quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
i occassionally wonder if shitaway is really as stupid as he sounds or just trying to stir the pot. then i read some of his idiotic crap such as "magnum" rifles spraying bullets after 3 shots and i realize he truly is an idiot. can't you just picture being out in a Landcruiser - it's mid morning and you have fired 3 shots to take a couple of plains game. you insist the PH stop and take a break while you fully clean your rifle. somehow i just can't see it. you can certainly see the difference in postings between people who have "been there, done that" and FOOLS THAT HAVEN'T

I would need only two shots for a couple of plains game.

Hmm - interesting opinions from everyone.

I don't have a problem cleaning my rifle every night, but would rather not.

Would you all suggest that after 1-2 fouling shots at the range, that I rely on the following multiple shots as the "benchmark" for my accuracy? If I can get consistent results after fouling shots, then I'm wondering if right after my last range session before my trip, if I shouldn't just leave the rifle alone (i.e. not clean it before the trip). Then when I get to Namibia I sight it in again to make sure POI hasn't shifted, and leave it that way for the whole safari.

Would simply passing a Boresnake through (with not oil, borecleaner, etc.) once a night during the safari hurt the accuracy, or is it only when you use borecleaner/oil?

John,

You are on track. After your last range session, wipe the rifle down to take away finger prints, sweat residue, leave the bore as is and check it at the range on arrival at the game farm. It will likely be fine for the hunt. If you have time clean it at the end of the hunt; otherwise wait for your return home.

Regards, Tim

quote:

Originally posted by kayaker:
Cleaning after 3 rounds is all well and fine on the range but many, many well used rifles that perform just fine never see this kind of pampering.

Perhaps you meant to say: "...never see this kind of abuse."

quote:

As you guys know, hundreds of rifles in Africa (and elsewhere) are tools, they get bashed an abused and expected to work, thats just how it is, many hunters/PH's/Ranchers etc don't have the time or ambition to clean them obcessively.

...or excessively. More barrels are worn out by excessive cleaning than are shot out.
----------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Dab just a drop of oil on the boresnake copper brush, the remaining snake will clean it out and leave just a minute amount of oil in the bore and it never has changed the POI on my rifles. Metal to metal of any kind is never a good idea IMO...

Mark, I had the same experience this past spring, but the nesting was in the small pockets of the recoil pad. I had not thought of this possibility but will keep an eye on the barrel or should I say up the barrel. I carry a colapsabile rod to remove any obstruction in the barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
i occassionally wonder if shitaway is really as stupid as he sounds or just trying to stir the pot. then i read some of his idiotic crap such as "magnum" rifles spraying bullets after 3 shots and i realize he truly is an idiot. can't you just picture being out in a Landcruiser - it's mid morning and you have fired 3 shots to take a couple of plains game. you insist the PH stop and take a break while you fully clean your rifle. somehow i just can't see it. you can certainly see the difference in postings between people who have "been there, done that" and FOOLS THAT HAVEN'T

I would need only two shots for a couple of plains game.

how do you know????? YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE, MUCH LESS DONE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On my recent trip I fired exactly eleven rounds including two to check that I was sighted in. Nine rounds for eight animals. Considering that I regularly shoot 50 - 60 rounds between cleanings with no detectable loss in accuracy it didn't seem necessary to clean the bore though I did the same wipe down every evening that others have described. I did take cleaning stuff with me just in case.

While I did not solvent my barrels I did "clean" my rifles every night.

I walked for several hours each day, my hands would become sweaty and dirty.
The rifle also contacted the brush as we walked through it.

I made sure every night, and if we came back to camp for lunch as well that I wiped down thr rifles especially in the critical control areas.

Also grass dirt and other debris needs to be removed.

Your life and the life of the PH and Trackers depends on your gun working 100 percent of the time.

A sticky safety or other some such could be fatal.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
While I did not solvent my barrels I did "clean" my rifles every night.

I walked for several hours each day, my hands would become sweaty and dirty.
The rifle also contacted the brush as we walked through it.

I made sure every night, and if we came back to camp for lunch as well that I wiped down thr rifles especially in the critical control areas.

Also grass dirt and other debris needs to be removed.

Your life and the life of the PH and Trackers depends on your gun working 100 percent of the time.

A sticky safety or other some such could be fatal.

Good points, N E 450 No2

I clean the bolt, raceways etc with a little #9 to remove the dust and add a dab of grease to the lugs and cocking piece.

Forgot to mention this.........must of been distracted by "shootaway" short stroking his barrel, every 3 shots

The issue of magnums spaying bullets after 3 rounds without cleaning has not been my experience. I have a 338 Wn Mag and if I clean it, I need to shoot it two to three times to be confident that it will be consistent (avoid flyers). I tested it with a Hyskore Dangerous Game shooting rest and proved the gun is capable of putting one bullet inside the other with minimal overlap at 100 yds. This does not work if I try it after cleaning. I also don't believe frequent cleaning is that critical when bench shooting. However letting the barrel cool is. I know my gun and this is my experience with my gun.

338zmag

Here is a product you might give a try.

It is called Prolix.

I have used it alone just to "punch out" a barrel at the range, and I have used it after Wipeout, and after Shooters Choice Copper Remover.

Wehter I used it with a brush or with patches only, as long as I dry out the chamber, then pass 2 or 3 dry patches through the barrel, my first shots do not go wild.
They hit the point of aom.

I have tested this in several different barrels.

Seems to work so far.

I had a bore snake and a silicon rag. Every night when I unloaded my rifle for the day I would run the bore snake through a couple of times and wipe the rifle down with the silicon rag. Worked like a charm and easy to pack.

N E 450 No2
I will give it a try.

One thing I neglected to say is that I do run a dry patch down the barrel occasionally when at the range and shooting a significant number of rounds. I did hear of someone who shot their gun over a thousand times without cleaning and no loss of accuracy. It may have been a competition shooter. I don't know if that was a mag article I read or not, but if I find it I will post.

A friend told me John Barseness has written that. Maybe it was him.

When I was shooting Palma matches on a regular basis, I once asked a member of the US Palma Team how often he cleaned his barrel.

He replied [direct quote] "I clean it about every 400 rounds or so, weather it needs it or not".

This is from a HIGH MASTER on the traveling USA PALMA Team.


Now I can say, I have fired SEVERAL HUNDRED ROUNDS through various barrels from "assault" type rifles and "sniper" type rifles and "match" type rifles with out any noticable loss of accuracy.

However when on a hunt I like to "knock out the big chunks" daily.

Ie, I do not to leave Big chunks of powder residue in the barrel when there might be a lot of moisture in the air.

I usually pass a Bore Snake through the barrel at least 3 times each evening after I have fired the barrel durring the day.


If the barrel gets wet, I "oil it out, then dry it out".
I can report that I have never had a barrel rust, even after hunting 30 plus days in the rain.

When I return after a days hunting my "gear" gets top priority, be it guns, knives, glass [scopes, binos], cameras, boots, clothing etc. before I do.