Had some gift cards to spend so I found the Lyman bore scope and have been messing with it. Lower pic is the beginning of the throat I think, and I believe that is what’s called a carbon ring. Haven’t spent much time researching bore scope images and wtf I’m looking at or should be looking for. Probably one of those deals where I was way happier before I saw this lol! Upper image is farther down the rifling, seems like I saw lots of carbon fouling for a few inches past the chamber area. Anything else you see or suggest paying attention to I would appreciate any thoughts.
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Range Report Thought my cleaning regimen was ok, NOT!
- Thread starter mahlv
- Start date
I too thought I was doing well cleaning. I’m using Boretech Eliminator, brushes, and patches.
My Lapua 6.5 creed brass is short and I can’t get it to minimum trim length and I believe this caused a nasty carbon ring.
I didn’t worry about it much until I tried to find the lands again and was coming up extremely short. I could force the tool (Hornady) past it but it would jam in the lands.
I have cleaned the shit out of the throat and it’s still there. Just bought some VFG pellets and a jag for those to see if it helps to clear it up.
My Lapua 6.5 creed brass is short and I can’t get it to minimum trim length and I believe this caused a nasty carbon ring.
I didn’t worry about it much until I tried to find the lands again and was coming up extremely short. I could force the tool (Hornady) past it but it would jam in the lands.
I have cleaned the shit out of the throat and it’s still there. Just bought some VFG pellets and a jag for those to see if it helps to clear it up.
I’ve been using hoppes elite bore gel, nylon brush, and scrubbing 20 strokes and then a dry patch until I’d get a clean patch. Usually only took 4-5 times to get a clean patch that would just start to show copper and then I’d quit. This would be after 200 rounds or so. This particular rifle is shooting as good as it ever has, so this carbon I’m seeing is pretty disturbing
Accuracy is no different, but this fouling (if that’s what that is) is dramatically different from my other rifles. This rifle is a hunting rig, and some others I have that are abused in PRS/NRL matches don’t show this level of buildup.
I’m trying to learn what to look for with the scope and/or get to where the scope will serve its purpose
The first picture looks like a pretty well used throat. Heat checking and cracking; while it may look bad, it's pretty damn normal. Until it checks bad enough to cause pressure changes /SD and precision issues, not much you can do other than slow rate of fire and shoot fewer rounds when barrel is warm.
That second picture though.... Holy $h!+ Batman! Looks like your rifle got an STD from some back alley ammo! Lol. I've never seen anything even remotely close to that in a rifle; only in Sex Ed 20-some odd years ago!
On a more serious note, I've started using Kroil on a bronze brush similar in size to the neck area of chamber on a short, chamber style cleaning rod. For a 223/224, I use a .243 brush and for 6.5mm I use .30cal brush. I spin it several times (working in/out slowly) when it's just started into neck and slightly into lead/throat.
That has kept my carbon rings in check very well and, unlike full on cleanings, seem to have very little if any effect on CB/SD/Groups the next outing. Process take 2 min or so for each rifle.
I have to ask because it's difficult to see from the picture. In pic 2, is that smooth section on the right the neck and the alligatored/bubbly/warty section the Freebore/leade where the rifle shot l should be starting?
Shit, that throat looks damn near virgin compared to this 6.5 CM barrel at 2000 rounds, just before I replaced it at 2500. It’s impossible to keep a cheese grater free of carbon and copper.
The Lyman, IMO, is a great scope for the money. I got one when I suspected a carbon ring & it showed it clear as day.
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I should have worded my original post better; I completely agree and meant more "normal" throat. The ops first pic looks fine to me. The pics you have look like what I expect when barrel is close to it's last breath.
Yessir, exactly. Great analogy btw! I might need rubber gloves now lol!
I’m really torn on going after this really aggressively, bore paste, or any abrasive, yet I know a patch and/or solvent is not ever gonna cut that crap.
Appreciate the input for sure
I think you might be surprised. A phosphor bronze brush spinning circular (perpendicular to bullet travel/bore) will take out some pretty knarly crap.
But you may get it done faster with Kroil + JB soaked patch on a bronze brush. If that doesn't get it out, you might try Wipeout Carbon remover stuff (don't recall the exact name) then go back to JB/Kroil.
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I'd sell bore scope....and listen what your barrel is telling you ....?. And start saving for a new barrel...I have a feeling your going to need one, cleaning it to death....
You’re not wrong! I’m 1,500 rounds or so into this barrel, so it would be just a medium kick in the nuts if I ruin it by cleaning.
I did actually. This is my first proof research carbon barrel so I was pretty cautious with it. I did 5 rounds cleaning after each, then 10 rounds cleaned after every 2, and then tried to stick to just a carbon solvent cleaning after 100 rounds or so. My patches would come clean after 4-5 so I thought I was gtg. This method has been great on my other rifles, but I’m leaning towards that rl33 is some dirty crap. My other guns I run h4350 and rl26, the same cleaning regimen has zero rings and barnacles like this 7mag.
I couldn't sleep if I had a barrel that looked like that. Not bashing you, I'm just OCD about rifle cleanliness.
What I've observed, purely from personal experience, is that on the barrels I do a break in procedure (the one the Mfg recommends) they aren't any more or less precise, but they're easier to clean on subsequent firings. Keeping everything clean is actually just more of a pain in the ass, as you have to shoot fowlers, and run some ammo to settle it back in.
There are endless opinions that will probably never be reconciled, but my barrels look slick on the Hawkeye because I long stroke brass brushes with a bore guide, and use homemade Ed's Red. I make a couple of gallons at a time every couple of years and keep it in a labeled gas can.
http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9
Save you a bundle on ridiculously priced bottles of cleaning solution, and works ten times better than anything else I or anyone I know has ever tried. I've given away a hundred little bottles of it, with basically the same recipe above, over the years and converted all my friends who seriously shoot.
I add a can of Kroil, use the Acetone, and include the lanolin. There's something in the automatic transmission fluid that beats the fuck out of anything else. The acetone makes it work a lot faster. You have to keep the lid shut when you're not actively applying it though, because the acetone is super volatile and evaporates really fast. All together it melts all the shit in your barrel like it was nothing, and leaves it looking new (except for actual damage to the steel in the throat that just happens cuz). Doesn't to anything for copper, but I only clean for copper every once in a while when the streaks show up on the bore scope.
Cleaning threads are the lifeblood of internet gun sites, but this shit has been around for many generations because it just works. If you take the time to brew your own I do not believe you will be disappointed and will become a believer, and you will stop paying through the nose per OZ for shit that only marginally works.
What I've observed, purely from personal experience, is that on the barrels I do a break in procedure (the one the Mfg recommends) they aren't any more or less precise, but they're easier to clean on subsequent firings. Keeping everything clean is actually just more of a pain in the ass, as you have to shoot fowlers, and run some ammo to settle it back in.
There are endless opinions that will probably never be reconciled, but my barrels look slick on the Hawkeye because I long stroke brass brushes with a bore guide, and use homemade Ed's Red. I make a couple of gallons at a time every couple of years and keep it in a labeled gas can.
http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9
Save you a bundle on ridiculously priced bottles of cleaning solution, and works ten times better than anything else I or anyone I know has ever tried. I've given away a hundred little bottles of it, with basically the same recipe above, over the years and converted all my friends who seriously shoot.
I add a can of Kroil, use the Acetone, and include the lanolin. There's something in the automatic transmission fluid that beats the fuck out of anything else. The acetone makes it work a lot faster. You have to keep the lid shut when you're not actively applying it though, because the acetone is super volatile and evaporates really fast. All together it melts all the shit in your barrel like it was nothing, and leaves it looking new (except for actual damage to the steel in the throat that just happens cuz). Doesn't to anything for copper, but I only clean for copper every once in a while when the streaks show up on the bore scope.
Cleaning threads are the lifeblood of internet gun sites, but this shit has been around for many generations because it just works. If you take the time to brew your own I do not believe you will be disappointed and will become a believer, and you will stop paying through the nose per OZ for shit that only marginally works.
I totally understand....I would be afraid to bore scope my rifles....I'd probably want to rebarrel them all ..lol. A medium kick to the nuts doesn't sound too appealing either....
A barrel manufacturer loathes the guy that says "I just got a boresope and it looks...". My friend, a gunsmith for several BR shooters, has told me many borescope tales of - "looks terrible, shoots great" and the "looks perfect and shoots like sh!t" stories that make you wonder what you are really looking for with a BS. If it shoots great, then do nothing. There are some shooters that just cant stand the fact that a crappy looking bore shoots great.
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1500 rounds of 7mm Rem Mag I think any Barrel is pretty much toast.
