Barrel cleaning regularity?

littlebighorn

littlebighorn

Hammer Time Executive member
I have great respect for posters on this forum, especially the regulars. It seems that the level of experience and expertise (not to mention incredible civility with one another) is outstanding.
I've asked this question in other places and I've invariably received widely differing opinions. I expect it will be similar on this forum.
That said, I'm curious how often you clean the barrels on your rifles after you shoot and what makes you decide to clean or not to clean.
Every outing? Every 20-30 shots? Every 100? Never?
Do you treat the cleaning of a barrel any differently with Hammers as opposed to other bullets?
Fire away!

PS, I'd love to hear what Steve has to say about this.
 
It depends...on what I'm shooting. BP or hard cast with smokeless I clean after every trip to the range or field. Standard cup and core or bonded, on average about every 50 rounds or so, or when I see a noticeable drop in accuracy. Now with Hammers, I really just don't know yet. I haven't cleaned my Tikka 300 WM since I started shooting Hammers in 2021 and the accuracy hasn't changed and the bore still looks clean. Maybe I need to run some copper solvent patches down it to see how they come out...
 
You post some conference style question about bore cleaning at this hour? :ROFLMAO:

I could go on a lot, but to KISS:

I learned a bore does not shoot good polished slick, or made slick by oils/wet lubes. A bore cleaned thoroughly, with a graphite applied after the cleaning, mimics a settled in bore and "clean bore" shots wonder little if at all upon first firing.

Use Shooters choice foaming bore cleaners, and let sit overnight or 6hrs. Takes a lot of the mechanical cleaning out of the process.

Cleaning the chamber/carbon ring should be done on much greater frequency than cleaning the entire barrel.

I practice barrel equilibrium more now than I do cleaning to bare metal. Copper and carbon do aid accuracy, they just cant be left to build up beyond point of diminished return.
 
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In the majority, I agree with both above. I haven't shot cup & core for several years and cast in many years. BP almost never.
Hammers foul so little I usually clean every 50 or so - mainly for the carbon ring/fouling. I've tested this. Went way over 100 to see what happened. Carbon was a bugger to get out!
I've tried all the "super cleaners". Guess they work fine. Wipe out works fine. I just keep going back to tried and true. Kroil, good solvent (TM or Butches), brass brushes and patches. Occasionally i run JB bore paste to clean out stubborn carbon. I'm an old bench rest shooter. It's hard to change old ways. I'm used to cleaning every 7-10 shots😀. Going to 50 drives me nuts!
Bought a bottle of graphite. Haven't used it yet to see what it does.
 
I clean every range session unless I've only fired a few rounds and know I'm coming back soon. When hunting I kinda like to go with a slightly fouled bore but this is just a reflex that goes back to the days when I hunted with factory barrels. I've found most quality after market barrels will put the first clean cold bore shot right where it belongs. I used to try every solvent marketed until I discovered Bore Tech eliminator. I use nothing else now with the exception of JB bore paste on really bad customer barrels.
 
I guess your question is geared towards Hammer bullets and since I only shoot Hammer bullets and have for the last 2 years, that's how I'll answer.

I after shooting or hunting I come back and run a Hoppy's number 9 or a kroil patch through the barrel a few times to slightly oil it for storage, no telling how soon I'll get back to it. Before firing I will pull an alcohol soaked bore snake through the barrel 2 or 3 times to eliminate any oil and remove any carbon that was dislodged. A year and a half ago this was discussed and it was brought up, I do believe by Harper that he goes pretty far, up to 50 rounds. So I started doing that and have had no problems.

Joe
 
littlebighorn,

Cleaning a barrel is not something I think about often. If I thinks it's been fifty or sixty rounds I use wipeout and let it sit a couple hours or if I forget it might be ten hours. I don't remember if the groups are better or not. I would have to check the notes.

Here's a highjack: I used to have a .22 longrifle that would go about 600 rounds before accuracy fell off. That was back in the days of hundreds of shots per day at squeaks. I didn't keep track of kills, but a friend did. His record, in eight hours, was 734. He started with a pistol. When he couldn't hold it up, he switch to a 10/22. When he couldn't hold that up, he switched to a target rifle. His fifty yard, three shot groups looked like he fired one shot.
 
joe16 said:
A year and a half ago this was discussed and it was brought up, I do believe by Harper that he goes pretty far, up to 50 rounds. So I started doing that and have had no problems.

Joe
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I remember it being brought up a while back but with the new forum I couldn't find it. I think we all have our little routine but it's nice to hear what other respected guys do. I am always learning something from this site and I trust it's members way more than other places I visit.
 
Muddyboots said:
I am convinced Hammers fly best out of clean bore.
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Muddy

Help me out a little bit on this one big guy. Define. CLEAN

Spotless clean?

Is this the same thing as clean enough? If it means that it must be clean of all previous copper fouling then yes I totally agree.

And I do too wholeheartedly respect everybody's opinion on this forum.

I love this place.
 
For me cleaning really depends on the powder I'm using some powders are dirtier than others and if I am switching to a different style bullet I will do a thorough cleaning, once I have a hunting load figured and sighted in I won't clean until after the season is over. The rifle was sighted in after a few shots so I leave the barrel the way it was that seems to help with cold bore shots hitting where they need to. At least that's my 2 cents.
 
I love the smell of Hoppes 9. It takes me back to my childhood when my Dad would do his yearly cleaning of his Winchester 94, 30-30. I think he may have cleaned it before and after hunting, but other than the 10 days of Utah mule deer season it sat in the closet.
Aside from the smell of Hoppes, I am not a fan of barrel cleaning, mostly because it seems like work. As a result, I kinda avoid it unless I really think it's necessary.
My practical side (not my lazy side) asked the question because I want to keep my arsenal in good shape. I have way more barrels to clean than my Dad, and unlike him, I shoot regularly
Equilibrium, balancing my lazy side with my practical side, is what prompted my question and yes Bro, BFD, it sounds like I need to keep walking that fine line. :)
 
This thread came at a good time, I bought some 90g Absolute Hammers back in February for my 25-06 with a PacNor 24" barrel. I cleaned my barrel previous to starting load work. I shot all 50 bullets and have an excellent load with RL26. I was ready to order more last month when the 95g HHT's were released and decided to give them a try. I worked up a load and after 13 rounds had a 3/4" group at 100, I loaded 3 more a shot at 200 to confirm. Well they were all over the place at a 3.6" group. So this morning I cleaned my barrel, which was copper fouled pretty severely, this barrel has never fouled bad at all. Maybe the high velocity 3727 fps with the Absolutes and 3647 with the HHT's had something to do with it. Anyway, after cleaning the barrel I shot a 1/2" group at 100 and then a 1.4" group at 200, I pulled the first shot or it would have been less.

Hammers do seem to like a clean barrel.
 
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