POLL: Brush or no brush when cleaning bore?
- Thread starter Winny94
- Start date
Well, I guess I am different.... I use the Bore Tech jag with tight fitting patches, and either BoreTech Eliminator or KG 1 for a couple of wet patches.
Let it soak and then use these: VFG Felt Cleaning pellets
www.brownells.com
Let it soak and then use these: VFG Felt Cleaning pellets
VFG WEAPONS CARE SYSTEM PELLETS | Brownells
Innovative and efficient system cleans rifle and handgun barrels with a minimum of effort and mess. Slip two felt pellets on the cleaning rod adapter, apply your favorite solvent and push through the bore to rapidly scrub out dirt and fouling. Pel...
www.brownells.com
AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
Bronze brushes every time, measure them with a caliper, often, They are good for perhaps 100 strokes. Often you will find bronze brushes over size.
Brush with Montana Extreme bore solvent, safe to let soak over night if need be.
More aggressive treatments as needed, Montana Extreme copper cream on patches, next Flitz Bore Cleaner in the 7.6 oz bottle. Use the Copper cream and Flitz bore cleaner on Montana Extreme or Issio plastic brushes first, if the carbon subsides, then go to bronze bristle brushes.
Caliber, # of grains fired, # of rounds in between shot strings, # of rounds in between cleanings, barrel quality, all come into play as each barrel is an individual.
A guy shooting a short range benchrest rifle may clean every 7-12 rounds while a guy shooting p. dogs may clean a rifle every 125-300 rounds. Compare those two guys with a guy shooting steel with a 7 mag or even worse a guy using a 338 Lapua shooting steel at very long range. Then you have a guy shooting a 50 bmg shooting 200g of powder. Different applications require different cleaning techniques.
Brush with Montana Extreme bore solvent, safe to let soak over night if need be.
More aggressive treatments as needed, Montana Extreme copper cream on patches, next Flitz Bore Cleaner in the 7.6 oz bottle. Use the Copper cream and Flitz bore cleaner on Montana Extreme or Issio plastic brushes first, if the carbon subsides, then go to bronze bristle brushes.
Caliber, # of grains fired, # of rounds in between shot strings, # of rounds in between cleanings, barrel quality, all come into play as each barrel is an individual.
A guy shooting a short range benchrest rifle may clean every 7-12 rounds while a guy shooting p. dogs may clean a rifle every 125-300 rounds. Compare those two guys with a guy shooting steel with a 7 mag or even worse a guy using a 338 Lapua shooting steel at very long range. Then you have a guy shooting a 50 bmg shooting 200g of powder. Different applications require different cleaning techniques.
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Go to a benchrest tournament where aggs, not poll numbers, are the means of keeping score. In my experience virtually 100% of winning shooters are using a bronze brush every 10-15 shots or so.
At one point the internet told me brushing and abrasives are bad for my barrels so obviously I had to stop, ill call that season the season of lessons in hard carbon fowling/carbon rings.
jackson1
Silver $$ Contributor
I use bronze for carbon and nylon for copper. Neither brushes or barrels live forever. Try to be prudent regarding their use. Last winter read an article in American Rifleman about doing a heavy duty cleaning and it worked on an old barrel I was planning on replacing. Can't say for how long, but it has given me a few more trips to the range.
painter
Gold $$ Contributor
Just as I was taught in the 70s and keep the brush clean.
mike mccormick
Silver $$ Contributor
I use the vfd felt pellets and wipe out. The only time I use a brush ( bronze) is if I get a carbon build up
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Use a bronze brush now or later. May as well get it overwith
6MMsteve
Gold $$ Contributor
yep #28
6MMsteve
Gold $$ Contributor
I like the Montana copper cream use it from time to time
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
As a note, in my 6PPC Group Rifles, I clean after every group. It might be out of habit more than anything.
In my 30 BR Varmint for Score Rifle, which is a 1-18 twist barrel, I do not clean it until the Match is over. That could be as many as 100 rounds. I then clean it with Butches on a brush, then as many wet and dry patches as it takes to where there is no color on the patch, which usually is not many.
In my 6BR, I try to clean after every target if allowed.
In my 30 BR Varmint for Score Rifle, which is a 1-18 twist barrel, I do not clean it until the Match is over. That could be as many as 100 rounds. I then clean it with Butches on a brush, then as many wet and dry patches as it takes to where there is no color on the patch, which usually is not many.
In my 6BR, I try to clean after every target if allowed.
This topic is one of those issue for which this no absolute positively correct answer.
Nevertheless, I'll give you my rationale and feel free to shoot holes in it - no pun intended.
I believe in using a bronze brush because I believe that the mechanical action of this kind of brush aids in removing carbon more effectively and minimizes the chances of a carbon ring forming. I have no proof to support this supposition only the rationale that a bronze brush creates a more effective mechanical action on the carbon to loosen it.
Obviously a bronze brush must not be used with a copper remover like Bore Tech's Cu+2 or combo solvents like Bore Tech Eliminator since it contains both a carbon and copper remover. I use the bronze brush Bore Tech's C4 copper remover and Bore Tech's rim fire blend, the latter on firearms in which I fire lead bullets.
The main objection I've heard about using a bronze brush is that it's harmful to the bore. If you use a proper bore guide, i.e. one designed for the caliber you're cleaning, the correct size brush with looped end and a brass core like the "no harm" Dewey brushes then I don't believe you'll harm the bore. At least that's been my experience.
The nylon brushes with an aluminum cores are excellent for apply a copper remover solvent after the bore had been cleaned for carbon.
That's my take on this topic for whatever its worth.
Nevertheless, I'll give you my rationale and feel free to shoot holes in it - no pun intended.
I believe in using a bronze brush because I believe that the mechanical action of this kind of brush aids in removing carbon more effectively and minimizes the chances of a carbon ring forming. I have no proof to support this supposition only the rationale that a bronze brush creates a more effective mechanical action on the carbon to loosen it.
Obviously a bronze brush must not be used with a copper remover like Bore Tech's Cu+2 or combo solvents like Bore Tech Eliminator since it contains both a carbon and copper remover. I use the bronze brush Bore Tech's C4 copper remover and Bore Tech's rim fire blend, the latter on firearms in which I fire lead bullets.
The main objection I've heard about using a bronze brush is that it's harmful to the bore. If you use a proper bore guide, i.e. one designed for the caliber you're cleaning, the correct size brush with looped end and a brass core like the "no harm" Dewey brushes then I don't believe you'll harm the bore. At least that's been my experience.
The nylon brushes with an aluminum cores are excellent for apply a copper remover solvent after the bore had been cleaned for carbon.
That's my take on this topic for whatever its worth.
littlebuddybr
Gold $$ Contributor
This is exactly what I do. Never had an issue.
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