[cpttango30]

This is a topic that I do not see come up a lot. So I was wondering how you clean your bolt action rifles?

I'm in the process of changing how I clean my rifle.

I used to run a Hoppes soaked patch threw the bore and let it sit for a few minutes the use a bronze brush to scrub it out then 5 dry patches on a jag to get that crud out. Then I would switch to Hoppes #9 copper solvent and run a patch with that and let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes then 5 dry patches to clean that out if the 5th patch was still showing signs of blue (Sign of copper still in the bore) I would repeate the copper solvent. Then after 5 more dry patches I would use the gunslick foaming bore cleaner for 30 minutes to 1 hour. And clean it out with 5 patches of Hoppes #9 then 5 dry patches This a patch with gunscrubber or break clean of eather to dry out the bore then a patch with oil and call it good.

Recently I switched to not using a bronze brush at all. Then I just hoppes #9 the bore and let it sit then with a jag I run 5 to 10 patches then I switch to the hoppes #9 copper solvent and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. 5 to 10 dry patches then a dose of Gunslick foaming bore cleaner for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then I go back to the Hoppen #9 copper solvent to clean that out. Then I run a patch with copper solvent and let it sit to see if there is any more left if next patches show signs of copper it is back to the foaming bore cleaner. I did this to my 223 last night and the last patch showed just a tiny touch of solvent on the patch. I then did the one patch of gun scrubber down and nothing on it as well so I oiled it lightly and called it good. Tonight is the 308. It has a stainless steel barrel and we will see how the new process works. In talking to many of the varmint and bench rest guys they say to never ever ever touch a stainless steel bore with a bronze brush and only once in a while use a nylon brush.

So lets hear your cleaning method for the barrel.

[ScottG]

I generally run a bore snake a few times with breakfree then the bronze brush two or three times then patches til clean. Some oil, then finished.

[soulsniper]

most 22 rifles dont need cleaning because they basically clean themselves every time you fire all you need to do is clean out the reciever every couple months

[jeepcreep927]

Originally Posted by soulsniper

most 22 rifles dont need cleaning because they basically clean themselves every time you fire all you need to do is clean out the reciever every couple months

I've never, ever, heard of such a thing. Any time a bullet travels down the bore there's going to be some residue be it lead, copper or both, not to mention powder. Eventually it needs to be cleaned out. Or...

Maybe I have been wasting my time cleaning my barrels.

I generally run a bore snake through to get the "chunks" and pretty much do as Tango mentioned. Soak with #9 for 20-30 minutes, patch it, repeat. I don't put bronze brushes in my barrels, ever. I even cut the bristles out of the Bore Snake and it is used as just a mop for loose debris.

I take each rifle on a case by case basis. My deer rifles get a "good enough" cleaning, as it seems you could scrub all day. My LTR in .308 has never seen any bullet aside from 110 grain VMax, which move right along, so it does copper a moderate amount. I only have one custom barrel, a Brux in .222 Rem. which doesn't care if it's been five rounds or fifty. The thing never seems to get any dirtier than initial powder fouling.

[lonyaeger]

Originally Posted by soulsniper

most 22 rifles dont need cleaning because they basically clean themselves every time you fire all you need to do is clean out the reciever every couple months

Was the OP talking about rimfires? My guess is that he was not.

[jpattersonnh]

Piss in the chamber w/ the bolt removed, of coarse. Wipe my @ss with the bolt and slap it back in.
Seriously, I changed about 8 years ago. I use the Otis cleaning system. I use CLP for short term or FP10 for long term. I find no use for a copper solvent as the bronze brush and a few patches does it fine. It has been a really cheap way to go since the original investment. I clean from .17 to 12ga with the same kit. Works great on autos from chamber to bore without having to break them down completely.

Bore snakes are strickly for the field and the O'sh!t cleaning.

[cpttango30]

Clean a rimfire barrel why the heck would anyone do that?

This is centerfire rifles we are talking about.

and

If you use a boresnake your a damn douche.

Do you wipe your azz with toilet paper your wife wiped with?

NO

Then tell me why you would do that to a gun?

[jeepcreep927]

I accept my "douche" moniker. Thanks. Read the post. I cut the bristles off and use it to merely remove the loose powder fouling PRIOR to patches and solvent.

[mrm14]

I, until recently, used Hopps #9 then Hopps Copper solvent with a plastic brush. It seemed to work but with a bore scope I was still seeing copper indications in the rifleing and the throat. Also on one rifle, the target rifle, the muzzel brake was really fouling up with carbon and copper and was biatch to clean.

One of the guys that I shoot this 1000 yard stuff with turned me onto a product called Wipe Out and another product called Carb Out which are made by the same company. The Wipe Out is a foam bore cleaner. I was skepticle so I tried it out with a rifle I thought the barrel was clean. Man-O-man did alot of blue come out of the barrel when cleaning. Now I use it on most all my rifles. Even the M1A with the gas turned off as to not get any in the gas cylinder.

What I do now is after I get back from the range I dose the barrel with their Carb Out and vigerously scrub the bore out with the plastic bore brush for about 3 minuets then let it set for about half an hour. I then patch it out dry and spray in the Wipe out and let it set for about an hour. I then scrub again with the palstic brush for about another 3 minuets and patch dry. Then last but not least I spray the Wipe Out again into the barrel and let set over night or sometimes a day or two as this stuff dosen't harm the barrel with extended exposure. I then dry patch it out again and get very little if any copper indications. Usually nothing appears on the patches at this time.

Now for the muzzel brake.

The threads are indexed and I have a witness mark to get it thredded back on properly. I thread the brake off the barrel and soak it in The Carb out for about an hour. Then I spray it down with the Wipe out and let it set until I final patch out dry the barrel which is usually the next day or so. A little scrubbing with a brass brush to the ports on the brake as well as the inside of it is done after the Carb out has soaked it for that first hour and then before I rinse Wipe Out totally off with CRC brake clean and thread it back onto the barrel. The carb out works miricles on the carbon build up on the crown of the barrel which is normal thing when using a brake.

Now my description sounds like a hell of alot of work but in fact it's truely due to my long winded description of what I do. In reality, for me, it's considerably less time than I ever spent before in cleaning and the barrels always come out squeaky clean.

This stuff at least has worked out extremely well for me.

http://sharpshootr.com/


http://www.sharpshootr.com/wipeout.htm

http://sharpshootr.com/carbout.htm

Also, I always use a bore guide throught the breech and a coated rod.

[spittinfire]

I usually run a patch soaked with hopps thru and let it soak in a little bit. Then a brush and then another wet patch. I repeat that a few times and then go thru with the dry patches. I have yet to be able to get a barrel clean with only one wet patch. After the crud is removed, I use hopp's copper solvent with a little longer soak time inbetween. I repeat these steps until clean.

I've tried foaming bore cleaners and none of them worked well for me so I went back to hopp's.