Rifle cleaning jags and brushes

[Lkwebb]

When I shot my first match I had issues with getting the jag and patch through the barrel. My rifle is a 6ppc and I was using a 6mm/243 jag and patch. I was told to use a smaller size jag when using a patch.
Would yall still use the 6mm /243 brush to break loose the carbon and copper If there is any.

 

[Ccrider]

Yes on the brush.
Patches vary in size. I keep scissors around to trim patches to size.

 

[Bill Norris]

When I shot my first match I had issues with getting the jag and patch through the barrel. My rifle is a 6ppc and I was using a 6mm/243 jag and patch. I was told to use a smaller size jag when using a patch.
Would yall still use the 6mm /243 brush to break loose the carbon and copper If there is any.

If you have a stainless barrel you can really knock the carbon out quickly with CLR on a patch.

 

[Shooter13]

You can also catch the patch on one corner (holding it like it is a diamond shape) catch on the north (or any corner) side and it should work.

 

[Schippergreg]

What size patch were you using?

 

[BoydAllen]

I have had a 6PPC for more than a couple of decades. I absolutely don't like tight patches because they squeeze the solvent into the chamber instead of carrying it into the bore. For that reason I use a .22 CF piercing style jag, with 1 3/8" sq . cotton flannel patches. These days, no serious shooter should be without a bore scope. I have one of the more expensive variety, but you are in luck. Today there is Teslong (amazingly inexpensive). Several of my friends have them. They work great and because you are viewing a digital image, or video, you will have a file that can be emailed. This has been the key for me being able to help a couple of fellows with accuracy issues that have turned out to be cleaning related. If you think that bronze brushes might be optional, and that you can do it all with solvents, you are going to have cleaning issues. I would not have believed it, but one fellow that I know found that his entire throat and several inches of bore are heavily coated with hard carbon, and getting that out is a huge problem. For the record, cleaning every 30 rounds or so, shooting mostly 133, I have been able to keep my barrels clean and carbon free using Butch's Bore Shine, patches and bronze brushes, nothing more. Other powders have different cleaning requirements. One of the fellows with the biggest problem kept using the same brush. In benchrest we buy them from specialty suppliers by the dozen and toss them frequently.

 

[ckaberna]

Tag

 

[Lkwebb]

I have had a 6PPC for more than a couple of decades. I absolutely don't like tight patches because they squeeze the solvent into the chamber instead of carrying it into the bore. For that reason I use a .22 CF piercing style jag, with 1 3/8" sq . cotton flannel patches. These days, no serious shooter should be without a bore scope. I have one of the more expensive variety, but you are in luck. Today there is Teslong (amazingly inexpensive). Several of my friends have them. They work great and because you are viewing a digital image, or video, you will have a file that can be emailed. This has been the key for me being able to help a couple of fellows with accuracy issues that have turned out to be cleaning related. If you think that bronze brushes might be optional, and that you can do it all with solvents, you are going to have cleaning issues. I would not have believed it, but one fellow that I know found that his entire throat and several inches of bore are heavily coated with hard carbon, and getting that out is a huge problem. For the record, cleaning every 30 rounds or so, shooting mostly 133, I have been able to keep my barrels clean and carbon free using Butch's Bore Shine, patches and bronze brushes, nothing more. Other powders have different cleaning requirements. One of the fellows with the biggest problem kept using the same brush. In benchrest we buy them from specialty suppliers by the dozen and toss them frequently.

I do have a borescop after I was having issues with a 6.5 creedmoor barrel. It had carbon build up and I soaked it with clr and got it out with some elbow grease.
The 6ppc rifle only has 50 rounds down and was cleaned after every relay. I just wanted the advice on the jag cause using one smaller seems to me like its not getting enough friction when pushing it

 

[Lkwebb]

What size patch were you using?

I would have too look to be honest with ya

 

[pdhntr]

The material used to make the patches can vary also, so the thickness will be different.

I just bought 500 patches the correct size, but have had to cut an additional small patch to add to them to get them to be tight. The thickness of the material used is less than what I was using before.

What a pain.

Jim

 

[BoydAllen]

I do have a borescop after I was having issues with a 6.5 creedmoor barrel. It had carbon build up and I soaked it with clr and got it out with some elbow grease.
The 6ppc rifle only has 50 rounds down and was cleaned after every relay. I just wanted the advice on the jag cause using one smaller seems to me like its not getting enough friction when pushing it

I am pleased to learn that you have a bore scope. I would go easy on the CLR. There is some indication that soaking can change the finish of stainless. For regular powder fouling solvent and brush should do the job, and to keep ahead of hard carbon I use IOSSO with care, and only as needed. I have a specific method that has worked well for me and several other shooters that I learned about from an interview of Tony Boyer.

The patch and jag are mostly to get the solvent into the barrel to dissolve any copper and loosen up the powder fouling. Scrubbing is bronze brush work. Do you have a good cleaning rod guide, one with an insert that stays on the rod?

 

[jpx2rk]

Boyd;
Do you use the smaller jag w/ larger (?) patch on all of your rifles, or just this particular one??

 

[rjtfroggy]

I do it the easy way, I drive over to Dewey's tell him what I need wait about 5 minutes pay my bill, drive home.
Total elapsed time about 30 minutes.

 

[jelenko]

I've had a Teslong for about a year. But, 4 months ago I started using it after every cleaning step.
I found that MR2000 in a 223 leaves a LOT of carbon in the throat that is not removed with a tight bronze brush. I was having to use Iosso every hundred or so rounds.
A couple weeks ago I switched to 8208 and there is much, much less carbon in the throat area.

 

[243winxb]

6mm /243 brush

Some brushes are to large in diameter. I now measure before use. All most stuck a brush in my 40X 243.

I wrap the Jag with strips cut from old cotton underwear (washed). Same 22 jag works for 22, 243, 6.5.

A plastic or aluminum jag is not attacked by solvents

 

[JFrank]

Im my 6mm I use 22 cal jag with the small round patches

 

[PatMiles]

If I am going to use a new brush I push a WET patch through the barrel then while the rod is hanging out of the muzzle I take the jag off and screw on the brush. I pull the brush back through the barrel. No chance of flexing like a rod might do when pushing a new brush through a bore.
I agree with Boyd in regard to using a smaller patch when I want to soak a bore with solvent.

 

[BoydAllen]

Boyd;
Do you use the smaller jag w/ larger (?) patch on all of your rifles, or just this particular one?

Most of my shooting has been with .22 and 6mm CF. For .22 I use a small enough patch to get the fit that I want. I also keep a small sharp pair of scissors in my cleaning kit so that I can cut patches down as needed.

 

[LarryDScott]

I have heard shooters claim to never BRUSH a barrel.
I would hate to think what that barrel looks like.
The shooter who thinks he has a perfectly clean barrel because
he gets white patches, probably doesn't own a bore scope.
The miracle cleaner that will remove carbon w/o a brush
hasn't been invented yet. Just MHO. LDS

 

[powderbrake]

For 6mm I use a 1 1/2 diameter patch with a 6mm jag.
For 22 I use a 1 1/4 dia patch with a 22 jag.

I use the Dewey Copper Eliminator rods, jags and nylon brushes (all aluminum) with Bore Tech C4 Carbon Remover, and Bore Tech Cu+2 Copper Eliminator.

To get that baked on coating of carbon, I use JB bore paste on a bronze brush, followed by lots of Kroil to get all the JB out.