Big country
TGT Addict
I just wonder what kind of solvent to get to get rid of this copper fouling?
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A fouling question
- Thread starter Big country
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Big country
TGT Addict
Hoppes #9 isn't doing well. It's getting beat by the fouling right now. LOL! anything more heavy duty?
+1 for Sweets. However, it is potent stuff(ammonia based) and can ruin nickel/certain finishes. You'll know it's working because it will foam heavily and turn blue as it reacts with the copper. I use Hoppes all the time but it is not very effective against copper fouling. I also have a foaming bore cleaner that is not ammonia based but I consider it more of a light duty cleaner.
Sweetshooter cleans everything.
Once you start using this product the rest will go out the window.
Tecrolan: Main2
This stuff is the best cleaner, de-fouler I have ever used.
The more you use it the easier the gun is to clean.
Once you start using this product the rest will go out the window.
Tecrolan: Main2
This stuff is the best cleaner, de-fouler I have ever used.
The more you use it the easier the gun is to clean.
I would not use Sweets unless you have ALOT of fouling.
I would use Hoppe's Benchrest Copper Solvent.
It would be in your best interest to go to a store, or order online, the following:
- Plastic Coated / Carbon Fiber One-Piece Cleaning Rod
- Spear-Type Jags in One Caliber Smaller and the Same Caliber
- Patches, alot of em.
- Bore Guide (Should be O-Ringed)
- Hoppe's Benchrest Copper Solvent
- Hoppe's #9 (For Powder Fouling)
- Hoppe's Grease (For Lubricating the Bolt)
- A Good Phosphor-Bronze Brush
- A Good Nylon Benchrest Brush
Take out the bolt, and prepare your rod / jag using the one size too small jag. Soak a patch in the #9 solvent and run it through the barrel from the breech to the muzzle. DO NOT pull the patch back through the muzzle. Patches are cheap, and crowns are everything. Make about 3 - 4 passes and let the solvent sit for a couple minutes. After you've let it sit begin running clean, dry patches through it until they are mostly clean of powder fouling. You'll probably get some blue / green copper along with the patches but we are looking to get the powder fouling (dark green / black) out of the way first.
The copper bit will require differing methods depending on how much and how embedded the fouling is. Take a patch, using the undersized jag, and soak it in the copper solvent. Push from breech to muzzle and DO NOT pull it back through. Make a good 5 passes with the patches and follow up with 5 passes with the brush, now let the solvent sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Now start running dry patches through with the full sized jag until you get clean patches. If you've put a good number through and they are still coming out dirty it would be wise to repeat the solvent step. If after repeating the solvent step you are still getting alot of copper fouling I would recommend looking into some of the bore pastes.
Once the bore is clean it will need one or two shots to get it to settle down and group. Rifles out of the box have a few rounds down them so they are ready to go. Benchrest shooters will do a few things like graphite lube to help tighten up the first cold-bore shots, but they are competing.
It would be wise to clean the bore every 20 - 30 shots. After that, the gun will start to lose accuracy, especially with bullets that are outside of it's rifling's efficiency range. That will help you stick to a simple and easy cleaning process, and allow you to avoid abrasive pastes and hard chemicals that can dull the rifling and possibly rough the crown.
I would use Hoppe's Benchrest Copper Solvent.
It would be in your best interest to go to a store, or order online, the following:
- Plastic Coated / Carbon Fiber One-Piece Cleaning Rod
- Spear-Type Jags in One Caliber Smaller and the Same Caliber
- Patches, alot of em.
- Bore Guide (Should be O-Ringed)
- Hoppe's Benchrest Copper Solvent
- Hoppe's #9 (For Powder Fouling)
- Hoppe's Grease (For Lubricating the Bolt)
- A Good Phosphor-Bronze Brush
- A Good Nylon Benchrest Brush
Take out the bolt, and prepare your rod / jag using the one size too small jag. Soak a patch in the #9 solvent and run it through the barrel from the breech to the muzzle. DO NOT pull the patch back through the muzzle. Patches are cheap, and crowns are everything. Make about 3 - 4 passes and let the solvent sit for a couple minutes. After you've let it sit begin running clean, dry patches through it until they are mostly clean of powder fouling. You'll probably get some blue / green copper along with the patches but we are looking to get the powder fouling (dark green / black) out of the way first.
The copper bit will require differing methods depending on how much and how embedded the fouling is. Take a patch, using the undersized jag, and soak it in the copper solvent. Push from breech to muzzle and DO NOT pull it back through. Make a good 5 passes with the patches and follow up with 5 passes with the brush, now let the solvent sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Now start running dry patches through with the full sized jag until you get clean patches. If you've put a good number through and they are still coming out dirty it would be wise to repeat the solvent step. If after repeating the solvent step you are still getting alot of copper fouling I would recommend looking into some of the bore pastes.
Once the bore is clean it will need one or two shots to get it to settle down and group. Rifles out of the box have a few rounds down them so they are ready to go. Benchrest shooters will do a few things like graphite lube to help tighten up the first cold-bore shots, but they are competing.
It would be wise to clean the bore every 20 - 30 shots. After that, the gun will start to lose accuracy, especially with bullets that are outside of it's rifling's efficiency range. That will help you stick to a simple and easy cleaning process, and allow you to avoid abrasive pastes and hard chemicals that can dull the rifling and possibly rough the crown.
Big country
TGT Addict
It's allot of fouling. I don't know how it got this built up as I clean thoroughly after shooting every time it gets shot and if no shooting it gets it about once every 3 months or so. I got some hoppes bench rest copper solvent and it's taking copper out steadily.(ie blue/green on patch every time.) but I can still see copper in the rifling at the muzzle. I'm thinking this is a huge reason why my accuracy is lacking.
Big country
TGT Addict
I'm letting it soakfor about 15 minutes before I run the spear jagg with a cloth patch threw it.
You may have to do it a couple times. I have heard of people plugging the muzzle with a cork, standing it on end, and filling the barrel. Not on an autoloader with a gas hole though. Then letting it soak overnight.
That would definitely explain a loss of accuracy.
That would definitely explain a loss of accuracy.
Big country
TGT Addict
I think it's almost done. There is only one streak of copper that I can see at the muzzle,Should I just keep going until there is no more green at all with fresh solvent and a 15 - 20 minute wait?
If you treat it and the first patches come out wet but not blue/green then all the copper is gone. Run a patch with Hoppes #9 or other fouling solvent through to get all the copper solvent out. Dry it with patches and run an oily patch through to keep it from rusting, and you are good to go. Accuracy may not return completely until the bore is seasoned again. It usually takes a couple rounds fired for a completely clean barrel to settle back down and shoot well again.
Personally, I don't clean my barrels until accuracy falls off. Sometimes it may be hundreds of rounds.
Personally, I don't clean my barrels until accuracy falls off. Sometimes it may be hundreds of rounds.
Some Palma and other competition shooters will go 200 - 300 rounds between cleanings, but some Benchrest shooters go 5 rounds between cleaning. In my opinion it depends heavily on the round you are shooting. Something like an AK47 shoots a much slower round than the AR15. Speed translates into friction, which translates into greater fouling from copper. That is why moly coated bullets have slowly moved into commonplace with fast rounds like 7mm Mag.
The problem with moly coated bullets is that it tends to build up in the throat area and act just like fouling. You're way better off coating the bore with moly than coating your bullets.
Benchrest shooters (and some other competitive types) tend to act a lot like sheep. "This is how so-and-so does it, so I better copy him!"
Benchrest shooters (and some other competitive types) tend to act a lot like sheep. "This is how so-and-so does it, so I better copy him!"
Well, there's nothing out there that shoots better than they do, so there's some degree of proof behind the talk. I think the 1000 yard record is just over 1/4 MOA, which was a 4.4" group.
