Competition barrel cleaning

[Raydee]

When you look into a barrel with a borescope and see fire cracking, especially if the barrel stops shooting good with not many rounds, make sure it's actually fire cracking and not layers and layers of hard, built-up carbon. What a nightmare it was to get out. Now I am just hoping the accuracy comes back. I honestly thought my barrel was clean but after hours of scrubbing with just about every "Elixer" on the market, I finally started to see the metal on the barrel. If I had to guess, there were about 9 or 10 layers of carbon baked into the first 5 to 10 inches of my barrel.

Now that the barrel is back to shiny metal, I will be much more diligent in my cleaning and inspecting. I wish I would have taken some before, during and after pics.

 

[CharlieNC]

Don't clean until the accuracy falls off, and this is what happens.....

 

[jackieschmidt]

Just for your information, the most diligent (anal) cleaners in the shooting disciplines are Short Range Benchrest Shooters.

We clean after every target, and never take a rifle home without first cleaning it. The best time to clean is while the barrel is still warm.

I know this can be impractical in many Disciplines, but you learn the best way to avoid any buildup that will result in loss of agging capability is to never let it build up in the first place.

 

[Raydee]

Don't clean until the accuracy falls off, and this is what happens.....

Technically not what happened, more like I thought the barrel was clean and what I was seeing was fire cracking.

 

[CharlieNC]

Technically not what happened, more like I thought the barrel was clean and what I was seeing was fire cracking.

I didn't assume that was necessarily the case, just making an analogy. And it does take a while to learn borescope interpretation, maybe never totally.

 

[Raydee]

Just for your information, the most diligent (anal) cleaners in the shooting disciplines are Short Range Benchrest Shooters.

We clean after every target, and never take a rifle home without first cleaning it. The best time to clean is while the barrel is still warm.

I know this can be impractical in many Disciplines, but you learn the best way to avoid any buildup that will result in loss of agging capability is to never let it build up in the first place.

Our local club shoots 300 yard, score targets and there is no time to clean between the two relays. I will however at least run a couple wet patches down the bore and let them soak from now on.

 

[Raydee]

@Raydee
Did it look something like this ?

Man I wish, those bore pics look like mine after about 3 hours of cleaning. Honestly I am shocked it got so out of control and that I didn't realize it was carbon much sooner.

 

[jelenko]

Technically not what happened, more like I thought the barrel was clean and what I was seeing was fire cracking.

But, you said you were hoping accuracy would come back.

 

[EEP]

The guys that say never clean your barrel do hate it when they decide to do so…. It is a pain in the rear! I was there once when just starting to compete! The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”.

 

[1K6BRA]

Like you’re home, car, etc. it’s easier to keep things clean than it is to get things clean.

 

[D Coots]

Bronze or nylon brush....much better to overbrush than underbrush. Learned that about 2 years into the game when I bought a Hawkeye. Layers of carbon and copper.

 

[Raydee]

If you’re not going to clean after every target or day, I would be wise to know how many rounds you ‘ can’ go during a cycle.

We normally shoot between 30 and 50 rounds for the match. I always clean when I get home after the match but apparently my cleaning was not as good as I thought it was. Now that I know better what I am looking for this should never happen again.

 

[Will Henry]

When I was a kid, my dad taught me, after every shooting session, you scrubbed the rifle with Hoppes and a brush, then wiped it down before you put it away. Then it stayed rust-free and smelled good too! I always cleaned the gun after every shooting session. Even the 22. and my shotgun. Later, I found that most of my rifles shot better clean, so I cleaned often. When I started shooting BR, I naturally cleaned after every group. Only my silhouette rifles get fired for long strings between cleanings. Even they get cleaned at the end of each day. I've never had a significant carbon build up in a barrel. WH

 

[ELR LVR]

When you look into a barrel with a borescope and see fire cracking, especially if the barrel stops shooting good with not many rounds, make sure it's actually fire cracking and not layers and layers of hard, built-up carbon. What a nightmare it was to get out. Now I am just hoping the accuracy comes back. I honestly thought my barrel was clean but after hours of scrubbing with just about every "Elixer" on the market, I finally started to see the metal on the barrel. If I had to guess, there were about 9 or 10 layers of carbon baked into the first 5 to 10 inches of my barrel.

Now that the barrel is back to shiny metal, I will be much more diligent in my cleaning and inspecting. I wish I would have taken some before, during and after pics.

This is why I don't usually go more than 50 rounds before cleaning

 

[ELR LVR]

When I was a kid, my dad taught me, after every shooting session, you scrubbed the rifle with Hoppes and a brush, then wiped it down before you put it away. Then it stayed rust-free and smelled good too! I always cleaned the gun after every shooting session. Even the 22. and my shotgun. Later, I found that most of my rifles shot better clean, so I cleaned often. When I started shooting BR, I naturally cleaned after every group. Only my silhouette rifles get fired for long strings between cleanings. Even they get cleaned at the end of each day. I've never had a significant carbon build up in a barrel. WH

Back then, Hoppes 9 had a small amount of Ammonia in it so got copper out too
Nowadays we have to use Sweets or something else to offset the fact Hoppes no longer contains Ammonia

 

[cem]

Back then, Hoppes 9 had a small amount of Ammonia in it so got copper out too
Nowadays we have to use Sweets or something else to offset the fact Hoppes no longer contains Ammonia

Your point is correct but the missing ingredient is benzene in the form of nitrobenzene. Not worth having around despite some uses including as I understand it Cerakote.

I do have a Hawkeye with an extra bright light - some people will use a souped up Maglite which may change the color balance. I distinguish between cleaning between rounds when I'm pressed for time and cleaning between seasons when I have all the time in the world.

Given plenty of time I let the chemicals work; checking to be sure the chemical matches the layer of contamination and using a variety. I find given time capitalism works and anything with a decent reputation will do just fine given time - in a rush not so much.

 

[ELR LVR]

Your point is correct but the missing ingredient is benzene in the form of nitrobenzene. Not worth having around despite some uses including as I understand it Cerakote.

I do have a Hawkeye with an extra bright light - some people will use a souped up Maglite which may change the color balance. I distinguish between cleaning between rounds when I'm pressed for time and cleaning between seasons when I have all the time in the world.

Given plenty of time I let the chemicals work; checking to be sure the chemical matches the layer of contamination and using a variety. I find given time capitalism works and anything with a decent reputation will do just fine given time - in a rush not so much.

Benzene is bad juju
I'll stick with Ammonia
I used to use Hoppes and Sweets
Now I use some stuff called Prolix and Sweets
my bores sparkle after only 5 minutes alternating between the two (If I stay on top of it)
When it used to take me 20 minutes with Hoppes and Sweets
-----------
I totally get not having 20 minutes to clean a bore, especially if you've taken 3 or more rifles out

 

[D Coots]

Twenty some years ago sweets changed. It became more thick and had less ammonia smell. Didn't work as good for me. Haven't used any since.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Just for your information, the most diligent (anal) cleaners in the shooting disciplines are Short Range Benchrest Shooters.

We clean after every target, and never take a rifle home without first cleaning it. The best time to clean is while the barrel is still warm.

I know this can be impractical in many Disciplines, but you learn the best way to avoid any buildup that will result in loss of agging capability is to never let it build up in the first place.

Jackie -- do you clean down to bare steel or leave the thin carbon fouling on the lands and grooves? I've been keeping on top of carbon fouling in the neck & freebore area and the copper fouling down the bore.

 

[Shooter13]

Jackie -- do you clean down to bare steel or leave the thin carbon fouling on the lands and grooves? I've been keeping on top of carbon fouling in the neck & freebore area and the copper fouling down the bore.

That small amount you may be trying to clean may just be a shadow of the bore scope light, I'm not Jackie but I've found no way to get that trace out. I'm not sure it matters but tell me how you can and I'll stand corrected!