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Learning at the Whidden Gunworks Test Range

I would agree with your cleaning regimen, other than the use of a bronze brush in the barrel.

Polish a piece of plate steel until is is shiny. Then drag a bronze brush across it just once. Those scratches are what you are doing to the interior of your expensive new barrel with one stroke. I will stick with the nylon ones.
 
I went to the Mesa, AZ Lapua Test Center mid February this year. Tested my 457 MTR with Ctr X and Midas+. 16 lots total. They shot 200 rounds. 50yd and 100yd. The 100 is extrapolated by computer.
The Midas was slightly better at 50 yards but at 100 it was the same at Ctr X. I bought a case of Midas+.
By my estimates I am now shooting a 5 shot group about .1"tighter. Hope that helps.
 
I went to the Mesa, AZ Lapua Test Center mid February this year. Tested my 457 MTR with Ctr X and Midas+. 16 lots total. They shot 200 rounds. 50yd and 100yd. The 100 is extrapolated by computer.
The Midas was slightly better at 50 yards but at 100 it was the same at Ctr X. I bought a case of Midas+.
By my estimates I am now shooting a 5 shot group about .1"tighter. Hope that helps.
It is my understanding that the 100 yd results are not extrapolated but actually measured with a second screen placed at the 100 yd distance. Having screens at 50 and 100 allow simultaneous measurement of each round fired. I don't know how it could be "extrapolated" with any accuracy.
 
I’m especially fascinated by what the results show about deep cleaning schedules for rimfire. As we all know there are three basic schools of thought all with their diehard adherents: 1) only scrub clean at the end of the season, 2) only scrub clean when your accuracy falls off, 3) anschutz says scrub clean after every range session.

For those like me who are not high level shooters, trying to figure out when your accuracy falls off is maddening. There are just so many variables affecting my shots: wind, technique, shot to shot ammo variances, barrel fouling variances, etc. It’s really hard for me to say from shot to shot what causes each projectile to not go into the same exact hole.

The beauty of a test center is that by removing variables it really narrows down the potential culprits. Remove human technique variations by clamping the barrel. Remove wind variation by shooting in a tunnel. So your left with the mechanical variations caused by barrel/action combo and the ammo lot. This is a much better representation of what the gun and ammo lot are capable of.

And I’m particularly interested in what the accumulated data from such testing says about aspects of shooting other than lot testing. Lot testing tells us about individual rifles and ammo lots. But examining the accumulated data can also give us generalizations that can apply to all. Such as rimfire cleaning schedule!

Your observations seem to be in line with the Anschutz recommendation. Which goes against the old theory that in rimfire you have to lay down a bed of lead in the bore over time before you get maximum accuracy, and therefore regular deep cleaning will degrade accuracy. Very interesting.

Bravo for wading into this. Please keep the insights coming.
 
If you clean between every round, wouldn’t that make your barrel the same for every relay?
I’m still learning……
 
I went to the Mesa, AZ Lapua Test Center mid February this year. Tested my 457 MTR with Ctr X and Midas+. 16 lots total. They shot 200 rounds. 50yd and 100yd. The 100 is extrapolated by computer.
The Midas was slightly better at 50 yards but at 100 it was the same at Ctr X. I bought a case of Midas+.
By my estimates I am now shooting a 5 shot group about .1"tighter. Hope that helps.
@1813benny is correct, nothing is extrapolate, 100 yard results are directly measured. They failed in their advertising and letting you know how their test center works.

When I was there, a couple of times, maybe 3 or so about of 150-200 shots, I had a low shot at 50 register as high at 100 (and vice versa)
 
Mg73, we do occasionally see barrels that are an exception to this, but for the vast majority of barrels we suggest cleaning at not more than about 150 rounds and using a brass brush, solvent (seems most any will do), and then patching the barrel out.

Barrels that are not happy with this plan are quite rare.
 
If you clean between every round, wouldn’t that make your barrel the same for every relay?
So if you clean after every round, you barrel would be the same, but not optimized for accuracy. You would have to then shot five additional rounds to optimize your barrel.
 
So if you clean after every round, you barrel would be the same, but not optimized for accuracy. You would have to then shot five additional rounds to optimize your barrel.
At least 5, my Shilen needs 10-15. The top shooter in my circle of long range 22 shooters has a Rimex with a long Douglas barrel that will not stabilize (velocity/ES/SD) until he’s fired at least 50 rounds. His first round out is supersonic then the next is way low like 1030fps and it slowly speeds up as he shoots. My gun does the same, only the round count to my expected average velocity is way lower. His is the only gun I’ve ever seen so slow to stabilize after cleaning.
 

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