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Post by zr600 on Jan 28, 2017 0:06:49 GMT -8
Ok I ordered a 22-243 barrel a couple weeks ago. I was wondering what the proper cleaning procedure for best barrel life would be? I know it's not the best caliper for barrel life but want to know this for all rifles and to help extend the life of my barrels. Currently I use wipe out, Butches bore shine and patches with a Tipton carbon rod no bore guide.
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ironhorse18
Greenhorn
264 LBC on order. Do you advise feed ramp work before assy. of barrel to upper?
Posts: 2
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Post by ironhorse18 on Jan 29, 2017 8:50:46 GMT -8
I can only tell you what has worked for me. First off, I have 5 different calibers from Black Hole, which all shoot very well. The very first thing I do is clean the chamber, barrel extension area, and of course the bore. There are many great products on the market for this. The most important step is lapping the bore. I use J B Bore Lapping compound. I just think it's the best. For long barrel life, just clean it. Shoot "some", clean, shoot "some", clean etc. If your shooting 50 plus rounds, I do some lite cleaning at the range. Secondly, try not to use the hottest powder you can find. i.e. don't be a barrel burner. The caliber you've chosen is a good one for sure, but it's hot. My good friend Bill Ice shoots the 1,000 yard competition. He says "I don't care if I have to carry the bullet out there in a wheel borrow, I need to hit the same hole every time." There's a sweet spot between speed and accuracy. Ya' gotta' find it. Over the years, My Dad, who was a Gun Smith, and I have used a few different brands of barrels. I've found the BHW barrels do not require as much lapping as some others, and they shoot pretty da' gone good! {Hill Billy language} The meat's in the freezer.... lol
ps. After a bunch of shooting, lap that barrel again. You'll be able to tell when it needs it.
pp.ss. My 22-250 likes loads a little hot. 1 / 9" twist, 63 grain projectiles, shoot good. Need to be careful.
steve
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Post by peabody on Jan 29, 2017 17:15:10 GMT -8
As ironhorse noted, hot loads are the biggest threat to barrel life, aside from gross neglect. But I don't see the latter being an issue for you. I'm not a competition shooter and I don't push for super-duper precision in an OCD kind of manner. My philosophy regarding cleaning a barrel is to get the powder and carbon crud out. I clean mine until the patches run through the barrel and chamber are clean of carbon fouling. I don't get hell bent over copper fouling. I believe there's a balance between "not clean enough" and "too clean". If you need to run some "fouling shots" to get your bore in working order, I'd say that's too clean. If the bore functions with a degree of copper fouling, that's how clean it needs to be. Again, my opinion. A good coating of oil (or grease for long term storage) will protect against corrosion, to include the copper "fouling". Storing your firearms in a dry location (i.e. reduced humidity) helps a lot too.
Greg has noted many times that the poly rifling makes for a smoother bore and retains little, if any copper fouling. So keeping it clean is easy. Any reputable solvent or bore paste will do.
On a side note, if you have NIB coated parts, be aware that some copper-stripping solvents can react with the coating and turn it green (Hoppe's 9). I haven't experienced it. But I've heard it can happen, though it doesn't degrade the performance or function of the coating. Just an FYI on that.
In a nutshell: - Clean it until crud free: smooth and shiny bore and a pretty clean patch coming out - Lube it - Protect the crown when running your cleaning rod through (run from breech to muzzle) - Store dry
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ironhorse18
Greenhorn
264 LBC on order. Do you advise feed ramp work before assy. of barrel to upper?
Posts: 2
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Post by ironhorse18 on Jan 30, 2017 15:54:56 GMT -8
That's good advice Peabody!
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