVID 19 and bored to death!) on cleaning with patches, bronze brushes and nylon brushes using several brands of bore goop (another experiment, I guess). I am still getting white patches that come out REALLY BLACK from the groove areas---which I figure must mean the thing has NEVER been really cleaned and likely has 56 years worth of lead in it. BUT, it does have me wondering if there is ever going to be any end to the black (lead?) gunk and the patches will come out looking fairly pristine! Have any of you ever messed with something like this that started out with really black patches? And if so, how long did it take before the patches looked like the rifle was clean? Since I am planning to rebarrel this thing anyway, I am likely going to clean it to the point of just totally ruining it....either that or the patches will start coming out looking OK and the accuracy will (dreaming here maybe??) come back. Who knows? Anyone ever done anything like this? I'd like to hear from you!!
I would mix some Kroil into your cleaning solvent and push about 4 or 5 wet patches through the rifle. Get a good cup of coffee (or after 6:30am, a fine adult beverage) and wait for about 30-45 minutes. Then push several wet patches (solvent only) followed by 10-12 passes with a bronze brush (one direction only and take the brush off after clearing the muzzle). Run another 3 or 4 dry patches through to clean the residual, 2 wet then 4 or 5 dry to see what you get. The Kroil helps life the deep lead from the grooves.
Something to try. YMMV.
Regards
ken
when dealing with an old neglected barrel, a dear friend who used to compete at a very high level back in the day taught me the following technique which has proven to work very well for me:
I fill the barrel with Hoppe's and leave it sit overnight ( i bought some inexpensive polymer bore plugs from Brownells back in the day).
The next morning i drain the Hoppe's and then do a gentle scrub with Kroil and a very small amount of Bore Bright on a brand new cotton mop (again all from Brownells).
after a few minutes of back and forth (having cleaned the mop a couple of times and replenishing with fresh Kroil/Bore Bright each time i'll then run a couple of dry patches. now it's ready to shoot.
If i'm going to put the rifle back in the safe i lightly coat the barrel inside and out with a light coat of oil or even RIG to prevent rust.
very easy to do. it seems to help considerably.
I fill the barrel with Hoppe's and leave it sit overnight ( i bought some inexpensive polymer bore plugs from Brownells back in the day).
The next morning i drain the Hoppe's and then do a gentle scrub with Kroil and a very small amount of Bore Bright on a brand new cotton mop (again all from Brownells).
after a few minutes of back and forth (having cleaned the mop a couple of times and replenishing with fresh Kroil/Bore Bright each time i'll then run a couple of dry patches. now it's ready to shoot.
If i'm going to put the rifle back in the safe i lightly coat the barrel inside and out with a light coat of oil or even RIG to prevent rust.
very easy to do. it seems to help considerably.
Go to the resources area of the Hide. I put a paper there on cleaning rimfire barrels written by Steve Boelter at Anschutz. It is the way to go. Steve has forgotten more about rimfire barrels than most will ever learn. i follow it...it is easy and it keeps my Annie humming along
If it were my rifle I would be excited as hell with the thought that the barrel will possibly/likely shoot well once the neglect of years of lead buildup is removed. Barrel might be in excellent condition under the "protective" layer of accumulated lead...... Just like unwrapping a present. Remove that lead!
QUOTE "I would mix some Kroil into your cleaning solvent and push about 4 or 5 wet patches through the rifle. Get a good cup of coffee (or after 6:30am, a fine adult beverage) and wait for about 30-45 minutes. Then push several wet patches (solvent only) followed by 10-12 passes with a bronze brush (one direction only and take the brush off after clearing the muzzle). Run another 3 or 4 dry patches through to clean the residual, 2 wet then 4 or 5 dry to see what you get. The Kroil helps life the deep lead from the grooves.
Something to try. YMMV.
Regards
ken"
(0710 hours) Well, I am currently giving that a try.....So far, all I've accomplished is a bad case of stinky finger (GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!!--NOT that kind of stinky finger). Will have to now wait for 30-45 minutes and see what it does, but the CABERNET is sure working well!!
Besides, what other kind of tortures are there I can try...will look at all the above suggestions and try them, too. I figure that maybe I can jsut TORTURE this barrel into grouping better!! Oh...and the CABERNET sure isn't hurting anything!!
And, yes, like Merlin O said, I am getting kinda excited about what improvement in accuracy might come of this experiment, though all that excitement MAY have to wait until I install a new barrel!
Something to try. YMMV.
Regards
ken"
(0710 hours) Well, I am currently giving that a try.....So far, all I've accomplished is a bad case of stinky finger (GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!!--NOT that kind of stinky finger). Will have to now wait for 30-45 minutes and see what it does, but the CABERNET is sure working well!!
Besides, what other kind of tortures are there I can try...will look at all the above suggestions and try them, too. I figure that maybe I can jsut TORTURE this barrel into grouping better!! Oh...and the CABERNET sure isn't hurting anything!!
And, yes, like Merlin O said, I am getting kinda excited about what improvement in accuracy might come of this experiment, though all that excitement MAY have to wait until I install a new barrel!
I have four 52's and one 40XB, all bought used. A couple of them seemed to not clean up with Boretech Rimfire Blend or Hoppies #9. I could clean with a brush and pull three or four clean patches the another with solvent and they'd come out dirty again. So I bought a small tub of JB Bore paste, after applying it to a bronze brush and making about ten passes through the barrel. I then pull three clean patches through it, a clean patch with #9, then another clean dry patch. My patches now come out clean.
After this experience with a couple of the 52's, when I picked up the 40X it was cleaned using the method above before it was ever fired and it shoots great. I'll use it on any used rifle I buy going forward.
(0833 PST) Well, the Cabernet worked...trouble is my wife is now awake and that put the end to THAT! BUT, the rifle does look better now. I just scoped the bore with my Hawkeye and It looks pretty good. Now, I just need to go out and shoot it to see if all that made any difference. i guess we'll see if I totally killed it or if I made any improvement!
I hope the op doesn't mind me adding a question here.
After completely cleaning a 22lr barrel, how many rounds does it take to get a good idea of the accuracy of a particular ammunition before cleaning again and changing to the next ammo?
After completely cleaning a 22lr barrel, how many rounds does it take to get a good idea of the accuracy of a particular ammunition before cleaning again and changing to the next ammo?
the Lilja discussion mentioned "Match quality bullets have a wax coating on them that aids accuracy. It may take 10-50 shots to “lay” a good coating of it down in the barrel and using solvents will only remove this desirable wax coating."
I will likely shoot at least 10 of the first test rounds before even beginning to make any kind of judgement, but it COULD take more than that. This is a kinda "feel" thing and you can likely see the groups start to "stabilize" and show a tendency to make some kind of recognizable groups before you deem it meaningful. I'd say that one just has to shoot it with one particular kind of ammo until one thinks he can make some kind of a judgement call. I will say that when doing ammo testing (for groups) or when changing from, say Eley to Lapua ammo (or even between lot numbers of the same ammo!), most of my rifles need to have the "new ammo" shot at least 5 or 6 rounds to "acclimate" the bore to the new stuff (usually due to differing kinds of lube, bullet material and so forth) before shooting for groups. Some barrels and/or kinds of ammo MAY need more to sufficiently "foul" the barrel with the new ammo before proceeding. 22s can be really picky/weird about this kind of thing and it varies among rifles quite a bit!!
It varies from barrel to barrel. A custom hand lapped barrel usually takes less than a factory barrel to settle in after cleaning. Somewhere in the history of smallbore someone threw out 1 round for every inch of barrel. I have never had a match barrel need more than 5. YMMV.
As for switching between ammunition, I recommend just cleaning the rifle vs running another brand (and lube) over top. The various lubes WILL make ammo shoot differently - and not always for the better.
Shooter's Choice Lead Remover.
Typically, this gets it clean, but often fails to restore full new barrel accuracy.
A friend would lend me his 22lr chamber reamer to manually chase the accumulated lead out of the extreme forward region of the chamber. That finished the job.
Greg
Typically, this gets it clean, but often fails to restore full new barrel accuracy.
A friend would lend me his 22lr chamber reamer to manually chase the accumulated lead out of the extreme forward region of the chamber. That finished the job.
Greg
For me and my purposes... I don't clean between different ammunition samples. I shoot a few (15-20) to warm up me and the gun then - I shoot two groups of 5 and change ammo. The first group upon changing "generally" seems to be a little larger than the second group. But the second group of 5 is close to what it will be if you shoot a number of groups. I shoot my different types/lots/brands of ammo in this manner and then take the ammo that looks like it has promise and shoot further groups to refine my decisions as to what I wish to do. I am sure this is not what someone who lives and dies by the details would do but it is, IMO, a valid manner of getting to the good stuff without a lot of needless effort, time and expense. If you get your cookies by sitting there charting and graphing you will probably want to go with a lot more ammunition per sample to satisfy your "needs".
Well, after (literally) 1 1/2 days of cleaning this barrel thinking all the while that I was likely just killing it off, it finally passed the borscope/eyball test so I went out and shot it this morning in nice calm conditions. I really only had time to shoot four different kinds of ammo at 100 yards and it looked a LOT better than it did (though not yet up to match standards...maybe 3rd or fourth place in a Mini Palma, but NOT what I (expect!). I think that, though I can see nothing that makes me NEED to have the crown redone, I think I'm going to have that done just to see what happens. Also, I have a new firing pin assembly ordered from PT & G that I will install to, hopefully, cure some light hits/failure to fire issues I have been having. Once that all gets done, I'll go out and shoot it some more and try several other types of ammunition. SOOO--I guess I didn't kill the barrel and will continue to do little stuff to see if I can get it to print some good groups. The two 5 shot 100 yard groups attached are from this morning and look to me like they MAY have some potential! Neither of them look too bad, and I think (hoping, anyway) that the "flyer" that happened in each group was ME. One was with Eley PRACTICE 100 (which is NOT one of their "good" ammo types and the other was Wolf Match Extra that was sorted for rim thickness. The squares in the pics are 1". Oh...and bear in mind that I was just shooting for groups and NOT adjusting the scope to center the group on the target.....
Attachments
Last edited:
I would suggest you try some more and different ammunition before making any further decisions. Perhaps something along the lines of SK Standard and Center X and a higher end Eley. You don't have to end up shooting the high dollar stuff but to truly determine the capabilities of the barrel you "need" to try the Good ammo.....
Just my .02....
Just my .02....
Yeah...22 RFs are REAL picky about ammo, so you have to shoot about 20 or more different brands/models of ammo to find what works best in any particular rifle/handgun. I've already tried Center-X and Midas + in this and it doesn't like them...does OK with the SK stuff, but I need to try SK green box pistol match as that seems to do REAL WELL in my wife's 40X. But then, you NEVER KNOW what is going to work and when you find one that shoots well, you need to go back and get about as much of the same lot number as you can, as even the lot numbers make a difference. Heck, a few years ago I tried a bunch of different stuff in a Thompson Contender (22RF match barrel and it turned out that that barrel liked Federal bulk packed (750 in a box...I have forgotten the stock number now!) I used that stuff for a LOOOONG time and wound up winning many state and regional matches with it...placed well in the Nationals. My Anschutz 1712 with a Lilja barrel on it LOVES Wolf Rifle Match!
Last edited:
The moment I read this thread title I knew it was gonna open Pandora's box lol. When asked how do I clean "x" rifle, I often reply with "however tf you want". I say this because after contacting the FBI sniper school, USMC SS school, ARMY sniper school and talking with F/TR competitors and asking PRS shooters...they all do/use a diff. Technique and all claim to shoot lights out. ONLY one thing that popped up with any sort of consistency was that when they were using a rod and not a boresnake... they all use bore guides. So my advice to you is do whatever you want and use whatever you want. (Ide use a rimfire solvent personally...and if using a rod use a guide.
Hey Walt... How did you come up with the Nu Finish? Is the Nu Finish is for the burnishing of the bore by the contained ceramic microspheres or.......?
I know if you polish a rifle bolt it seems to run smoother afterwards.. Not sure if it has abrasive qualities...
I know if you polish a rifle bolt it seems to run smoother afterwards.. Not sure if it has abrasive qualities...
Clean a rimfire bore? Hardly ever… Then when I do, Kroil for full bore and something for the carbon buildup at the chamber. Kroil seems to work well for smallbore. As to Donireno 's 52, shoot, keep shooting, and change ammo. I've had very good success with P100 in a couple rifles, but Eley match has proven to be VERY consistent in my 52's and Anschutz rifles.
What you may notice as you shoot Eley Match, is that you'll have very consistent groups but they won't be small. So your rifle will print .9-1.2 at 100 ( most 52's have no problem doing that), once you find a consistent lot, use that lot number to buy various velocities. Shoot strings of 4-5x5 shot groups and watch how they expand and contract. Using this method, I've found that my H&R model 12 (with tuner) favors Match in the 1060-65 FPS range. at 1070 and 1055 groups open up. Good luck, You'll find the right ammo.
If you are endlessly patching to get clean, I say it might he time for a different barrel or ammo. My Kidd barrels take a wet (One Shot or CLP) patch or two, but even my factory CZ barrels need maybe 6 wet patches max (after the 1,000 patches it toom to get the factory crud out). I only shoot SK and Center X, never any coated or high velocity stuff, so I'm sure that helps.
Or just pick up a vudoo and anything made by Lapua. Zero testing 20 types of ammo over the four vudoo’s I’ve owned. Sk standard Plus will run fine for any prs style match out to 300yds.
And if you want to shoot f class or BR, send it to lapua for testing and then buy a bunch of that lot.
Similar threads
