Thread: 17HMR barrel cleaning

My father has owed a 17hmr for a about 2 years. I use it on the odd occasion. It's had a brick of ammo through it in that time (250 rounds?). It's never had the barrel cleaned, and we have both noticed its accuracy has dropped off a little (50 metre zero seems fine).

Given its skinny little barrel, what equipment do I need? How often should it be cleaned?

Haha funny you bring this up. I just cleaned out the barrel of ours after about 200 rounds and accuracy had dropped it was filthy. Went out last night and got 3 cats and a handful of hares. 100% kill rate.

I use a 1 piece rod, note some rods are larger than .17 so you need a skinny one, then a jag with a patch soaked in boretech eliminator, I then run dry patches through until clwan. Maybe repeat.

Mine wasn't coppered at all just a shit load of carbon

Yep. It is a filthy little round. I put a boresnake through mine after every use and it seems just fine. Oil it lighly before storing and then boresnake a couple of times to get oit out before shooting.

As above. Use a specific .17 HMR cleaning rod. I prefer the carbon fibre rods over the steel ones. I use Hoppes #9 but anything that deals with copper and carbon will be best.

They do like to be kept clean.
Either a boresnake or a one-piece rod - the bore is so damn tiny that a multi-piece rod isn't a good idea.

Clean ever 100 rounds, and if you have a suppressor, clean that out too!

Originally Posted by Gunzrrr

As above. Use a specific .17 HMR cleaning rod. I prefer the carbon fibre rods over the steel ones. I use Hoppes #9 but anything that deals with copper and carbon will be best.

Interesting as to what material a rod should be, BP shooting with some guys the other week and they are using steel as it doesn't seem to affect the bore such as brass, aluminium etc, I know there are rules on steel on steel, but this was their thinking, interested in any thoughts!

Probably a bit tricky to keep the rod off of a 17 cal bore i imagine.

I found that to be the case Cam, but even getting a boresnake through is a mission sometimes. The bore is tight enough before you put a few rounds down it, and it often takes a minute or two to get the snake through after a session

Alot of people think just because the 17 HMR is a rimmed case you dont need to clean it. This is true for alot of rimmed cases as they have a wax coating that protects the bore from rust, as the 17 HMR has a jacketed bullet just like most larger cals it need some cleaning after used if you want years of trouble free use.

Originally Posted by Maca49

Interesting as to what material a rod should be, BP shooting with some guys the other week and they are using steel as it doesn't seem to affect the bore such as brass, aluminium etc, I know there are rules on steel on steel, but this was their thinking, interested in any thoughts!

Hey Maca49 ... I'm no expert on cleaning rod technology but the guy who sold me my cleaning rods stocked a number of brands utilising different shaft materials and he said the carbon fibre rods had less likelihood of damaging the bore. I believed him and now all my rods are carbon fibre. Maybe I'm a sucker for a good story ... Hmmm ...

Yep I use a carbon one as well On larger cals I use Alloy or steel.

Carbon Fibre would be good as less likely to damage and anything that gets scraped off wouldn't cause dissimilar metal corrosion?

Once the resin is scratched does your carbon solvent eat your carbon rod?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Once the resin is scratched does your carbon solvent eat your carbon rod?

Be minor if at all as it is impregnated? Not sure how hungry the solvent is though?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Once the resin is scratched does your carbon solvent eat your carbon rod?

Sounds like a good night to me