Cleaning the barrel

[Buzzard Luck]

When at the range , working up the perfect load or just shooting, how often do I need to clean my barrel. Every 2 shots, 3 shots,6 shots????

 

[biliff]

You wipe whenever accuracy deteriorates or loading becomes difficult. Only you can determine when that is.

 

[moose23]

I send a patch through after every shot

 

[Grenadier1758]

Depends on the configuration of the rifle. What is the depth of the grooves? What is the configuration of the breech? Do you have a cleaning jag that will slide the patch over powder then bunch up to pull fouling out?

If you have a long flash channel or a chambered breech like most Pedersoli guns or the CVA/Traditions chambered breech, perhaps a "no wipe" procedure is worth considering. One method is to use a nearly wet patch on the ball. This pushes the fouling down to the breech and cleans the grooves. Good for the range, but you want a drier patch when hunting.

Your rifle will tell you if you need to wipe. Just be very aware of where the fouling may be blowing and plan to do something to keep the flash channel clear. You can't just wipe to control fouling. You need to have a procedure to keep the flash channel clear and fouling under control in the powder chamber.

 

[tenngun]

When working up my best load I like to have a clean barrel. So I shoot a string, but run two damp patches and two dry before I reload. I only try to change one parameter at a time

 

[leadhoarder]

One day I fired close to 70 shots. I only wiped every 5-8 shots if I remember correctly. A month later I was using the same components in the same rifle and I needed to wipe much more often as loading was getting difficult after just 3-4 shots. I attributed the difference in humidity to be what caused the difference.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

We shoot 75 round matches. Ive never cleaned between a shot yet.

its the magic cleaners and lubes that are the trick to a well working device.
Some are not even very trick. Just ole fashion know how.

 

[French Colonial]

Clean your barrel after you are done shooting for the day.

If you can not do that you are doing something wrong..... probably not using a spit patch.

But that is from a guy who likes doing things the HC/PC way, benchrest shooters wipe between every shot with different concoctions.

Only you can determine what is right for you.

 

[dave951]

I'll muddy the water a bit, we shoot minies in competition. When doing any experimentation or load development, I never wipe between shots because it won't show the true potential of a load. In our competition, you don't have time to wipe between shots and minies were originally designed for that situation. I will clean a barrel between different loads because I want to see how a load will perform and a fouled barrel from a previous load might not be a true indicator of the next one I'm testing. It's all about controlling the variables.

So the real question is, what are you doing load development for? If you're just plinking or casual shooting, wipe whenever you want. If you're looking for nth degree of accuracy, the wiping timing depends on your course of fire and your type of rifle, rifling, and type of ammunition/powder/bullet.

 

[Buzzard Luck]

Thanks for the info. I'll be working up a load for deer hunting, so now I've got a good starting point. Looking forward to October!!!!

 

[tenngun]

We shoot 75 round matches. Ive never cleaned between a shot yet.

its the magic cleaners and lubes that are the trick to a well working device.
Some are not even very trick. Just ole fashion know how.

A few month ago I made some paper cartridges for my TFC .62. 80 grains GO 2f, .575 ball blank newsprint paper, ball end dipped in melted lard.
By the fifteenth shot it was getting tight. At twenty I had to really lean on the rod to get ball down.