204 Question

[Mark M.]

Generally how many shots are you guys getting between cleanings with you 204

 

[chuckshooter]

300 to 400, if things are going great as much as 500. I don't clean on my trips anymore, I just take enough guns to rotate and I take up to 500 rounds per gun.

 

[Bill K]

Never really count number of shots that way. depending on weather I am shooting in a squeek field (maybe 100-200 shots) or rock chuck/coyote hunt (maybe a dozen shots) . I clean my bores after every outing.

 

[remy3424]

I try not to go over 100, and I feel like that is abusing the barrel. Once I have a load developed and sighted-in, my only shooting is my annual p-dawg trip, hope to make it a semi-annual trip one of these seasons. If I can make it to retirement, with my health, it will be much more often....the shooting, still will clean at 100 (my ammo is in 100 ct boxes) or before.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

When in the rat patch with any of my 204's, I try to not go over 50 rounds between cleanings any more. Better to just rotate rifles instead of coppering up one and making the crap almost impossible to remove. Once I went just over 100 rounds downrange in one of my 204's (Pac-Nor bbl), and I swore I'd not ever do that again. Can you say "PITA"?

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I just shoot as much as I can and clean when I get back to the hotel. Sometimes I can shoot hundreds of rounds un a day on a single rifle or maybe only 50-100. Still clean every evening regardless. Have never fouled a barrel bad enough before cleaning to where I noticed a significant drop in accuracy. I do swap rifles throughout the day to keep from shooting any of them on a really hot barrel.

 

[B23]

Generally speaking, the more hot rod/overbore the cartridge, the more frequent the cleanings. Of course there's exceptions to any rule, such as, it's been my experience factory barrels have a much higher tendency to copper up than my custom barrels do.

Unless I have a particular gun/barrel that is a cronic copper or powder fouler, I generally let the accuracy of the gun tell me when it needs to be cleaned. I mostly use Hart and Krieger barrels and when I've asked them for cleaning recommendations, that's what they tell me to do as well.

Maybe Frank w/Bartlein barrels will see this thread and give us his recommendation/s. It's always good to hear from the folks that make barrels as to what they recommend.

 

[jepp2]

Generally how many shots are you guys getting between cleanings with you 204

I clean on a schedule. Every 50 rounds in the field with Butches Bore Shine to mostly remove carbon and a bit of the copper. And every night I de-copper using a Boretech Eliminator. But I do the same on my other .204 and .224 calibers. I haven't found the 204 Ruger to be that bad on fouling, but that depends a lot on your choice of powder and how you load.

 

[varget204]

I clean my 204's every time i'm finished shooting,about 50 rounds max.If i only shoot 25-30 i still clean and DeCarbon/copper every time,I've let the carbon/copper ring build up in the past,don't have enough elbow grease to do it anymore.

 

[JSH]

I usually don’t run over 100 before I clean. I won’t get into what I use as far as cleaners go, it works for me. If one doesn’t just throw a lot of rounds down range and keep blaming misses on “things” the rig will let you know.
I have a bone stock off the rack barrel in 204. I had all but given up on it. Found it likes Fiocchi ammo. Chased the speeds around and found a hand load it likes. They are pretty hot by some folks thoughts. It will get fouled around 250-275 rounds. I do a quick clean in the field, letting it soak and about 30 minutes it is ready to go.

My custom barrel gets out of its group at about 50 rounds. It cleans really quick, like 10 minutes and is ready again. Has about 500 through it and shows it will go a few more than 50 now.

I kind of laughed at the CFE powders figuring it was just a marketing scheme. I am a believer now. YMMV
Jeff

 

[johnfred1965]

I guess I am right in there with most replies, I clean between 100-150 rounds. When I rotate a rifle, I spray foul out down the barrel and let it sit until it is time to rotate it back in. A quick brush and patch and ready to go again.

 

[CT10ring]

I clean end of day. Maybe 100-200 shots, max. I also take few other rifles, so as not to overheat any. 6.5 X 47 is better when windy vs .204. I have never cleaned in the field. Pick up a 22-250 or 2, 6 X 47, or a .243.

 

[fyrewall]

Depends - generally after 50 rounds with a quick cleanup that also cools the barrel - hot barrel & foam, then wait 5 min, push out foam with patch, cold water down bore, brush out bore with nylon brush & 0-20W, then several patches, clean chamber, grease lugs, then resume shooting. Also many powders contain tin that acts as an agent to bind and remove copper fouling, CFE223 is one of them, but many other powders have similar additives.