07-24-2012, 01:59 AM
stokesrj Wrote:Well, cleaning protocols are a very debatable subject and few agree on the best methods. However, I'll tell you how I go about it and my experiences with high volume match shooting. I don't ever put a brass rod, or bare metal rod of any kind, down my bore, I use a Dewey coated steel rod and piercing type patch jag with a bore guide. I also only use an otis or bore snake pull though system when taking a full length rod with me is a problem. Unless you are absolutely sure that you can pull it through the bore with no side pressure you risk wearing the crown of your barrel. I've seen this damage first hand.
The rifle I'm campaigning this season has a little over 14,200 rounds on it and is on it's fourth barrel. I changed the first three when they reached 4,000 rounds and they were still holding .5 MOA so, I'm reasonably comfortable that my cleaning routine works for me.
After every match or practice session which typically run 50-160 rounds each I clean the barrel using patch out bore cleaner and accelerant. Starting with a patch soaked with five drops of accelerant, I make one pass from breech to bore and remove the patch at the bore and pull the rod back through. I then wet another patch with patch out and push it through from breech to bore, remove the patch, pull the rod back and let it sit for five to ten minutes. Then repeat with patches soaked with patch out until it comes clean and then run two dry patches through. That's it, no bore protectant or lubricant of any kind needed if you are going to shoot it again within a few weeks.
Additionally I polish the throat to remove any carbon build up every 300 to 500 rounds using JB polishing compound. You have to be careful with JB and not over do it. This isn't that necessary if you are shooting 300 yards or less but for longer distances you will see a degradation in accuracy if you aren't doing this due to the higher rate of copper fouling. You will also see a reduction in cold bore zero change if you maintain the throat this way.
To polish with JB just rub the compound into a patch until it is permeated through both sides, then wrap the patch around a well worn bronze brush or use the piercing jag, stroke the patch about 6-8 inches into the bore five times, then on the sixth stroke take it half way through the bore and then on the final stroke push it out the bore and remove the patch, repeat this two or three times and then clean as normal with patches and patch out. The idea here is to polish the throat end of the barrel more than the muzzle end so that it remains the smallest diameter of the whole bore.
Here is a list of supplies used
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/112089/...-oz-liquid
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/461265/...-oz-liquid
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/489003/...-36-thread
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/118238/...age-of-600
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/732501/...read-brass
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/325777/...15-264-lbc
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=4123/...25_d_10167
Of course there are other ways to clean a barrel too, this one just works well for me.
Bob
thanks for the tips, Bob!