Cleaning For Competition
Cleaning one's equipment during and after competition or practice needn't be a complicated item. You need to develop a regimen that you agree with and refine it as you learn more.
At the Range after the last Match I run 2 wet patches of solvent through my barrels and take them home wet.
A few days later I start my double cleaning. I use Russ Haydon cleaning guides. I have the same 2 I bought in 1994. Changed the o-rings once on each. I use Dewey cleaning rods and still have some Parker Hale. Use a pair of Hart cleaning rod pliers to keep everything tight. I use short stiff rods to stay away from the arch that long rods put in a stroke. I have 25+ BR barrels and have never put a gullywamp in my barrels from bad stroking. Stay with a good rod guide and short rods for long barrel life.
At home I put 2 more wet patches of solvent through the barrel and let set 20 minutes. For patches I use Pro Shot 1 1/8 for 22 cal, 1 3/8 and 1 3/4 for 6mm. By solvent I use either old Hoppes No 9 with Sweets added or my home brew. My home brew is 3 cans of GM Top Engine Cleaner, 1 can of Kroil oil, and just enough white ammonia to top of my bottle. Stir well and often. After the 20 minutes I load up a good brass brush with solvent and brush 8 times or so. Repeat leaving the barrel wet for 20 minutes. Patch out with rubbing alcohol and dry patches. Now for the Sweets. Use 2 wet patches of Sweets let set for 20 minutes if the come out light blue or less you are ok for copper. If dark blue give it 2 more patches of Sweets wait 20 minutes and test again. After the Sweets run a wet patch of solvent and set aside for a day or two.
Come back and run through the same routine minus the Sweets. Leave barrel wet when you go back to the range.
OK for the nieve and Gomer clan I patch out the barrel at the Range first with a patch of rubbing alcohol then several large dry patches before I go to the line. I go to the line with a a dry barrel. Some run an oil patch before they shoot. I don't. I leave the lube on my bullets this does the same thing. I don't have to shoot 3 bullets to condition the barrel before I go to the Record target. At the range I only wet patch between matches using rubbing alcohol and solvent.But when I decide to brush I use a mixture of old Hoppes and Sweets patching out with alcohol patches a couple and a dry patch 1 3/4.
Competition requires concentration on loading and cleaning. Never have much conversation while doing either. For those curious take a whiff of old Hoppes No 9. This is the way benchrest smelled when I started.
Last clean the bolt. Solvent on a paper towel works fine. Use a stiff brush either bronze or nylon to clean the bolt face anything else that has attached itself. Take it apart often checking for primer pieces and dirt. Spray the main spring with white lithium spray.
Proper maintenance of BR guns and equipment pays dividends during your shooting career.
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
Cleaning one's equipment during and after competition or practice needn't be a complicated item. You need to develop a regimen that you agree with and refine it as you learn more.
At the Range after the last Match I run 2 wet patches of solvent through my barrels and take them home wet.
A few days later I start my double cleaning. I use Russ Haydon cleaning guides. I have the same 2 I bought in 1994. Changed the o-rings once on each. I use Dewey cleaning rods and still have some Parker Hale. Use a pair of Hart cleaning rod pliers to keep everything tight. I use short stiff rods to stay away from the arch that long rods put in a stroke. I have 25+ BR barrels and have never put a gullywamp in my barrels from bad stroking. Stay with a good rod guide and short rods for long barrel life.
At home I put 2 more wet patches of solvent through the barrel and let set 20 minutes. For patches I use Pro Shot 1 1/8 for 22 cal, 1 3/8 and 1 3/4 for 6mm. By solvent I use either old Hoppes No 9 with Sweets added or my home brew. My home brew is 3 cans of GM Top Engine Cleaner, 1 can of Kroil oil, and just enough white ammonia to top of my bottle. Stir well and often. After the 20 minutes I load up a good brass brush with solvent and brush 8 times or so. Repeat leaving the barrel wet for 20 minutes. Patch out with rubbing alcohol and dry patches. Now for the Sweets. Use 2 wet patches of Sweets let set for 20 minutes if the come out light blue or less you are ok for copper. If dark blue give it 2 more patches of Sweets wait 20 minutes and test again. After the Sweets run a wet patch of solvent and set aside for a day or two.
Come back and run through the same routine minus the Sweets. Leave barrel wet when you go back to the range.
OK for the nieve and Gomer clan I patch out the barrel at the Range first with a patch of rubbing alcohol then several large dry patches before I go to the line. I go to the line with a a dry barrel. Some run an oil patch before they shoot. I don't. I leave the lube on my bullets this does the same thing. I don't have to shoot 3 bullets to condition the barrel before I go to the Record target. At the range I only wet patch between matches using rubbing alcohol and solvent.But when I decide to brush I use a mixture of old Hoppes and Sweets patching out with alcohol patches a couple and a dry patch 1 3/4.
Competition requires concentration on loading and cleaning. Never have much conversation while doing either. For those curious take a whiff of old Hoppes No 9. This is the way benchrest smelled when I started.
Last clean the bolt. Solvent on a paper towel works fine. Use a stiff brush either bronze or nylon to clean the bolt face anything else that has attached itself. Take it apart often checking for primer pieces and dirt. Spray the main spring with white lithium spray.
Proper maintenance of BR guns and equipment pays dividends during your shooting career.
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR