End Result of our Bore Cleaning Debates

[Infrequent Shooter]

I like telling this story, because it is true and is a good Benchrest story.

back some years ago, we were at the NBRSA Group Nationals in Midland Tx.

We we’re getting ready to shoot the Sporter 100 the next morning. There we’re several of us gathered around just shooting the bull, and the subject of cleaning came up.

Everybody had a method, and swore by it. I told every body mine, bronze brush with butches, around 4 wet patches with Butches, let it soak while I reloaded, then patch it out and go to the line.

Everybody agreed that there was no way the barrel was clean. I simply said it was as clean as it needed to be for the Match in the morning.

well, Jerry Hensler just happened to have a bore scope. He looked in my barrel, and suggested I spend about two hours getting it clean. He started pointing out all sorts of “stuff” thst needed removing.

I said, no, it as ready to go.

well, long story short, I went out and shot a .168 agg with that “dirty barrel” and won the yardage.

I still use the exact same cleaning method.

thats like telling a dirty story too fast. Tell us how you do it in detail.

 

[Fuj]

For years I have used Pro Shot patches and rods with good results. This year I also started using some Birchwood Casey woven patches that Mike Hagen showed me. I like them also and use a combination of the two. I do not believe there is only 1 way to clean a barrel properly. I do not believe you can do it in 20 min at the end of a match and be good to go in a manner that is conducive to a healthy barrel.

As of late, I started using "Butch's Triple Twill" patchs. It is a toss up
against Birchwood Casey patch's though. I've always used Losso at
a minimum. This new barrel I'm just starting to work with, I may need
to stock back up.

 

[JFrank]

Are y’all trying to get out all the carbon stains completely ?

 

[dantiff2]

The look of defeat on "his" face would have been priceless in my opinion : ) On a side note. I don't recommend the Midway brand patches. I switched to those after running out of my brand name last time around and for the life of me, I cannot get them to stay on my jag for the pull stroke. Doesn't matter how loose or tight I make them. They pull off of the jag 100% of the time in every caliber I try : (
Dan

 

[jimmymac]

I use CLR and Liquid Drano. Talk about clean. Just make sure you wear a respirator.

 

[Shooter13]

Only place I could find them was E-bay.

I'm pretty sure Brownells has them.

 

[jackieschmidt]

thats like telling a dirty story too fast. Tell us how you do it in detail.

That’s the key. There is no “detail”.
one major advantage that Short Range Benchrest Shooters have over most other Disciplines is we clean our rifles after each target. The vast majority of the unwanted accumulations that can affect a barrels potential never gets a chance to build up.

Never put a rifle away dirty. Try to clean it while it is still warm if at all possible.

That is why simply brushing with a saturated bronze brush, wet patching, and then patching outworks.

A number of years ago, John Krieger had on the official Krieger Web Site an article concerning cleaning. He stated that in his cut rifled barrels. You did not want to remove every last little smidgen of fowling that gets impeded in those almost microscopic tool marks that are present due to the way cut rifled barrels are made. I always went by that rule and left the bore scope in the case on the shelf.

In a recent video, he has recanted much of that. Probably because now that everybody has a borescope and can see anything that is not polished steel, he realized that he better jump on the band wagon lest everybody stated that cut rifled barrels are dirty.

I think he forgot his original premise, that being……”we do not shoot matches with clean barrels”.

If you ever get a chance, take your borescope to the range and after the second shot out of a clean barrel, take a look.

It will scare you.

Barrels are not harmed by frequent cleaning. They are harmed by improper cleaning.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

That’s the key. There is no “detail”.
one major advantage that Short Range Benchrest Shooters have over most other Disciplines is we clean our rifles after each target. The vast majority of the unwanted accumulations that can affect a barrels potential never gets a chance to build up.

Never put a rifle away dirty. Try to clean it while it is still warm if at all possible.

That is why simply brushing with a saturated bronze brush, wet patching, and then patching outworks.

A number of years ago, John Krieger had on the official Krieger Web Site an article concerning cleaning. He stated that in his cut rifled barrels. You did not want to remove every last little smidgen of fowling that gets impeded in those almost microscopic tool marks that are present due to the way cut rifled barrels are made. I always went by that rule and left the bore scope in the case on the shelf.

In a recent video, he has recanted much of that. Probably because now that everybody has a borescope and can see anything that is not polished steel, he realized that he better jump on the band wagon lest everybody stated that cut rifled barrels are dirty.

I think he forgot his original premise, that being……”we do not shoot matches with clean barrels”.

If you ever get a chance, take your borescope to the range and after the second shot out of a clean barrel, take a look.

It will scare you.

Barrels are not harmed by frequent cleaning. They are harmed by improper cleaning.

Sir, you are a prince.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I like telling this story, because it is true and is a good Benchrest story.

back some years ago, we were at the NBRSA Group Nationals in Midland Tx.

We we’re getting ready to shoot the Sporter 100 the next morning. There we’re several of us gathered around just shooting the bull, and the subject of cleaning came up.

Everybody had a method, and swore by it. I told every body mine, bronze brush with butches, around 4 wet patches with Butches, let it soak while I reloaded, then patch it out and go to the line.

Everybody agreed that there was no way the barrel was clean. I simply said it was as clean as it needed to be for the Match in the morning.

well, Jerry Hensler just happened to have a bore scope. He looked in my barrel, and suggested I spend about two hours getting it clean. He started pointing out all sorts of “stuff” thst needed removing.

I said, no, it as ready to go.

well, long story short, I went out and shot a .168 agg with that “dirty barrel” and won the yardage.

I still use the exact same cleaning method.

Jackie, you hit the nail on the head. Experiment and come up with what works for you. I don't think it must be squeaky clean do shoot well. But I also think shooting over hard carbon does nothing to help competitive barrel life. As a 1 barrel per gun per year guy with time I do try to get them pretty clean.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

I'm sure many of you seen speedy show how he does it on YouTube. I switched to that method and it works for me. Sometimes it needs a repeat or 2 but I shoot more between cleanings than a BR shooter. Still need some iosso sometimes. Good enough for a BR hall of fame shooter, good enough for me.

 

[6MMsteve]

Rural King carries Pro Shot products might chk their prices4

 

[dusterdave173]

I attended my very first center fire bench match Sat
The "pits" were busy with everyone cleaning away--I said nothing but just walked around looked and listened--I saw about 30 ways to do it--saw more "products" than I could count--saw many private bottles with witch brew in them--It looked like a cleaning match where a shooting match broke out-- It was a 25 shot match with two relays I figure if you brought a clean rifle , shot a few sighters as foulers--you would be good to go--Not!
I was amazed It was like a cleaning thread on here had come to life

 

[K22]

This debate will go on endlessly. Find a method that works for you and your discipline by testing results on target. It really is that simple.

As for me, after trying different methods and solvents, I found one that works for me. As a varmint and predator hunter, I cannot tolerate first shot flyers or having to shoot fouling shots. Of course, my accuracy standards and manner of usage are not the same as a competitive target / benchrest shooter.

The "cleaning force" be with you.

 

[DShortt]

I'm sure many of you seen speedy show how he does it on YouTube. I switched to that method and it works for me. Sometimes it needs a repeat or 2 but I shoot more between cleanings than a BR shooter. Still need some iosso sometimes. Good enough for a BR hall of fame shooter, good enough for me.

And I suspect Speedy is mostly interested in generating views to make $$$. I don't personally know the man so maybe that's incorrect.

Then there's the Boyer method. Swap barrels every 200 rounds or so. Can't help but wonder if that wasn't primarily to get in his competitor's heads but who knows?

 

[Ccrider]

I have yet to see where my too large groups were caused by my barrel not being clean enough. Always something else- wind or tune.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

And I suspect Speedy is mostly interested in generating views to make $$$. I don't personally know the man so maybe that's incorrect.

Then there's the Boyer method. Swap barrels every 200 rounds or so. Can't help but wonder if that wasn't primarily to get in his competitor's heads but who knows?

I don't think so. Its not even speedy's channel.

 

[anschuter2013]

"It looked like a cleaning match where a shooting match broke out".

That made my WEEK! It's been a while since I laughed that hard! That was brilliant! Thank you for the healthy chuckle.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I laughed too. Thanks Dave.

 

[Fuj]

Some barrels need to be dirty to shoot. It's kind of funny that you
scub em' down. but a particular barrel needs X amount of foulers
to bring it back. My last barrel would give me the "WTF's" on my
sighter target until I would have at least five foulers into the berm !!

 

[jimmymac]

It’s interesting to me that some need a bunch of foulers before things settle. I must be lucky. I’ve never needed more than two and in most cases just one. Sometimes none, but I always shoot one anyway.