Advanced Marksmanship When to clean the bore

XRAY110

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Minuteman
Feb 9, 2011
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Arkansas
I am rather new to super accurate shooting but have shot a good portion of my short life. I feel wrong asking such a simple quesiton in a forum titled "advanced markmanship", but I want to become advanced so why not ask? After reading several posts I find a lot of people commenting about not cleaning their rifles very much. I have always been under the impression that you want a super clean bore for every shot. I run a bore snake through after every 20 shots at least. Should it be more like every 100 shots or 500 shots? Is this very uneccesary or even totally wrong? Again sorry for such an elementary question, but why do it wrong forever when I can ask the guys that really know now?
 
Re: When to clean the bore

I was under that same impression until I started listening to Lowlight -- it is a paradigm shift to say the least. From my understanding he says just shoot and at the end of the session run a boresnake through. Then when you get to about 300 rounds or so you perform a good cleaning. I would suggest paying the fee and getting access to the online training .. it is worth it. He goes over all in that site and is adding new lessons all the time.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Yes I definitely want to get access to the online training. I'm about to graduate from college so the funds are at an all time low, but I have already gained a wealth of knowlege from the boards and have no doubt it would be money well spent. Thanks for yall's opinions!
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Run it until the groups open up then give it a thorough cleaning. If you shoot on a dry day with no dirt, debris or precipitation just put it back in the safe. If you ran it in a comp or on a rainy day just dry off/clean the exterior and run a boresnake for 5 passes.
The carbon and copper actually fill up the lands and grooves and is the reason the rifle is accurate. It will not harm the rifle to leave it there as long as you run good ammo through it.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

http://www.6mmbr.com/borebrushing.html
...all this shows is that there appears to be no absolute rule...AND all are champions or industry professionals.

If all the professionals seem to have their own cleaning routine and can't agree on ONE method....AND they all win and are recognized as champions or experts in the field. My conclusion is that it doesn't really matter as long as whatever method your decide on is based/grounded in common sense.

I personally clean very well after every time I shoot and my 6.5 Creedmoor HAMMERS at 1k if I'm not killed by the coastal California wind.

If you notice that you shoot better with a dirty bore don't clean as much...if you like to have a clean gun...clean more. Like I said, I clean often and if I do my part the rifle hammers. You can treat your rifle like a Marine sniper that is 7 months into a 9 month deployment...but if you don't have to; why on earth would you. You either have already or will pay good money in the future for your gear...pamper it, until for some reason you can't (i.e. competition, extended hunting trip etc...)

Also, for me personnaly...a boresnake would NEVER touch my bore unless I was actually 7 months into a 9 month deployment and I was in middle of sending some folks to meet up with their virgins.


Gary Schneider, Schneider Rifle Barrels (primary barrel used on USMC Sniper rifles)
"I'm a proponent of keeping your barrel clean, and cleaning whenever practical. A disciplined benchrest shooter will clean often. But every shooting discipline has a different shot cycle that will dictate how many shots can be fired before it's practical to clean."

 
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Re: When to clean the bore

We teach, clean your bore after every shooting session. In my opinion it's a matter of weapon maintenance. You take care of your weapon. If it's dirty clean it.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Its hard to sleep at night knowing my rifle is in the safe with a dirty barrel. But the fact is it keeps shooting tighter until around 300 rds then tapers off. My 6xc requires around 10 shots to settle in after a good cleaning.......If i cleaned after trip to the range barrel life would suffer.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Grew up cleaning after every session of shooting....taught that way. I clean maybe every 6-700 rounds now (for the last 10 years) and even then I do not want to get all the copper out. I do clean the action, lugs etc. every time but the bore is rarely touched. My cold bore shots are right on and accuracy remains consistent for hundreds of rounds....barrel life is better also. Scrubbing every time you shoot just shortens barrel life in addition to the wasted rounds for the POI to settle after each scrubbing. Pampering my bore means not scrubbing it. It was hard for me to convert....glad I did.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ggmanning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Grew up cleaning after every session of shooting....taught that way. I clean maybe every 6-700 rounds now (for the last 10 years) and even then I do not want to get all the copper out. I do clean the action, lugs etc. every time but the bore is rarely touched. My cold bore shots are right on and accuracy remains consistent for hundreds of rounds....barrel life is better also. Scrubbing every time you shoot just shortens barrel life in addition to the wasted rounds for the POI to settle after each scrubbing. Pampering my bore means not scrubbing it. It was hard for me to convert....glad I did.</div></div> Does it matter what caliber it is and how often it should be cleaned? For instance a .308 or a 7wsm or .338 lapua,will the bigger one of these need to be cleaned sooner?
ThanksElmer
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Elmer
The best criteria is to shoot it until you see accuracy drops....then clean it. It may be more or less depending on the rifle and caliber. The rifle will tell you.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

I agree with layin off the cleaning a bit. Take the the online course. It has a great amount of information, cleaning your bore is one of the subjects covered. Its useful if your just starting out.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ring</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> a non lapped barrel will fowl faster</div></div>There's never a picture of a chicken around when you need one.
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I shot the 'Cup with a rifle that had over 400 rounds down the tube since the last cleaning. The points I dropped were not due to the number of rounds that had gone through the barrel.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

i have a question on this. I am a little bit nervous to just leave my gun out with a dirty barrel after going to the range.

are there any side effects with not cleaning it at all after shooting? I ask becuase, granted im not familiar with chemical changes in smokeless powder, but i was told old blackpowder residue would slowly eat the rifling away. I believe this as we recieved an origonal model 1873 winchester that has no rifling left what so ever and was used by an old cowboy on the range back in the day and never shot since.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Keep your rifle functionally clean, but with a fouled bore. Round counts will differ before you scrub the bore clean. Many say 300-500 rounds, I wait until groups open up. Run an oil patch through after range time that picks up lose carbon, copper and brass particles. Just because you see copper build up in the bore, is not a bad thing…Bench rest guys would say blasphemy towards that!

Once you super clean your bore it will take 6+ shots to get the rifle to shoot tight again.

Just my opinion your mileage may vary.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Brownpot...the old rifles used corrosive primers...the potassium salts attracted moisture and the barrels rusted and pitted under the fouling. Not that problem anymore...unless you are using some 3rd world milsurp ammo that is still corrosive primed.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Clean, don't clean; it's up to you.

I clean and follow with a coat of oil. With the bore foams it's so easy, it makes less sense not to.

But some still choose not to.

Greg
 
Re: When to clean the bore

I used to clean every time, but once I started shooting something with more precision, the change in POI between clean and fouled convinced me to clean the bore only when necessary. I live in a dry climate, but I still wipe down the rifle and make sure the action is clean and lubed regularly.

I have also heard horrow stories about boresnakes breaking in rifles and so only use them for my shotguns. I prefer a cleaning rod with a bore guide - you can easily see what is going on in terms of removal of copper fouling and powder fouling. It is hard to see that with a boresnake.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Circus Bear</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We teach, clean your bore after every shooting session. In my opinion it's a matter of weapon maintenance. You take care of your weapon. If it's dirty clean it. </div></div>+1 I clean my rifles after every shooting session. I just can't shake off the routine I learned in the Marines.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gugubica</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Listen to your rifle...it will tell you.</div></div>

I listen and I hear.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Gah, I am going to have to try this out. I usually shoot around 40 rounds of 308 a week from my SPS Tactical and clean it EVERY time I come home from the range.

If this works out I guess I wont be cleaning but ones every couple months!

I usually take one of the wire brush .30cal attachments, dip it in some Hoppes9 and give it a stroke or 2, then run down a few rem oil patches, then dry patches.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Copper accumulation is not harming the bore or accuracy so so much.
Carbon, powder and primer residue however should be removed from the chamber's neck area, throat and barrel bore. Accumulation of carbon in the throat is what screws with accuracy more than copper. Obsess about carbon, powder and primer residue. Obsess about it after every shooting.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

This topic has been covered a few times here and everytime it is there are different answers and opinions. I spent thirty years in the military and of course one of the things we had to do was anytime we were issued a weapon and or fired it the bore had to be clean. Of course in my own weapons I clean the bore when I think it is time. I have several AR uppers right now that have over 500 rounds through them and the bores have not been touched.

You are going to get several opinions. Do what you think is right for you. Just my 2 cents on this topic.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Your rifle will tell you. I had one AR that needed to be cleaned by the 50 rd mark then it slowly increased until it was hundreds of shots. Now I have over 2,000rds down the tube between cleanings and it still shoots very well. Well good enough to shoot prairie dogs. Other rifles some are a few shots then it goes but most will shoot very well dirty. If they get wet then I will clean but otherwise why clean if they are working?
 
Re: When to clean the bore

You'd love Florida then. The shooting season is perpetual
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No need to clean at all
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MPB</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Circus Bear</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We teach, clean your bore after every shooting session. In my opinion it's a matter of weapon maintenance. You take care of your weapon. If it's dirty clean it. </div></div>+1 I clean my rifles after every shooting session. I just can't shake off the routine I learned in the Marines. </div></div>
 
Re: When to clean the bore

My limited experience with my .308 rifle is:

Stainless hand-lapped barrel shot decent when new, great after a few shots, terrible after 300 without cleaning. I cleaned again and it instantly tightened up again. I clean now after every 150 rounds or so, just to keep it shooting well, before it starts shooting poorly again. I clean for copper and powder with guide and rod. I don't use a snake much.

Nate
 
Re: When to clean the bore

I keep records of what powder, bullets, rounds shot and cleaning in a round count book. I clean when accuracy deteriorates. The round count book helps me predict when to clean the barrel and note changes in the barrel fouling. Different loadings will foul at different rates. I try not to over clean and sometimes use a bore snake in the field.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

Everyone has their own ritual, I think. Like I said earlier, I clean my rifles after every shooting session. A clean bore is a happy bore.
grin.gif
 
Re: When to clean the bore

I tried going over 80 rounds without cleaning and it just doesn't work for me. There is a marked drop off in accuracy. I don't shoot steel. It's all paper and I can tell right away.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The best criteria is to shoot it until you see accuracy drops....then clean it. It may be more or less depending on the rifle and caliber. The rifle will tell you. </div></div>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Cleaning the bore prior to accuracy waning is akin to wiping one's arse before you shiite.</div></div>
This approach doesn't work for practical applications (hunting, combat, competitions, etc - when you need your rifle to perform right now rather than next day or such). If all you do it punching paper on your own - then why not, it's your rifle...

I need my rifle to be at its best - so I clean it after use (following the above analogy - I clean every time after I shiite rather than wait till the arse gets inflamed from all those deposits of uncleaned shiite).

Because the last thing I need is my rifle telling me "bug out from whatever activity you're in now and go clean me."
 
Re: When to clean the bore

I don't concern myself with how other folks treat their bores. However they do it, they have their reasons, and they're good enough for them.

And besides, I seriously doubt that the jury's really in on this subject anyway. Either way, there are consequences. As long as the rifle's owner is aware of the potentials and is willing to accept them, it's not my role to criticize.

When I skip a cleaning after an outing, I still try to get some sort of a moisture barrier (oil) into the bore ASAP after. Some natural electrochemical processes don't care what we think, and bore pitting is one of them.

Greg
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mouse07410</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
This approach doesn't work for practical applications (hunting, combat, competitions, etc - when you need your rifle to perform right now rather than next day or such).</div></div>

Mmmmmkkayy....

If I need my rifle to be at its least predictable, I will scrub it clean it prior to a comp.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I need my rifle to be at its least predictable, I will scrub it clean it prior to a comp.</div></div>
You definitely have more experience.

But my "good" rifle is perfectly predictable "clean bore" and "cold bore" (and outshoots the user, at least at this time and level of expertise). I strive to keep it clean always, scrubbing after each session (which is one day of shooting or less, usually sending no more than 160 rounds - and trying to keep it below 100). For me it's least predictable when "well and thoroughly fouled", which hasn't happened yet.
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On the other hand, if you keep it dirty most of the time - following your nice scatological analogy: <span style="font-style: italic">used to always carrying layers and layers of shiite on your arse, the sensation of clean unobstructed arse is disturbing and disorienting</span>.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mouse07410</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">used to always carrying layers and layers of shiite on your arse, the sensation of clean unobstructed arse is disturbing and disorienting</span>.

</div></div>

Now that is funny!!

My cold bore shots on my Bartleins are same POI as the rest of the day when I start fouled. If scrubbed clean, they are predictable, yet different enough that its one less thing I want to deal with on the first shot of a comp.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mouse07410</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-style: italic">used to always carrying layers and layers of shiite on your arse, the sensation of clean unobstructed arse is disturbing and disorienting</span>. </div></div>
Now that is funny!!</div></div>
grin.gif


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My cold bore shots on my Bartleins are same POI as the rest of the day when I start fouled. If scrubbed clean, they are predictable, yet different enough that its one less thing I want to deal with on the first shot of a comp.</div></div>
Interesting. Though strange in my opinion, as I don't know a reasonable explanation of that phenomenon.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

my Steyr manuals specifically say don't clean the rifle after each shooting, and when you do clean, use 'creeping oil' like Kroil to clean everything. Simple. Since I started following that regime, two things happened:
1) I get to put guns back in the safe without having to clean, which is real nice
2) my accuracy has gone up, groups tightened up, or at least has not suffered from not cleaning like crazy after each shoot, which I was taught to do.

My gunsmith has shot tens of thousands of rounds thru various long distance rifles, and he's on the non-cleaning for few hundred rounds regime too.
 
Re: When to clean the bore

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Cleaning the bore prior to accuracy waning is akin to wiping one's arse before you shiite. </div></div>

Well said!
 
Re: When to clean the bore


What matters is what one means by cleaning. Some steal is cheap. If not cleaned and oiled it will corrode in humid environments like ours.

Cleaning means freeing the bore of everthing except the bore. Every substance is absent. Free the bore and chamber of powder and primer residue but leave the copper until it degrades accuracy. And if you use BN coated bullets that is delayed substantially.

In other words, don't scrub the shit out of it.