Barrel Life Over ?

[Martin52]

One of my barrels, a .308 s/s Krieger appears to need more fouling shots before it settles down. I used to fire the usual 2 sighters and that would be fine but now I am almost into my second string before it seems to want to group.

I clean after each match, oil the bore and patch out just before the next match. That has been my regime for a long time.

This particular barrel has 1800 rounds through it, typical load 46 gr Varget with 155 gr Sierra 2156.

The round count is less than I would expect before a 308 s/s begins to lose its accuracy but this could be the problem (?).

If I do not clean after each match, how long before the powder/copper residue begin to damage the barrel ?

i last used Iosso bore past at 1500 rounds and also cleaned out the "old" way with boiling water.

 

[Klong]

you shooting coated bullets?

 

[Martin52]

No, just the standard 155 gr Sierra 2156, uncoated.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

I don't clean my 308 barrels ever. In fact my factory 308 barrel from remington I bought used on here shoots great after about 80 rounds through it after cleaning. My krieger barreled M1A shoots better and better the dirtier it is. I clean carbon out after each session with a hoppes covered bore snake but thats it.

 

[wc872]

I would have to say that there is still plenty of life in your barrel. Have you ever tried not cleaning it between matches? I have had a barrel that shot it's best when pretty dirty. Accuracy would start to open up once the barrel had 240 some rounds down it. I would then clean it squeaky clean, 4 fouling shots & back in business. Your barrel may have changed just a little. Try not cleaning it until the accuracy drops to an unacceptable level.

 

[BradY]

I shoot a 308 for F Class standard in Western Australia and I dont clean for at least 120 shots. 155gr HBC's 45.7gr varget (2208) in palma cases. Running krieger 0.298/0.3065" stainless palma profile. Takes a couple of shots to settle down but after that its on song for quite a while. You need to borescope it as my bet is you have a horrible carbon buildup. A few guys in my area have really cracked the 308 code in terms of chambering, loading for and maintaining guns that will shoot possible scores very consistantly. That iosso bore paste is your friend.

 

[Martin52]

I will try leaving the barrel without cleaning it for the next few weeks/matches until I get another 100+ rounds through it.

Interested that I might have a carbon build up - never considered that possibility because I clean after every match. I usually dry bronze brush first to reduce the glaze at the neck of the chamber then Butches Boreshine, Hoppes or Short Scrub (whichever's to hand) to get the powder out then Boretech Eliminator for the copper. Patch out the leave the bore coated in Ballistol. I recently bought KG for copper, have yet to try that.

The last few matches the barrel has definitley needed 10-12 rounds to settle and produce tighter groups.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[BradY]

You never know a barrel is clean unless you look at it. Often solvents just dont cut it. Hard caked on carbon is hard stuff to get out. An abrasive cleaner like JB paste, iosso paste etc usually does a good job- just dont go overboard with it.

I reckon solvents are solvents are solvents. All claim the world. Some deliver, others dont and others arent good for stainless barrels. Quite funnily another shooter doesnt call it solvent. He prefers "parrot piss" Anyway I digress.

We keep cleaning pretty simple and verify cleanliness with a hawkeye bore scope. Ask around at your range as sometimes people do have them and may be able to check your barrel if you do a cleaning after a days shooting.

1. Shoot your 100-120 shots
2. Three wet patches. Im currently using boretech eliminator, but the krieger barrel nor my new maddco seem to copper much at all. So for budget purposes and the ease of patch it and leave in the safe for a day if no time to clean straight after the range, Im changing to hoppes 9. Not the copper one just the plain #9 general one. Leaving it overnight is probably a good thing as it will loosen everything up a bit. If your having copper issues then I do like the boretech eliminator for burning it out.
3. Wet nylon brush back and forth paying attention around the crown not to damage it.
4. Plain aerosol brake cleaner on two patches to clean out the chamber and the bore- gets rid of any loose soot in the chamber and neutralises the solvent once its done.
5. One patch of tetra oil- the thick stuff that is milky when shaken up.
6. Coat the nylon brush with iosso bore paste and another drop or two of tetra oil- it seems to help keep the removed fouling in suspension and not clogging up the brush.
7. Back and forth in the bore, working 10 or so scrubs back and forth in the throat then one through the barrel then back. Turn the rod 1/4 a turn so the paste doesnt build up on one side of the brush. Repeat this probably 4-5 times or until you really feel the difference in the throat and rest of the barrel. Kriegers are REAL smooth!
8. Once done, wet patch with hoppes until patches start coming out clean, then a wet nylon brush with hoppes back and forth a couple of times to just get any last stuff in the barrel back into suspension. Couple more wet patches, then a couple of dry ones and finally one wet patch of tetra oil rubbed back and forth in the bore then out. Borescope to check it and if you see any more carbon then repeat 6, 7 and 8. Once you do it a couple of times you can learn how much it needs and wont need the borescope.
9. Store muzzle down so fluids dont run back into the action.

We find the first shot we dont have to patch out the oil, first shot generally goes low second is pretty close and third is on the money.

On a positive note, Bill Hallam won the WA Queens last year with a krieger that he used all through the leadup. I know he didnt clean once the queens started, unsure if he cleaned between the two events. There is no need to clean every time you shoot but your barrel will tell you what it likes.

 

[Martin52]

Thanks for the detail on the cleaning regime, I will try that. never used brake cleaner in the chamber, will try that also.

Will look out for someone with a borescope so will start there, see what the bore really looks like.

Thanks.

 

[BradY]

Not a problem. The brake cleaner claims to remove carbon anyway but I dont use it as a solvent. Just making sure the chamber is clean.

If you get to look through a borescope you should see bright silver all the way through the barrel. Carbon fouled areas are black streaks and copper is the normal copper colour shining back at you. '

Also might pay to check the crown on your rifle too if its not shooting like you want. Should be sharp and showing even flash marks all the way round.

 

[treeman]

.

We find the first shot we dont have to patch out the oil, first shot generally goes low second is pretty close and third is on the money.

just a word of caution... I had a 6mm rem at one time I cleaned and oiled the bore and left it muzzle down in the safe I neglected to run a patch through the bore before fireing. the oil had collected in a ring about a half inch back from the muzzle and when I fired the first shot it hydrolicly bulged the barrel. it still shot ok but who wants a buldged barrel

 

[BradY]

Definitely dont want a soaked patch. Just a light coating. The tetra oil is quite thick when rubbed in, but I find when its not worked it runs out fairly well. Point taken though- do what your comfortable with.