My Tikka based 6.5X47 all of a sudden started shooting some inconsistent groups. My first worry was the barrel has gone south as I have about 1500 rounds down the tube. I have heard too many different stories of the barrel life of this caliber, anywhere from 1k to 3k? I talked to a guru named Don Trevor in New Mexico and he felt using the load I was shooting (34.7gr Varget pushing a 130 Berger VLD) that I should get at least a 2500 round life out of my 29” Med Palma Krieger tube.
He asked how I clean the barrel, I told him I only use a jag, patches and Hoppes # 9 to clean carbon every time I shoot. I use Boretechs CU cooper remover about every 100 rounds or so. He said I most likely have carbon build up that is causing my woes. He recommended saturating the tube with HOPPEs # 9 and running a bronze brush from chamber to muzzle about 15 times they run patches until clean.
I did this and the rife came back in to spec @ 100 yards around .5-.75MOA. I shot a 1K Palma match, did ok as far as total score but was disappointed in my number of Xs. I went to my 300 yard range and the rifle was back to shooting around 1-1.5 MOA, both at 300 and 100 yards. I went home and took apart the action from the stock and found the recoil lug fairly wet as well as some moisture under the action., I assume the liquid was Hoppes(yes I use a bore guide) it’s just I was really soaking the patches and brush.
Anyhow I dried it all up and re-torqued the stock to the action. I am going to shoot the rifle this afternoon. I hope the Hoppes under the lug and action was the cause of my woes? What do you guys think.
Thx Diego
Theodore Montano, RVSR
He asked how I clean the barrel, I told him I only use a jag, patches and Hoppes # 9 to clean carbon every time I shoot. I use Boretechs CU cooper remover about every 100 rounds or so. He said I most likely have carbon build up that is causing my woes. He recommended saturating the tube with HOPPEs # 9 and running a bronze brush from chamber to muzzle about 15 times they run patches until clean.
I did this and the rife came back in to spec @ 100 yards around .5-.75MOA. I shot a 1K Palma match, did ok as far as total score but was disappointed in my number of Xs. I went to my 300 yard range and the rifle was back to shooting around 1-1.5 MOA, both at 300 and 100 yards. I went home and took apart the action from the stock and found the recoil lug fairly wet as well as some moisture under the action., I assume the liquid was Hoppes(yes I use a bore guide) it’s just I was really soaking the patches and brush.
Anyhow I dried it all up and re-torqued the stock to the action. I am going to shoot the rifle this afternoon. I hope the Hoppes under the lug and action was the cause of my woes? What do you guys think.
Thx Diego
Theodore Montano, RVSR
