How thoroughly do you remove oil from rifle bores before shooting. I have always used a dry patch and wondered if that might leave too much oil in the bore and if I should use a solvent patch followed by a dry one.

Use more than one patch. Or, use an acetone, lacquer thinner, or MS soaked patch as the degreaser, followed by a dry patch. I really don't think it matters much, whatever residue that might be left will be gone with the first shot.

I leave the bore "conditioned" with one patch of Lock-Ease.

I'm curious as how many do this also.

Kevin

First shot = fouler. If you don't want to keep track of each shot in a group, shoot the first at another aim point on the paper. For hunting, foul the "clean" oiled barrel before shooting at animals. I store rifles in dehumidified gun safe with one oiled patch having been followed with a dry patch.

quote:

Originally posted by Lucky Punk:
How thoroughly do you remove oil from rifle bores before shooting. I have always used a dry patch and wondered if that might leave too much oil in the bore and if I should use a solvent patch followed by a dry one.

Good question.I though about this too.I will run more than one patch down after I use a good heavy oil.I will only use oil if I am not planning on shooting the next day.If I will be shooting the next day I might clean with JB and then just use a few patches to remove it.

An old benchrester (Skip Otto) told me to clean the carbon out of the barrel first, then go after the copper. When done, run 1 oiled patch through the barrel followed by one clean patch and then go to gunning.
His reasoning was that the first shot needs a little lube for the bullet. The graphite from the gunpowder lubes the following shots.
Just his idea of how to help preserve your barrel.

Yep...Carbout...Patchout/Wipeout...Carbout once more...ATF...dry patch clean before shooting.

You really have to test your rifle to see if it makes any difference what so ever. The first shot in an XTC match is 200 yards standing, eventually I stopped wiping my barrels of oil as I did not see any change in impact between first, second, third shot, just due to oil. My AR15’s had so much oil they puffed like a steam train. I did see with high round count barrels, ones thoroughly cleaned with JB bore paste and Sweets, a change in impact as the barrel fouled back in. This made me question the advertising induced “deep cleaning” behaviors adopted by many in the shooting community. With barrels that have a lot of wear, it may be best to simply brush and wipe your barrel, and not try to remove any copper at all. If you are really serious, it may be best not to brush or use solvents at all, before your first shot. You just have to test it. I have been shooting Smallbore Prone for a decade now, I am of the opinion that the first shot out of a clean and oiled barrel prints to a different location than a fouled barrel. My first two shots of the day are in the berm, to foul the barrel. I know a number of good Smallbore Prone shooters who never clean their barrels until “the barrel tells them to”. I observe others, cleaning their barrel at the end of the match.

I have experimented with this. With this pre War M70:




Changing nothing from the last time I shot it at 300 yards, with the same ammunition load, same windage and elevation, and of course, greasing the heck out of my ammunition, this was the first shot:

First round, clean and oiled barrel, greased 30-06 round, dead center at 300 yards:



This is the placement of the rest of the rounds:



All these rounds were greased, such as this:



Typical greased 6.5 X 55 Swede rounds.



I have noticed that the zero’s of my rifles with greased bullets and greased ammunition have been very stable. I also notice that copper fouling is greatly reduced. After a hundred rounds, I examined the bore of my 6.5 Swede Rem 700, I could not see any copper fouling in the muzzle lands. I had cleaned that barrel with JB Bore paste and Sweets, to remove as much copper before taking the rifle to CMP Talladega. However, without a bore scope, I don’t really know what is going on a half inch below the muzzle.

It is my opinion, you have to shoot your rifle to determine if it is sensitive to fouling or not.

I would go easy on shooting a wet bore. You can hit some dramatic pressure spikes if you go a little too far with it. In extreme cases too much oil can put a pressure ring in a barrel. I have found those hard to iron out.

I put my rifles away used with a dry fouled bore and only oil the bore for long term storage.

I use Hornady One Shot Tap HD Extreme or Eezox on my rifles. I don't remove/degrease before shooting. Never ever any problem or accuracy issue so far.

But those two "oils", precisely CLPs leave dry to touch finish.

Jiri

quote:

Originally posted by SlamFire:
You really have to test your rifle to see if it makes any difference what so ever.

This is it. Most mine don't shift from thin coating CLP to 2nd round.

Some in longer term back of the safe storage have RIG grease. I'd get rid of that first before shooting.

Good post!

I am intrigued by the Wax "Greased bullet" post. I am a cast bullet guy and regularly use heavy lube but I have grooves, low pressure and a bullet that "squishes" pretty easily. I would have never guess that you could "grease" a Jacketed bullet up like that and not have a problem.

Actually this really isn't an either or thingy...Let YOUR rifle answer the question as to which way it's comfortable.

For the most part all my rifles shoot best fouled by a few shots, and again, the rifle will say how many shots are required. My 17's require only one "fouler"...most of my 20-6mm require 3-4...the rest vary from 1-5.

I always cleaned and oiled after hunting season and the rifles sat in the rack until the next season, otherwise they were fouled and left that way until season closing...the Varminters got cleaned AFTER they started blowing shots and were fouled the first few shots(many long range misses) before settling down.

Like everything in this game there just ISN'T any firm rules, just rules that need adjusting to conditions...and EVERYONE has their "tried and true" methods they swear by...or at...depending.

Good Hunting

Yes no maybe.

I always run a dry bore snake through the barrel before taking that first shot.

When on a hunting trip, I always run it through once or twice before I go to bed.

That way I know I have a clean barrel, avoiding pressure spikes, etc.

To my mind, there are enough variables in shooting without adding another one such as lubing the bullets/barrel before firing.

I would think it almost impossible to be very consistent in the amount and spread of wax and so forth on a bullet or the amount of lube and consistency of spread you put in a barrel.

JMO

BH63

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
I put my rifles away used eith a dry fouled bore and only oil the bore for long term storage.

Yep I do the same.

I have had significant first round deviations from clean bores that had an oiled patch run through last. After the second or third round, it settles back to the zero before cleaning.

When I'm setting up prior hunting season I shoot my last "zero check" with my ammo, then run a brush through the barrel once followed by a dry patch. Just an effort to get rid of any leftover carbon that might attract moisture during the season. That way my first shot is from a bore close to the last shot I made on target.

Like others mentioned, shooting an across the course match, rifles shoot very consistently when fouled. Typical match is 80 rounds, with the final course at 600 yards. I'd rather keep the consistency built up at the end of the match rather than the first shot. I actually enjoy cleaning my guns, but I think we over do it.

I use auto transmission fluid to lube my bores.

Dry patch out and no change in POI form a clean barrel to a fouled one in the majority of cases.

Depends on what works best with a particular gun, they have a mind of their own..to be safe shoot it 3 times and proceed as usual..I never touch a bore during the hunting season unless the climate dictates the need, then I run a bore snake thru it, normally...Most hunting rifles it isn't all that critical, but its needs are up to you to find out.

I use IPA solvent cleaner (>99% isopropyl alcohol) on a patch to remove residual oil, or after any other cleaning product. Lighter fluid works too, as does KG-3

I saw a pretty exciting event on a bench next to me with some dude, sloched lighter fluid all over and soaked a patch, shot the gun and it went up in flames for a minisecond, nobody was hurt, everybody was excited, nothing was damaged, just a big, and I mean big flash. I moved over a couple of benches and the conversation continued into the night with that bunch is my bet, and not a lot of knowledge was involved...