My 2 cents on bore cleaning (with more Teslong pics)

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Nature Boy

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Maybe more like a whole roll of pennies as it relates to the amount of copper in this barrel.

This is after only 15 rounds starting from a clean bore in my Browning BLR .358 win

jJOiLo2.jpg

Step 1. All my rifles start by getting a shot of Wipe Out foaming Bore Cleaner, which I let soak for 2 hours before doing anything else.

MGThnLX.jpg

Step 2. I run a few 9mm Ramrodz Q-tips through the bore to clean out the Wipe Out residue. Here’s the after pics. It removes almost all the copper as you can see

NXrWsWb.jpg

Step 3. I use Bore Tech products and hit the bore with a few Ramrodz soaked in CU+2 to get any remaining copper. I follow that up with about 30 passes with a bronze brush and BT Carbon Remover. Finally I’ll run a few Ramrodz through the bore until I’m not seeing much of anything coming out.

5GUYKm2.jpg

Here are the final pics after I’ve called it good.

EAb9Bwr.jpg

Here’s my cleaning dunnage in order

A patch I put under the muzzle catching the Wipe Out that shows it working on the copper.

1-3 Ramrodz pushing out the Wipe Out residue

4-5 Ramrodz with CU+2 (just a hint of blue)

6-13 Ramrodz used with BT carbon remover after brushing with bronze brush.

UVj1Znb.jpg

Note: I was shooting loads with VV N140, which is known to be a pretty clean burning powder. If this was Varget you can double what I’ve outlined above.
 
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I use Bore Tech “Eliminator” to “melt” the copper - copper/ lead are usually the toughest residue to remove - wet patch, 5 or so minute sit, dry patch, inspect, repeat if necessary, finalized with an oil patch for peace of mind. Bore Tech Eliminator does a quick and thorough job but I think that others shy away from it’s use when they hear “water base” - it is counterintuitive to what we have been taught about water and firearms. However, my experience has been that the product works great - I use nothing else.
 
I would get the carbon out but leave the copper in the bore until accuracy goes south, then burn it out.

Reason being I find on my target rifles i need to shoot at least 10 or so fouler shots from a fresh bore before accuracy returns to normal. I can go about 200+ rounds before accuracy starts to degrade.
 
I must say that my shooting groups settle down after a few rounds but I am not sure if it is the bore returning to shooting accuracy or me settling down - maybe both.
 
I have been using Tactical Advantage lately (Hate the name), after it was recommended here, and like it. As you posted about the Wipe Out, you need to let it sit and work. They are made by the same company. I wonder what the difference is, but the website is useless for that, just 100% advertising.

same here. It usually takes 2-3 for the bore and 5-10 for me
lol, yea, me too.
 
I would get the carbon out but leave the copper in the bore until accuracy goes south, then burn it out.

Not sure how you would do that. It’s important to distinguish between what carbon we’re talking about.

There’s the powder fouling that’s comes out easily and the hard carbon that gets deposited in the first few inches of the barrel due to the heat and pressure of combustion. This hard carbon is inert and hell to get rid of. It takes some mechanical effort to remove (brushing, bore past, etc). You can’t get rid of that and leave the copper. If you leave it alone the hard carbon/copper get laid down in layers and you end up with a real chore to get it out.
 
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I have been using Tactical Advantage lately (Hate the name), after it was recommended here, and like it. As you posted about the Wipe Out, you need to let it sit and work. They are made by the same company. I wonder what the difference is, but the website is useless for that, just 100% advertising.


lol, yea, me too.
I have been using Tactical Advantage lately (Hate the name), after it was recommended here, and like it. As you posted about the Wipe Out, you need to let it sit and work. They are made by the same company. I wonder what the difference is, but the website is useless for that, just 100% advertising.

Just imagine if they would have called it “ Tactical Creedmoor Advantage”. They wouldn’t be able to keep it on the shelf.

I may try some. I’m a sucker for latest magic elixir and will try anything that promises to reduce the cleaning chore
 
Nice bore pictures:)

I would think that with all those passes and then 30 with a bore brush the barrel would be clean using water.:)

Then you have to do it all again after 15 rounds.
 
Very nice.. If I may, try some of these VFG pellets ( be sure to buy the pellet adapters ) with Kroil and JB Bore Polish ( all at Brownells, and wait for a free ship coupon )
Works shockingly well.

 
- Marine Grease patch over bronze bore brush.
- Ten cycles.
- Jag dry patch.
- Repeat 2-3 times.
- Jag Marine Grease patch.

:D




GR
Very old school, but, IMHO, that was designed to keep things running in combat more than it was to get the bore really clean. :)
 
Maybe more like a whole roll of pennies as it relates to the amount of copper in this barrel.

This is after only 15 rounds starting from a clean bore in my Browning BLR .358 win

View attachment 880529

Step 1. All my rifles start by getting a shot of Wipe Out foaming Bore Cleaner, which I let soak for 2 hours before doing anything else.

View attachment 880530

Step 2. I run a few 9mm Ramrodz Q-tips through the bore to clean out the Wipe Out residue. Here’s the after pics. It removes almost all the copper as you can see

View attachment 880531

Step 3. I use Bore Tech products and hit the bore with a few Ramrodz soaked in CU+2 to get any remaining copper. I follow that up with about 30 passes with a bronze brush and BT Carbon Remover. Finally I’ll run a few Ramrodz through the bore until I’m not seeing much of anything coming out.

View attachment 880532

Here are the final pics after I’ve called it good.

View attachment 880533

Here’s my cleaning dunnage in order

A patch I put under the muzzle catching the Wipe Out that shows it working on the copper.

1-3 Ramrodz pushing out the Wipe Out residue

4-5 Ramrodz with CU+2 (just a hint of blue)

6-13 Ramrodz used with BT carbon remover after brushing with bronze brush.

View attachment 880534

Note: I was shooting loads with VV N140, which is known to be a pretty clean burning powder. If this was Varget you can double what I’ve outlined above.

I'm impressed, Nature Boy! Which Teslong did you get.....much higer resolution than the Lyman!

I recently bought a BAR in .308 and have to remind myself it is a factory barrel, not a match grade, but was surprised at the pits, etc. Lapping helped a bit, and shooting (a bit north of 100 rounds to date) has smoothed out a few more. It's shooting pretty well, so guess I can't complain too much.
Here's a comparison after 29 rounds using H 4895.
48778720706_d7d549f540_q.jpg 48778361523_20cb5ede45_q.jpg 48778720651_ba68b78116_q.jpg 48778720606_26e25dcc28_q.jpg 48778903507_c47a166330_q.jpg 48778361503_635f85fd50_q.jpg 48778903492_acafc6a924_q.jpg

48723594752_e674b9ce86.jpg

48778903202_9aa2b19005_q.jpg 48778361078_40db16a8ff_q.jpg 48778361053_2a7ce2892e_q.jpg 48778903042_0b5f79b810_q.jpg 48778361028_258d44b079_q.jpg 48778720176_7d45db5af2_q.jpg 48778903092_f457a5a484_q.jpg

Still showing traces of carbon, especially in the "craters" :rofl:after TA. I'm thinking there may be such a thing as beneficial fouling, to help iron out the wrinkles so to speak. Thought I'd watch this one a while and see. So far it is shooting same POI after cleaning as dirty bore, but 20 rounds or so is about most I put through a rifle (range session), usually 4-5/hunting trip and clean after every outing. YMMV.

I'm impressed with your bore scope and you sure are getting your bore squeaky clean! May have to get a better bore scope and look at mine a little closer. :D

Regards,
hps
 
Which Teslong did you get.....much higer resolution than the Lyman!

It’s the $79 wireless WiFi version that pairs with the iPhone.

Teslong Rifle Bore Scope for iPhone, iPad and Android, 0.2inch Wireless Gun Barrel Borescope with WiFi Adapter, Side-View Mirror and 40inches Semi-Rigid Cable

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0813D65MD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tX6bEbFPJZS76

Amazon says out of stock but more arriving Jan 10

They also have a new one coming out that has a ridged probe instead of the cable like previous versions.

I also have the Lyman. This blow that away.
 
I run a few 9mm Ramrodz Q-tips through the bore to clean out the Wipe Out residue
Hoiw much do the Ramrodz swabs compress? I have a bunch of .277 and .257 bores, and Ramnrodz don't seem to offer any options spanning the gap between .308 and .224.

They also have a new one coming out that has a ridged probe instead of the cable like previous versions.
Do you perceive that change to be a better approach?
 
Do you perceive that change to be a better approach?

Probably. There is a tendency for the cable to whip around when rotating it to look at various points of interest in the bore. The ridged probe version coming soon won’t be wireless but I’ll bet there will be a wireless model in the near future.

I’ve got to tip my hat to this Chinese company making these borescopes. They are taking all the feedback from customers and incorporating it quickly into improved versions. Any problems encountered are also dealt with promptly with a replacement.

The folks running this company get it.
 
I'm thinking there may be such a thing as beneficial fouling, to help iron out the wrinkles so to speak.
I agree, I never try to get the barrel squeaky clean, just keep it clean enough and keep buildup at bay.
 
I must say that my shooting groups settle down after a few rounds but I am not sure if it is the bore returning to shooting accuracy or me settling down - maybe both.
Probably the bore settling.
My experience is as long as the bore is dry the groups are about the same at 100 but if you’re shooting over a chrono you’ll see somewhere between rounds 3 and 20 or so after a cleaning will give you the lowest SDs on velocity.

I’ll qualify that by saying for reasons I don’t understand my 260ai would shoot for 1000 rounds without needing cleaning at all but after 250 or so my 6.5x47L would open up dramatically. Yet, the x47 would keep the same velocity (literally) from 150-1000 rounds while I would have to change the mv in my calculator after every match with the 260ai
point being, different cartridges may behave differently which may explain some of the breadth of opinions on the topic.

But if I really wanted to shoot an important group, I’d clean, then foul for 3-5 rounds and then shoot my group
 
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