High Performance Rifle Barrel Cleaning - Video

[Bryan Litz Ballistics]

First post in a long time!

I made this video to show the cleaning method I've converged on, but more importantly it explains WHY this cleaning is beneficial for high performance rifles that cause accelerated wear to the barrel.

One of the reasons there's so many different cleaning methods is that the cleaning requirements of rifles vary. Obviously you don't clean a 22LR barrel the same as a 22-250, but it's less obvious that the cleaning requirements of two centerfire rifles can be very different depending on how hard the internal ballistic cycle is on the steel. The cleaning method I describe in this video is for "High Performance" cartridges that do such damage (fire cracking) to the steel. Lower performance cartridges that do less damage may have a range of cleaning techniques that work well but as the performance increases with temperature and pressure... the required maintenance gets more specific.

Enjoy!
-Bryan

 

[Jtate]

thank you for posting

 

[dgeesaman]

Interesting. Have you experimented with less aggressive cleaning methods executed more frequently?

 

[Park ranger]

Exactly how I do it. Good to know I wasn’t too far off base.

 

[DR_2297]

I did this one morning at CMP long range a couple of years back to my 223 Palma rifle. Took me about 35 rounds before it would hold the 10 ring…. Was a 7 & 8 ring S-show and I was fit to be tied…

Long story short, don’t do this kinda thing on match day at the national matches without having tested behavior beforehand…

 

[Jerry Wick]

Good video, but........why aren't you using a rod guide in the breech?

I will never clean my "high performance barrel" without a properly fitting rod guide. With every stroke of the rod, especially with the abrasives like JB or Iosso, an unsupported rod is bowing and wearing down the lands of that expensive barrel.

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

Boots Obermeyer always cleaned his barrels with a patch wound around a bronze brush and a generous amount of diatomecious earth (RemClean). He used nothing else. He always shot pretty darned well.

 

[Ruger15151]

Interesting. Have you experimented with less aggressive cleaning methods executed more frequently?

Did you actually watch the video? Bryan explains why he cleans this way are certain cartridges.

 

[Ruger15151]

Good video, but........why aren't you using a rod guide in the breech?

I will never clean my "high performance barrel" without a properly fitting rod guide. With every stroke of the rod, especially with the abrasives like JB or Iosso, an unsupported rod is bowing and wearing down the lands of that expensive barrel.

Bryan has a degree in Aerospace Engineering and worked for the US Air Force on Air-to-air missile design, modeling and simulation. He has since left the government and became the Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets. Bryan founded Applied Ballistics and has produced numerous articles, books, and videos related to the science of long range shooting. He was also part of 3 World Champion US Shooting teams. He has a pretty good grasp on what he is doing.

Unfortunately, guys with Bryan's knowledge don't often post on forums because of the comments they get from people with far less experience.... just saying...

 

[dgeesaman]

Did you actually watch the video? Bryan explains why he cleans this way are certain cartridges.

I sure did. His criteria for when to clean is when velocity changes (when bore friction increases, velocity increases, and chamber pressure increases), at which point the JB scrub restores baseline performance. That philosophy seems to be aimed at finding maximum practical interval between cleanings before there is a measurable change in performance.

So my question is whether he has insight into cleaning when maximizing the cleaning interval is not the goal, for example maximizing barrel life using non abrasive cleaning methods more frequently.

 

[Ruger15151]

I sure did. His criteria for when to clean is when velocity changes (when bore friction increases, velocity increases, and chamber pressure increases), at which point the JB scrub restores baseline performance. That philosophy seems to be aimed at finding maximum practical interval between cleanings before there is a measurable change in performance.

So my question is whether he has insight into cleaning when maximizing the cleaning interval is not the goal, for example maximizing barrel life using non abrasive cleaning methods more frequently.

I have never found that abrasives, when used correctly, reduce the life of my competition barrels. There is no non-abrasive cleaning solution that will remove hard carbon. Many solvents will do a great job on powder fouling and copper but an abrasive is required to remove the hard carbon that will continue to build up in the throat and first several inches of the barrel..

Smaller calibers don't require as much as larger calibers. Your mileage will vary.

 

[TRSR8]

I have never found that abrasives, when used correctly, reduce the life of my competition barrels. There is no non-abrasive cleaning solution that will remove hard carbon. Many solvents will do a great job on powder fouling and copper but an abrasive is required to remove the hard carbon that will continue to build up in the throat and first several inches of the barrel..

Smaller calibers don't require as much as larger calibers. Your mileage will vary.

Yes, there is. C4

 

[Ruger15151]

Yes, there is. C4

I use Boretch Eliminator in my 22 and it works great. However, Boretech C4 doesn't touch hard carbon in larger calibers. My borescope confirms that.

 

[jelenko]

Yes, there is. C4

Not in my experience.

 

[wright brothers]

This Pa. hill jack says
Thank You.

 

[Jerry Wick]

Bryan has a degree in Aerospace Engineering and worked for the US Air Force on Air-to-air missile design, modeling and simulation. He has since left the government and became the Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets. Bryan founded Applied Ballistics and has produced numerous articles, books, and videos related to the science of long range shooting. He was also part of 3 World Champion US Shooting teams. He has a pretty good grasp on what he is doing.

Unfortunately, guys with Bryan's knowledge don't often post on forums because of the comments they get from people with far less experience.... just saying...

I know who he is. Who are you "Ruger15151"? What's your real name?

I doubt he needs you to pump him up and defend his credentials.

I just asked a simple question. I also explained why I asked that question. That's what these forums are for, discussion(hopefully civil), Q&A, instruction, etc.

I'm hoping he will respond. @Bryan Litz Ballistics

 

[Bryan Litz Ballistics]

Interesting. Have you experimented with less aggressive cleaning methods executed more frequently?

Yes... solvents work to clean fouling out of barrels, but the abrasives are for when the barrel is 'roughened' by whatever you're shooting. How much roughness you generate depends on variables like powder type but I think its mostly driven by performance. That's why I named the video "High Performance Rifle Barrel Cleaning"; the abrasives aren't necessary for lower performance rounds.

 

[Bryan Litz Ballistics]

Good video, but........why aren't you using a rod guide in the breech?

I will never clean my "high performance barrel" without a properly fitting rod guide. With every stroke of the rod, especially with the abrasives like JB or Iosso, an unsupported rod is bowing and wearing down the lands of that expensive barrel.

This is probably the most common comment on this video.

I'll point out that you said: "I will never clean ... without a properly fitting rod guide."

My reply to that is, if you did, you might find as I did, that there's nothing to fear. I don't use a bore guide on MRADS, and every one I have (4, with multiple barrels each) hammers.

I understand the hesitation and shared it before my career as a ballistician which put me in contact with 20 new barrels per year instead of 1... I adapted my approach and learned there are many things believed by recreational shooters that aren't true when tested. But the nature of recreational shooting is that it doesn't make sense to risk/test doing something that is believed to be harmful... but when you're faced with problems that don't respond to safe approaches, and there's folding money on the line, you find things thru necessity that you don't find otherwise.

Everyone's got their perspective on cleaning; this is just mine, and it doesn't include bore guides for MRADS.

Take care,
-Bryan

 

[6fatrat]

Boots Obermeyer always cleaned his barrels with a patch wound around a bronze brush and a generous amount of diatomecious earth (RemClean). He used nothing else. He always shot pretty darned well.

Boots called me mid 80's about the new gold medallion [todays rem clean] , been using it ever since.
I do use an undersize nylon brush instead of bronze brush, with a patch.
Steve Bair

 

[jelenko]

abrasives aren't necessary for lower performance rounds

Have you found this for the hard carbon in the throat of 223's where cleaning is done after, on average, 80 rounds?