Thread: Rifle cleaning 101 - school me!

Have been a pretty casual cleaner to date, generally just a bore snake with cleaner on the bristles and then lube on the tail. Maybe a rod and patch if I have been at the range. Having recently bought a 7mm rem mag figure I should up my game. Typically low round count hunting use but enjoying the extra distance it offers so be good to keep it shooting well.

What is the forums brain trust recommendations for a cleaning routine that balances convenience with keeping the rifle performing as it should? Any one stop shop cleaning kits recommended - I probably should update the hodge lodge mix of gear I have accumulated/inherited over the years.

Cheers!

Personally, i feel it depends how bad your barrel fouls. My 6 creed comp barrel has seen just shy of 500 rounds without a full clean. I just patch it with clean patches till no powder residue is coming out on patches. It gets shot pretty often. Ill clean when groups start opening up and if load needs a tweak ill do that. Full clean for my would be boretech copper remover and a nylon brush. For my low round count hunting barrels i just clean patch them out or a bore snake if in the field.

My process will be completely wrong though, ask the internet, but it works for me and i see no need for change

You spend a lot of$$$ on rifle & ammo or reload components, it always pays to look after your gear. My routine is 8-10 passes thru with bronze brush to remove worst of carbon. Then a few clean patches to remove worst of black stuff. Then patch soaked with Hoppes, run it thru 3-4 times then leave Hoppes to soak in. Longer is better, 30 min minimum but 1-2 hrs good or overnight. Then put thru a clean patch. If you’ve been able to leave the Hoppes in bbl for an hour or so, you should also see signs of Cu fouling ( blue on patch) if there’s any going on. Run thru dry patches till clean. Then run brass brush thru agin 4-5 times. Then dry patch, you’ll be amazed how much black shite, carbon fouling, comes out. The Hoppes helps loosen up the carbon fouling. Repeat till patches show no serious carbon. After 50 or so rounds use a Cu fouling cleaner like Boretech Eliminator. Don’t leave it in the bbl too long, and neutralise with Hoppes afterwards

spear jag.....pass through oily rag...well breakfree CLP......to be honest.
couple of clean patches...another clp rag...another couple of clean...by then it wont be getting dark crap out anymore .
after more than a few shots..may get all flash and poke brush through...once a year or so maybe use coppersolve......
my old .270 was still sub inch after 30 years of this treatment so cant be too bad....

I'll generally give my barrels a good clean after every competition - around every 100 shots.


This is how I do it - this is my lazy sequence.

Start of by wiping my cleaning rods to remove dust.
Bore guide in action.
Plastic bag over the scope.

I always start of by running a nylon brush soaked with Boretech Eliminator through my barrel a few times.
Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Repeat nylon brush with boretech
Let it sit over night
Next day: repeat nylon brush with Eliminator.
Followed by 3 patches soaked in Eliminator.
Dry patch or two.

If last patch still shows black/blue - repeat brush and Eliminator sequence.

Ill keep this up until the patches comes out clean.

Next up Ill clean the locking lug area and chamber with lighter fluid and the appropriate tools.

Before storing the gun I'll run a patch soaked with Balistol oil through the barrel and wipe the gun and scope down too.

Once a year I'll clean my barrels to the point where I dont seee any copper - looking down the barrel from the crown end.

Lots of differing info and opinions on the net.

I have mostly blued firearms and clean after every hunt or day on the range, unless I'm heading out again the next day.
If the rifle hasn't been fired, an oiled patch down the bore and wipe down rest with oily rag. My one stainless rifle just gets the outside wipe.
If has been fired, usually a quick brush, then Hoppes solvent patch followed a bit later by dry patch. Repeat the solvent and dry patch another time or two if necessary. Oiled patch as above.
Before heading off to the range or bush, I run a boresnake through to remove excess oil.
Copper remover very occasionally (once every couple of years).

The same way different guns like different ammo, so too do different guns like different cleaning regimes, what one person swears by because it works for him, may not work for you.

The two main things that will compromise accuracy in an uncleaned bore are fouling and rust.
One can be redeemed the other not.

Some barrels go better with a certain amount of fouling, they might reach peak accuracy at 40 something rounds after cleaning and start dropping accuracy after 60 something at which point they need a clean and 40 or so rounds fired through.
Basically the fouling will help the barrel grip the projectile, but if the fouling builds up too much it is weighted to the chamber end of the barrel and will swage the projectile which then rattles through the front half of the barrel unable to grip the sides as effectively as the projectile that went through 10 or 15 shots before it.

So the main things to remember are:

Don’t let your bore rust.
Don’t let it get too fouled
Find out through trial and error if your rifle needs a fouling shot or three after cleaning.

Similar to many above, rod and patches on jags, but make sure to use correctly sized cleaning rod, patches and 'Parker Hale' type jags (these are made by Dewey, good quality, actual PH ones are now shit).

Use a carbon solvent like KG1 over patches for normal cleans and some KG bore polish over a nylon brush for the occasional scrub and dry patch out.

NEVER USE OIL!

No boresnake for me, if you clean gunk out of the barrel with one, you should be washing it to prevent accumulation.

Seen one break (maybe el-cheapo eBay Chinese clone) and the guy had to go to a gunsmith to sort it (barrel had to come off as he broke a wooden dowel off trying to push it through ).

Another thing, whilst I use a pull through for the 12 Gauge because I am lazy when it comes to shotguns but make sure to pull straight upwards with the barrel(s) off.

You can wear the muzzle if you pull at an angle.

Opinions are like ar**holes everyone has one…my 2cents worth - remember carbon is stubborn and needs removing mechanically ie. brushing. Copper removal chemical. Only way to know if job is complete is to borescope..