.22LR bore cleaning advice

[DJohnston]

I'm looking for some advice on how to best clean our .22LRs that we use in a public biathlon program. We've got five rifles that shoot an average of 200 rounds a day (sometimes double that), just LRN no jacketed ammunition. There are days we can clean all the rifles every day but most days we get one maybe two done, so sometimes they can go even 1000 rnds before they get a cleaning. I've also noticed on some rifles when I run a patch through there are several tight points in the barrel. Some have it, some don't. We use CCI ammunition. http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/detail.aspx?use=5&loadNo=0032

Since I arrived at the program I've stuck with the cleaning regime that was in place, using Pro-Shot solvent/lube only with the usual patches and what appear to be brass brushes (included with the rifles). As these get used so much and therefore cleaned so much I want to be sure we are giving them the best care possible. And since I'm a noob I'm looking for help.

Thx.

 

[fr3db3ar]

JMO. You're cleaning too often. I've run K's of rounds through my 22 with only running a dry patch down the barrel to clean out powder residue with no ill effects to accuracy.

Clean/oil the outside/action, dry swab the barrel.

$.02

 

[DOGCAPPER]

Clean between ammo brand changes...Otherwise run thou or so rounds ok..LT

 

[Ohio1]

I have a Rem 541S that's a real shooter, and I made the mistake of cleaning it (just to clean, no accuracy problem) that's when the accuracy went out the door!
I had to shoot about 3 to 4 hundred rounds before the accuracy came back, now I don't clean for thousands of rounds, or when the accuracy isn't there!
Hope this helps?

Steve

 

[tome]

the anchultz owners manual that came with my rifle said to clean every 3000 rounds..when i clean my 52d & 40x..they shoot large groups till they are fowled..then they shoot bug holes @ 50m..over cleaning a 22 will ruin the barrel

 

[NorCalMikie]

Don't fix it if it ain't broke!! Wipe the finger prints off with an oily rag, clean the mag, maybe a dry patch through the barrel and get back to shooting.

 

[Cort]

I think it depends on your expectations. .22 LR benchrest shooters usually clean their barrel after each target (25 shots). I know of .22 LR firearms that have never had the barrel cleaned and still seem to shoot pretty well.

Personally, I clean the barrels on my bullseye pistols in .22LR and .45 ACP before and after each match (around 100 shots) and then every 500 rounds otherwise. My .22 LR plinking rifle gets cleaned once a year whether it needs it or not. My .22 LR target rifle gets cleaned around 100 shots or so.

I think more .22 LR rifle barrels are damaged when being cleaned than are ever shot out. My guess is that a .22 LR barrel is good for 100,000 rounds, or more, before it is worn out.

Cort

 

[DJohnston]

Thanks all, looks like I don't need to worry about it too much.

Any thoughts on the tight spots I feel as I run a patch down the barrel?

 

[fr3db3ar]

As a general rule how are your guns shooting?

If it's not causing a problem with accuracy I wouldn't worry about it too much. You might take a look and see if you have some kind of buildup but as often as you clean that seems unlikely.

 

[Cort]

Taking a page from the .22 LR benchrest crew, you might scrub the bores with Remington 40-X Bore Cleaner (I bought my bottle at Walmart). They scrub their bores every 500 rounds or so with the 40-X and then use Pro-Shot 1 Step Cleaner & Lubricant after each target (2-3 wet patches followed by 3-4 dry patches using the correct bore guide for your rifle). The tight spots are most likely caused by some leading; although Anschutz barrels actually get a little tighter toward the muzzle so you may be feeling that. If the rifles are shooting well, I would leave them alone. Wipe down the outside and keep pulling the trigger.

Cort

 

[Cort]

Also, take extra care with the crown. Push the patch out of the muzzle and remove it. Then, carefully withdraw the rod, making sure that nothing comes in contact with the crown. It is common to use a .17 caliber rod with a delrin "jag".

Cort

 

[DJohnston]

Once again, thanks all. The rifles have been shooting well so I'll probably just stick with our cleaning regime but skip the brushing, just wet and dry patches. We send them to a smith once a year and I'll leave the heavy stuff up to him. Interestingly, using a bore guide has not been a part of our method but I'm going to suggest it to the powers that be.

 

[Shynloco]

Thoughts on whether to clean or not to clean a .22 barrel has been a long standing dispute amongst many Rimfire shooters. Personally, unless you are shooting a Custom built rimfire rifle, you should clean your barrel when the barrel tells you do to (dropoff in accuracy) OR whenever changing ammo you are shooting down the barrel. Now I hardly ever clean my Remington or Savage rimfires, but clean my Anschutz barrel with a wet patch after every 100 rounds. And thats using Match Grade ammo that has been tried and proven to win in competitions. I also use a nylon brush a about 500 rounds as well. For general fun and enjoyment, I do clean the barrels on the Remington and Savages with a brush about every 500 rounds regardless, but thats me.

 

[Travelor]

I use Bore Tech Rimfire Blend as a solvent to clean my RF rifles. It has no chemicals to remove copper as these are not needed for 22 RF rifle barrels. I do not experience an initial accuracy drop after cleaning with this.

The loose/tight feel in your barrels is either spotty lead build up or barrel problems possibly caused by shooting an oily barrel or one that has had water in it. I would thoroughly clean these rifles and look for lead coming out with the bronze brushes and the patches. These barrels need to be watch closely for accuracy problems.

George

 

[DaveWhite]

It depends, some rifles shoot well for a long time between cleaning and then the accuracy falls off very rapidly; that is no good if it happens in the middle of a record string in an important match.

Most smallbore prone and position shooters therefore clean between stages of matches and shoot a number of foulers before shooting on the target (four or five usually does it). I have always run a brass brush through to knock out the loose stuff, followed by a Hoppes #9 soaked patch, and perhaps half a dozen patches until they came out reasonably clean (there always seemed to be a faint trace of a line on the patches which followed the lands. I would generally give a bit more cleaning if the patches simply would not "clean up", or prior to putting a rifle away for a while (such as at the end of the outdoor prone season.)

Using a cleaning rod guide and a coated Parker Hale rod, I don't believe I ever damaged my bore by a routine cleaning while pretty active in SB competition (but then again, I have never scoped either of those rifles...). But if I had a rifle with several hundred rounds through it without cleaning, I personally would doubt that rifle was poised to shoot its best.

I will have to dig out my old Anschutz (1813) owners manual regarding their recommendations, but 3000 rounds as stated in another response does not sound right.

 

[benchrest47]

I clean after every ARA target.(about 40 rounds) I use a blend of Kroil and Shooters choice.(1/2 and1/2) I use 1 wet and then 10 strokes with a wet bronze brush and 2more wets and a dry and 1 lock-eze. I have done this for 10 years and of the opinion that you will shoot a lot more consistent if it is clean. I also clean the bolt and lugs . Might be a little anal but it works real well for me and my 3 40X bench guns.

Mike

 

[amamnn]

Those truly interested in the facts concerning the results of bore cleaning in this application might want to look at a study done some years ago and published in "Precision Shooting" the un?official newsletter of the IBS, and an experiment done by Old Painless, who maintains the Box o' Truth. These factual results will not sit well with the dirtier is better crowd's ill conceived factless suppositions about accuracy
see:
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/educational.htm --and http://www.precisionshooting.com/ Dec. 2008 pp. 88-93. The results do not support the dirty bore bums at all, but interestingly do not show a huge improvement for the merry maids cleaning crew either--maybe the subject is just too minuscule to worry about--something less than a tempest in a teapot? Although matches are won and lost by those minuscule differences............btw, and IMHO You just can't be too anal about cleaning your rifle--at least not if you want to win matches..........at the very least you always know where you are starting when you use a clean rifle........... and you never know when you are going to cross the line into also ran land with a dirty one..

 

[Travelor]

This link should save you hunting for the article.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu130.htm

 

[hogpatrol]

Anyone use cigarette lighter fluid for removing lead fouling? Seems a while back I heard it works well.

 

[dreever]

The instructions that came with my Anschutz 64MPR stainless steel barrel said don't clean till 10,000 rounds!
I've never cleaned it and it shoots great.
Danny