For me, wipe out has been a godsend. I ruined a couple of barrels by over-cleaning. Any more, I don't even use a cleaning rod. Just wipe out and a bore-snake. I had to order from the factory back then, and in my new home in Kalifornia, will likey have to do it again.
I first read about this stuff on this forum. I found some at a local stor( Sportsmans Wherehouse) $9.50 per can. At the time of buying it I had a couple guns with some copper fouling in the barrel. I plugged the chamber with a patch and sprayed it in the barrel. After a couple hours I pushed a patch through and no copper. yesterday I shot 30 rounds through my gun and cleaned the carbon fouling with shooters choice. There was lots of copper fouling in the barrel. I shot it into the gun and waited about three hours. Pushed a patch through and a blue liquid came out the barrel,(I put a paper towel beneath the muzzle) the copper was gone. I'm sold and as long as it's available, I'll never buy another bottle of Sweets. I havent tried it for the carbon and copper together, I can clean the carbon with a couple patches, it's the copper I was wanting a soulution to.
Posts: 470 | Location: SYRACUSE, UT, USA | Registered: 13 May 2002
I concur with everyone else. This stuff is a miracle. I bought my first two cans direct from the manufacturer at $14 a can, but I understand that Brownell's now carries it. I haven't used a bore brush since.
Posts: 1985 | Location: The Three Lower Counties (Delaware USA) | Registered: 13 September 2001
Just got my first two cans, I have two rifles in the workshop with that stuff in the barrel. ANybody have any good tips on how to more efficiently apply the stuff into the barrel? I keep getting a lot of "backwash." jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
I put an old earplug in the chamber, close the action, and the give it a good ole squirt in the muzzle. Put my finger over the end of the barrel and keep it from blowing out. Put a rag under the muzzle to catch the drip as you take your finger off. HTH, Dutch.
Posts: 4564 | Location: Idaho Falls, ID, USA | Registered: 21 September 2000
Quote: I put an old earplug in the chamber, close the action, and the give it a good ole squirt in the muzzle. Put my finger over the end of the barrel and keep it from blowing out. Put a rag under the muzzle to catch the drip as you take your finger off. HTH, Dutch.
That's a good idea. Does it "eat" into the plug material?
Posts: 1346 | Location: NE | Registered: 03 March 2002
Yes, very short bursts--smaller caliber barrels especially. Some folks do well with a small section of plastic tubing (1/4"?) attached to the barrel, but it will make it too big to use on .224 cal. guns. I have one of my cans set up that way and the other is "stock."
First I put a good bore guide with an o ring type seal in place--this is a must.
Next I put something on the comb of the stock to protect from any excess wipeout that expands out of the end of the bore guide.
With smaller caliber guns I sometimes start from the bore guide end--just depends.
After you squirt a quick burst, you must hold the cone of the Wipeout nozzle FIRMLY against the muzzle to prevent excess leakage. On some rifles with heavy barrels that prevent a good fit I quickly remove the can and place my thumb over the muzzle. You must wait at least 30 seconds as the foam continues to expand. you need the expansion of the foam to be exhausted before you remove the can or your thumb. Ultimately you want a small amount of foam to extend into the bore guide. I usually have a small curly q expenad out of the guide but I just wipe it up quickly.
If you have rifles with really good wood you might want to either practice on a gun with a synthetic stock or remove the barreled action from the stock.
Once in the bore I let it sit over night or all day--about 12 hours.
I usually push a few patches with Butch's solvent or other such stuff to remove the loose carbon fouling. That allows the wipeout to go to work on the copper. It's not necessary, but sometimes the first cycle of Wipeout is "wasted" on the carbon fouling.
This sounds like a hassle but once you get a feel for it it's second nature. I'm a brush free man!
Posts: 648 | Location: Huskerville | Registered: 22 December 2001
I also use a bore guide. I save bread bags to pull over the stock and secure with a rubber band. then I put a couple shop towels over the plastic to catch any extra. Use only a short burst, a little goes a long way. I frequently leave mine soak over night.Then just a patch in a brass jag does the trick. Lyle
Just used it again today. 35 rds of 308 with carbon and copper fouling. I shot it into the barrel and let it set for about three hours. Pushed one patch through. Blue liquid came out with carbon on the patch. The barrel was clean. I did a second application to be sure, let it set for couple hours and pushed a patch through with nothing on it. I'm sold. I plug the chamber with a large patch folded into 1/4's.
Posts: 470 | Location: SYRACUSE, UT, USA | Registered: 13 May 2002
I use a section of surgical tubing that can be purchased at most any fishing store or Hdwe....About 12 to 18 inches attached to the wipe out nozzle after you remove the black cone..
Plug the bore at the chamber with a wood dowell and a patch over it...insert the tubing all the way in at the muzzle and give it a very light squirt of Wipe Out, the Wipe Out will push the tubing back out and the barrel is full..Let sit for a couple of hours and run several patches through to dry the bore, repeat if necessary, then oil the bore...This last step is a must...
Posts: 42299 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
Well so far boys, I'm on the THIRD application of WO on my 300 Win Mag. I offer two possibilities: I've been shooting the new Barnes Triple Shocks and their claims of "less copper fouling" is pure bullshit or this stuff doesn't work any better than the rest of the stuff out there. Hell I think I'll just go back to Hoppe's #9, conventional bullets and forget all this new modern stuff! jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
you won't get any Wipe-Out in your chamber at all. Get one of the bore guides with the rubber O-ring that seals off the chamber. I always squirt the Wipe-Out in from the bore guide end. When I get the Wipe-Out coming out the end of the barrel, I plug the end of the bore guide with the finger of a rubber glove stretched over a casing that will plug the bore guide. On the barrel end, I use a small cork that fits the caliber of my rifle. Let that sit for at least 12 hours on the first go-round. If this is the first throrough cleaning of the barrel, you may have to repeat this cycle one more time.
I bought some of the Forrester (sp.) bore foam many years ago and it didn't seem to work as advertised. Maybe I didn't let it soak long enough. Anyway, I just took the top off of one of the Forrester cans and put it on the Wipe-Out can and it works just great.
Posts: 192 | Location: Northwest North Dakota | Registered: 19 June 2004
How long are you letting it sit? Are you sure you are filling the entire barrel? It is a rare gun that requires even two treatments. I'm thinking you may not have completely filled the barrel and maybe left some copper behind. You really have to press the nozzle firmly to the muzzle while giving a 1 to 2 second spray, then quickly put a finger over the muzzle for another 4 or 5 seconds while the foam expands toward the chamber. I just cram a double shotgun patch in the chamber before spraying and let the foam exit via the gas relief hole in the receiver. As it comes through the hole I wipe it away with a paper towel. Let the gun sit on its side overnight, then run two or three dry patches through and PRESTO! the barrel's clean enough to eat... well it's pretty damn clean! I like to run a couple of patches with Kroil then a couple of dry patches to get the powder fouling out. Haven't used a brush in so long I've forgotten what you do with them.
Geronimo
Posts: 816 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 April 2004
Quote: you won't get any Wipe-Out in your chamber at all. Get one of the bore guides with the rubber O-ring that seals off the chamber. I always squirt the Wipe-Out in from the bore guide end. When I get the Wipe-Out coming out the end of the barrel, I plug the end of the bore guide with the finger of a rubber glove stretched over a casing that will plug the bore guide. On the barrel end, I use a small cork that fits the caliber of my rifle.
Silverfox, I have the Sinclair O-ring bore guides, but if I'm not much mistaken, the O-ring part of those guides just extends a tad into the chamber. Sinclair makes the bore guides in bolt diameter, with a small (1/2-1" or so?) extension sized to match the case size (not the bullet diameter) the rifle is chambered for. Maybe I'm being thick, but I can't see how the chamber could not be filled with the Wipe-Out foam?? Mind you, it might well be OK for that to happen, as the foam is supposed to remove powder fouling as well, and it is very easy for some powder fouling to find it's way into the chamber. As long as one gets the foam out of there in the end...
What the O-ring bore guides will do, is to stop the foam expanding into the action (as opposed to the chamber) - in itself a worthwhile objective. Or am I wrong??
John, I'll look into the Sinclair bore mops. I guess I have always been sceptical about these, as they look as if they are supposed to be used in "naked" form. I did not see how they could last very long this way - at least not without becoming pretty dirty. Your idea of wrapping a (large) patch around them sounds like a good one.
Isn't it funny how very basic tools don't seem to be very common - in particular in a field as full of gizmos as shooting. Like: I have never seen (or at least used) a sensible tool offered to clean the lug recesses in a bolt action rifle. Surely all rifle shooters must need need one of these?? Or have I simply overlooked the obvious tool for this purpose??
- mike
Posts: 6653 | Location: Switzerland | Registered: 11 March 2002
Geronomo: I use a plastic tube from the breeech side, then just like you say, I hold my finger over the hole until it starts to come out the barrel end so I "think" I'm doing it right. I'm letting it sit anywhere from 8-20 hours. I applied it to a 338 last night for a second time around 8pm last night. THis morning at 0600 the patch came out DARK BLUE and that was the second application. It must be those damned Triple Shocks. jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
I would agree, I think you may not be letting it sit long enough or not using enough foam. Annother possibility is that maybe the jacket material has a high nickel or other metal content that is unaffected by WO.
I would suggest that you take one of your "reduced fouling" bullets and put it in a small jar and squirt in some WO and see what happens to it. Also in a separate jar, do the same thing to a conventional bullet and check the results. It may be the bullet and not the product.
The first rifle I cleaned with this stuff was a US 1917 enfield that looked like it was never cleaned. The bore looked like a 75 year old sewer pipe. Two three hour applications, and the bore was bright and shiney(except for the pitting in the center of the barrel that was hidden by all the fouling). On the first application, after a couple hours, there was a navy blue sludge dripping out of the barrel. The second application, was just a light blue tint. and the third came out clear.
Posts: 1985 | Location: The Three Lower Counties (Delaware USA) | Registered: 13 September 2001
You know, if it comes out blue, its taking copper out. If all you had used before is #9, that doesn't surprise me. That stuff is about as useful as water on skunk odor!
My worst barrel was my 7mag Savage. It took two applications (and had been fire-lapped). It's now wearing a Douglas XX......
Wipe-out sure has shown me the difference between factory barrels and custom barrels again.
One other detail. If you look on the cans of "other spray in foam" you will find that it is made in Finland, like Forest Bore Cleaning Foam. Wipe out is made in the I was also told that the gentleman that is selling Wipe-out used to be the Forrest Bore Foam distributor. I don't think the two are the same. FWIW, Dutch.
Posts: 4564 | Location: Idaho Falls, ID, USA | Registered: 21 September 2000
Iwas being sarcastic with the #9 stuff, but I did use it for most of my life until I got too smart for my own good now I've used Sweet's, CR-10, Shooter's Choice, etc. I'm thinking it's those Damned barnes Triple shocks are leaving a LOT of copper behind.I re-sprayed the 300 again this morning (for the third time now) and will check it when I get home this evening around 1600 or so and report back. jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
Most people that try WO don't bother to read the directions... Here is a link to the manufacturer. They have a pretty good set of instructions plus a few other good products of interest. I just went there to get the link, and now they are advertising an "Accellerator" product to be used in conjunction with WO.
Dewy sells a pretty nice kit for cleaning locking lug recesses, but the pads that come with it are nothing more than those little cotton do-hickies the dentist sticks in your mouth to soak up blood.
Rick
Posts: 494 | Location: Valencia, CA | Registered: 22 May 2004
MHO, I buy those mops ten at a time. They last a lot longer when wrapped with the large size cleaning patch. I use my mops all the time. Sinclair sells a bolt lug recess cleaning tool that works extremely well. I clamp my rifle in a cleaning cradle (that plastic one that Midway sells) with the barrel lower than the chamber. I don't mind getting a little foam in the chamber or locking lug recesses, it helps clean them. I just try to avoid getting it into the rest of the action. Regards, JCN
Posts: 7158 | Location: Snake River | Registered: 02 February 2004
It is my experience that WO and Sweets sometimes stop working before all the copper is removed. The next time you think you bbl is clean try running a patch or two of JB and then using your favorite copper cleaner, you might just be suprised.
I really don't love WipeOut because it's terribly aggresive. I have had to use three or four applications on a really copper fouled rifle.
Its benefit is that it allows me to be LAZY! I don't care if it takes three or four applications with 12 hours between, as long as I don't have to do any work--like endless passes with patches, cutting patches to fit worn out bore brushes and then coated with JB, cleaning JB off of everything, etc.
Posts: 648 | Location: Huskerville | Registered: 22 December 2001
I really don't know what you guys are doing differently, but the most I have ever had to use was two applications, and that was on a really fouled barrel.
Geronimo
Posts: 816 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 14 April 2004
Well folks, the 300 is now on it's FIFTH and hopefully final application. I let it sit a full 24hrs this time and there was a slight blue tint to the patch still along with some black which I gather is from the last three shots I took with those black coated Winchester Supremes with ballistic tips. My 338 is still going strong after 3 applications. I'm pissed though, I guess a drop must have dripped on the stock and I didn't notice it and there's now a nice black dot on my stock. jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
I do like Wipe Out, but still find that it works faster/better if I brush out some of the powder fouling using Kroil or something similar before foaming the barrel.
Well after FIVE (5) treatments that lasted anywhere from 8 to 24 hours, the patch finally came out clean. Just form reasing what you all posted, I'm betting it was those Barnes Bullets that were the culprit. Thoughts? jorge
Posts: 7149 | Location: Orange Park, Florida. USA | Registered: 22 March 2001
This is NOT a scientificaly observed and documented conclusion, but it SEEMS to me that Barnes-X bullets seem to foul small diameter bores more than large diameter ones. At least, I throw that possibility out to the group for discussion...
I have no idea why that might be true, if it really is, but as Chief Range Officer at a range with more than 1,000 shooters (probably 100+ really active ones), I've seen a lot of rifles cleaned that were shot with Barnes bullets. The ones with bores from .375 up seem to clean like whizzes, those from .300 to .375 can go either way, and those below .300 always seem to be bears to sanitize....at least that APPEARS to be the case with the rifles/loads our shooters are using.
My own experiences also indicate the same phenomenon. With my .405 Winnie, and .404 Jeffrey, one pass with any good cleaner after firing and they are clean by any reasonable standard. With my .280 Remington (Mauser rifle), even with the coated Barnes-XLC bullets it's about 3 or 4 doses of a good brass-removing cleaner before it is even passably clean.
I also note that SOME barrels seem to love Barnes-X bullets and never really foul with them, while OTHERS seem to become fully copper plated if you walk past within 10 yards with, say, a Barnes XLC in your pocket. I know that's hyperbole, but it makes the point.
If you have one of the barrels that seems to foul at the very thought of a Barnes-X, then I'd just face the fact head-on and use something else. You can whip the bejazus out of a dead horse, but you still won't win many races on it. <G>
Good luck,
AC
Posts: 9685 | Location: Cave Creek 85331, USA | Registered: 17 August 2001
I'm sold and as long as it's available, I'll never buy another bottle of Sweets. I havent tried it for the carbon and copper together, I can clean the carbon with a couple patches, it's the copper I was wanting a soulution to.
