Best solvent for Varget?

[1911nut]

What’s the best solvent to clean a barrel after shooting loads with Varget?

Geeze it’s dirty powder.

 

[Shooter13]

Elbow grease! Lots of it! Thorough Clean does good also ......... with lots of elbow grease.

 

[Clancy]

Carb Out worked well for me with a bronze brush.

Try N140 in your next one.

 

[DShortt]

What’s the best solvent to clean a barrel after shooting loads with Varget?

Geeze it’s dirty powder.

I can deal with loose fouling, but hard carbon is a whole different issue.

Varget and hard carbon are like peas and carrots. They go together.

 

[Ccrider]

Carb Out worked well for me with a bronze brush.

Try N140 in your next one.

Ok. Where do you get this stuff from?

 

[DShortt]

Hard carbon won't dissolve in with any solution currently available. Requires an abrasive and elbow grease. Just because you get a clean patch doesn't mean the hard carbon is gone.

 

[jelenko]

Hard carbon won't dissolve in with any solution currently available. Requires an abrasive and elbow grease. Just because you get a clean patch doesn't mean the hard carbon is gone.

^^^^ This.

 

[Rob01]

Have shot Varget for decades and never found it to be overly dirty. I use Butch's Bore Shine and a bronze brush and it gets clean every time.

 

[DShortt]

Have shot Varget for decades and never found it to be overly dirty. I use Butch's Bore Shine and a bronze brush and it gets clean every time.

How do you know? Clean patches, visual inspection or a borescope?

Just because you haven't had a problem doesn't mean you can't.

 

[moondog]

I shoot Varget, H-4895, H-1000, Reloder33, Reloder16, Reloder23,
And Retumbo. Varget in mine produces the hardest carbon to remove. H-1000 and Reloder33 the easiest to remove. Also evident in the Suppressor that I use with Varget loads. I'd switch but I have a metric sh*t ton of it, plus it shoots well. Just a pain to clean.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Never had that issue - but I do clean the FTR rifle after every shoot. I use Boretech Eliminator and have done since it came to the market, pleased to find a cleaner without ammonia.

 

[DShortt]

Never had that issue - but I do clean the FTR rifle after every shoot. I use Boretech Eliminator and have done since it came to the market, pleased to find a cleaner without ammonia.

Again, how do you know you won't have a problem the next time you go shoot?

 

[SKWERLZ]

Hard carbon won't dissolve in with any solution currently available. Requires an abrasive and elbow grease. Just because you get a clean patch doesn't mean the hard carbon is gone.

Yep
Iosso or similar product.

 

[HTSmith]

I use Free All with good bronze brushes. "Good" meaning I retire them or demote them to the next caliber down after about 50 strokes. It is no better than C4, but a lot cheaper. Iosso every 200 rounds depending on the bore scope. I'm certainly no expert.

 

[Fuj]

Baked hard carbon can easily be softened with "Piston Kleen"
then cleaned the normal way. I slop it in there with a bore mop
and let it sit a few hours. You'll push out black sludge.

 

[DShortt]

Baked hard carbon can easily be softened with "Piston Kleen"
then cleaned the normal way. I slop it in there with a bore mop
and let it sit a few hours. You'll push out black sludge.

What's your bore look like after that? Any etching?

 

[R.Morehouse]

Thorough Clean and this....

......The Hawkeye says Good Job........Use a brush.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I use accelerator/wipe out foam in my 22-250's( load Varget for all of them). Borescope them after cleaning, I do free all/brush before if I didn't foam while warm from shooting.

 

[K22]

Have shot Varget for decades and never found it to be overly dirty. I use Butch's Bore Shine and a bronze brush and it gets clean every time.

I guess you and I are in the minority because I've shot Varget for so many years that I can't remember how long in the 223, 22 250, 243, and 308 and never had an issue with performance on target. It's one of the most accurate powders in those calibers collectively that I've ever shot. I typically clean every 30 to 60 rounds depending on the caliber and rifle barrel.

I've always used a bronze brush and I've used a number of solvents over the years such as Hoppe's 9, Shooter's Choice, and Bore Tech C4. They all seem to work ok with regular cleaning at least from a performance on target standpoint. I know that is not very popular because it's not complicated but that's what I've observed.

Maybe the OP's problem is "loads of Varget" without cleaning? Maybe it just boils down to just cleaning the bore regularly with a bronze brush and your solvent of choice. But my definition of "clean" is the rifle performs on target as expected.

 

[Rob01]

How do you know? Clean patches, visual inspection or a borescope?

Just because you haven't had a problem doesn't mean you can't.

Because I shot out 9 .308 barrels in matches and practice with an average of 8000 rounds on each and 3 on another and never had a problem. Sorry if that doesn't flow with your usual generic all knowing answers you like to throw in posts but just because it can doesn't mean it does and Butch's does clean the barrels just fine.

Waiting for your generic all knowing quip back at me.