30br cleaning regimen questions

[Kevin1990]

Curious about a few things. I have a 30br coming my way. Read a long article on here with top shooters and gunsmiths, and not one of them cleans the same way. Also, the amount of threads on here is mind boggling. I'm sure none of the responses here will be the same either. I also read in the article that a few guys never let the brush go past the crown, due to not wanting to damage it? Found that interesting.

How often are you cleaning the 30br?
What's your cleaning procedure and what products do you use?

i'm only competing with myself here btw.

 

[Boilermaker]

If you ask 10 shooters their cleaning regime you will get at least 11 answers.

Here are some of my recommendations:
Get a good bore guide if you haven’t ordered one already. Lucas and PMA are both good options.

Get a good cleaning rod that will clear the muzzle without hitting the stock. I use a Dewey 44” for most of my rifles. Much shorter than that and the rod has to bend to keep the handle off the stock.

[Forum Boss: this may not be true with a modern low top benchrest stock. I can get my handle all the way to the action without touching the stock. A relatively small diameter handle also helps.]

Get a borescope so you can see how well your cleaning regimen is working.

As far as cleaning products go, I really like boretech solvents. I use the C4 in my 30 br a lot. It seems to clean up powder and carbon fouling a lot faster than the eliminator. It won’t clean copper though, so eliminator is good to have on hand in case you end up with a copper issue.

 

[M-61]

I have two. Cleaned the same as everything else I own. Brush goes right past the crown and the back out. Been cleaning weapons for over 60 years.
No tricks. I will say I think the 30’s clean a bit easier but I put this in my head because of the 1-18 twist. I have no idea if this is really true or not but it’s in my head so that’s that.
As a side note it ruined every other rifle I have. How?
Nothing is more accurate. I’m a 100 yard BR shooter.
I think you can almost ‘dip’ fill the case or use a powder horn. LOL

 

[K22]

I do not know that cleaning a 30BR is any different than cleaning any other centerfire rifle.

The vast variety of advice you will get, and that which you've seen on the internet should tell you something about this issue. You can set yourself crazy trying to sift through all of it or simply purchase a quality solvent specifically designed to clean centerfire rifles and following the instructions.

This most important aspect, in my opinion, is to not do any harm to your rifle while cleaning it. Use a high-quality bore guide and cleaning rod.

I thought that non-sense about damaging the crown with a bronze brush was dispelled but I guess it is alive and well.

I will defer to others to offer their procedures for cleaning. These are like "noses", everyone has one.

 

[M-61]

I thought that non-sense about damaging the crown with a bronze brush was dispelled but I guess it is alive and well

Me too.

 

[BobT]

Tagging in on this one.

 

[Kevin1990]

Me too.

My apologies. I don’t write clearly. They say the damage comes when the brush leaves the muzzle, and the cleaning rod drops on the muzzle. Or when the brush goes backwards and it’s not straight And the rod hits it. in the article they also mentioned that the brass brush won’t hurt It coming backwards, but things that are on the brush from the bore could. That’s how I read it anyway.

Edit. That’s why a few guys clean the barrel with the muzzle against a wall I guess. So it doesn’t drop out.

 

[Bill Norris]

I clean my 30BR the same way and same time as all my other rifles after shooting them. So many different products and individual cleaning methods out there. Just develop a method that shows your barrel is clean to your satisfaction. That's about what everybody else does. LOL.

 

[Shooter13]

If you ask 10 shooters their cleaning regime you will get at least 11 answers.

Here are some of my recommendations:
Get a good bore guide if you haven’t ordered one already. Lucas and PMA are both good options.

Get a good cleaning rod that will clear the muzzle without hitting the stock. I use a Dewey 44” for most of my rifles. Much shorter than that and the rod has to bend to keep the handle off the stock.

Get a borescope so you can see how well your cleaning regimen is working.

As far as cleaning products go, I really like boretech solvents. I use the C4 in my 30 br a lot. It seems to clean up powder and carbon fouling a lot faster than the eliminator. It won’t clean copper though, so eliminator is good to have on hand in case you end up with a copper issue.

Well, you see you are wrong, how? 'Cause I agree with everything you said here, I've probably got over 10,000 round on different 30BRs and never damaged a crown by cleaning, I'm very careful about bringing the brush back into the muzzle area. You will not see me "fast stroking" in and out of that area. So we down to 9 different answers with 9 shooters! LOL

 

[jackieschmidt]

I know my way around a 30BR pretty well.

What I will tell you is my opinion based on shooting in countless Matches through the year, and being known to, on occasion, do pretty well.

It is true that you can shoot an entire 100/200 yard Grand Agg, that is around 80 rounds with sighters, without cleaning, and the darn thing will shoot just as good on the last target as the first.

I have done this on occasion, but lately I have been cleaning every other target. Each t target will usually be around 8 to 9 shots.

I use nothing but Butches Bore Shine. I brush it around 10 back and forth strokes, stopping the brush the instant it clears the crown. I then use as many saturated patches as needed untill they are coming out clean. Once again, stop that darned rod the instant it clears the crown.

I then dry it before going back to the line for the next relay.

After the Match, I clean just as before. I NEVER take a rifle home dirty.

One of he advantages we have in Short Range Benchrest is we can clean often, not ever allowing all that crud to accumulate in the barrel.

Maybe that’s why I never have to use ISSO, Sweets, Barrel Paste, or any thing else. I started using Butches decades ago when Butch first came up with his concoction.

I don’t care what YouTube video is pushing what theory, or what product. I know what works in a Short Range BENCHREST Rifle.

Now, keep in mind, This does not apply to Rifles in Disciplines that shoot 200 to 300 rounds where the shooter cannot clean the barrel.

Also, I shoot only Krieger and Bartlien Cut Rifled Barrels. They tend to clean really well. I have no idea how to clean a button or hammer forged barrel.

Now, for the big question. Do I use a borescope to see if the barrel is clean.

No. I go by what Mr Krieger said years ago before he succumbed to the bore scope craze and cleaning product manufacturers.

That being, Cut rifled barrels, by their very nature, have multitudes of small linear tool marks that will fill up with a copper and burned residue wash. They are so small you never see them. Leave that in those tiny marks. After the first couple of rounds after cleaning, they will be back anyway.

As a note, the single most important items in any cleaning regiment is use a good bore guide, and stop that brush or jag the instant it clears the crown.

 

[M-61]

Edit. That’s why a few guys clean the barrel with the muzzle against a wall I guess. So it doesn’t drop out.

Ever try pulling a brush backwards before it exits the muzzle? Unless it’s worn to 22 cal in a 30 it’s not happening period. Actually without going into details a brush pulled backwards is a fabulous way to remove a part jammed in say a pipe. Anyway push a 30 brush 1/2 way down a 30 bore. There is no one strong enough to budge it. So that whole story is crap.
Enjoy your 30BR.

BTW, I don’t know anyone. I just shoot.

 

[JFrank]

How many guys take the barrel off to clean ? Assuming you have a quick change set up .

 

[Greg@wfcustom]

Ever try pulling a brush backwards before it exits the muzzle? Unless it’s worn to 22 cal in a 30 it’s not happening period. Actually without going into details a brush pulled backwards is a fabulous way to remove a part jammed in say a pipe. Anyway push a 30 brush 1/2 way down a 30 bore. There is no one strong enough to budge it. So that whole story is crap.
Enjoy your 30BR.

BTW, I don’t know anyone. I just shoot.

I run a couple of wet patches through it & brush it out (solvent of your choice, I use Butchs) after the match and clean it when you get home. I use Iosso for the carbon ring which in the 30 doesn’t amount to much.
To Jackie’s point about the # of rounds, I quit cleaning my 30 BR’s during a match, after I pounded 8 leftover rds into a nice round .134 after my last card. I have shot multiple 250 high x count cards with no cleaning. But then again, I only clean my PPC’s after every Agg (35 rds or so). My opinion is BR shooters clean way to much.
YMMV
G

 

[K22]

My apologies. I don’t write clearly. They say the damage comes when the brush leaves the muzzle, and the cleaning rod drops on the muzzle. Or when the brush goes backwards and it’s not straight And the rod hits it. in the article they also mentioned that the brass brush won’t hurt It coming backwards, but things that are on the brush from the bore could. That’s how I read it anyway.

Edit. That’s why a few guys clean the barrel with the muzzle against a wall I guess. So it doesn’t drop out.

All I can say is that after literally thousands of cleanings of precision centerfire rifles using a quality bore guide, high quality properly fitted bronze brushes (e.g., Dewey no-harm) and a high-quality cleaning rod (e.g., Dewey or Bore Tech coated rods) I have not damaged the crown pushing the brush through the muzzle and back.

As you journey through this "new age religion" of cleaning a rifle, you're going to see all kinds of "snake oil" remedies and Sponge Bob "secret recipes" / procedures as the ultimate way to clean a rifle. You'll have to draw your own conclusions. I just hate to see a fellow shooter, especially those new to the sport get all tied up in knots over this issue.

In my experience, cleaning a centerfire rifle is not mysterious or complicated, but rather straight forward as long as you observe some commonsense precautions like using a bore guide and high-quality rod.

 

[M-61]

back.

As you journey through this "new age religion" of cleaning a rifle, you're going to see all kinds of "snake oil" remedies and Sponge Bob "secret recipes" / procedures as the ultimate way to clean a rifle.

Perfectly put.

 

[Andy Work]

As far as barrel cleaning threads go, this one really has a lot of good info so far.

 

[JMayo]

After a match I'll run a patch or two with cleaner on it, swab the bore clean and let it "soak" for the ride home.... I have several solvent brands and types .....seafoam with kroil had become my cheaper way to clean the crud out the first few patches.
There is no way to pull a brush back through without coming out the muzzle .. Unless it's worn badly.

 

[WillyTP]

Give this a try, http://www.boreriderbarrelcareproducts.com/p/jags.html?m=1

He makes one for the brush also.

 

[Kevin1990]

Someone hold my hand through this. LOL. jk.
Really good info everyone! Its much appreciated!

So I already have a 44" 30 cal. dewey rod, and a bore scope. Think i'm going to get the PMA bore guide and no harm brass brush from dewey and a jag.
going to try/use butchs bore shine or bore tech eliminator after every range session (30-40 rounds)
Get some C4 and an oversized brush for carbon ring.
and some jb bore paste to use every few 100 rounds if needed.

 

[Bill Norris]

Someone hold my hand through this. LOL. jk.
Really good info everyone! Its much appreciated!

So I already have a 44" 30 cal. dewey rod, and a bore scope. Think i'm going to get the PMA bore guide and no harm brass brush from dewey and a jag.
going to try/use butchs bore shine or bore tech eliminator after every range session (30-40 rounds)
Get some C4 and an oversized brush for carbon ring.
and some jb bore paste to use every few 100 rounds if needed.

Sounds like you are well on your way to a good cleaning regimen.