Cleaning and Cooling

AzDak42 · Oct 12, 2012

So I have to admit, I'm not the most patient guy in the world at the shooting bench.

How long do you wait between rounds on hunting barrels when you're shooting for accuracy? How often do you clean? Are you doing fouling shots after cleaning before you shoot for groups again?

With most of my load workups being below 25 rounds, I'd never bothered cleaning between groups. But another post on another forum has lead me to believe that maybe I'm getting inaccurate data at the higher charges, as the bore is already significantly fouled.

Is the answer different for different rounds? I can launch a whole lot of .308 before I start seeing groups going down. On the bigger cases, with lots of powder, it feels like less.

Thoughts?

Guy Miner · Oct 12, 2012

With a hunting rifle, I'm most interested in where that all-important first shot from a cold barrel is going to hit. That single bullet is all important to me.

After that, I want to know where the second and third shots will hit... Hopefully I've got a rifle that will pile them all into the same group. In short - I fire them right after the first round, with the barrel heating up. I don't wait any longer than it takes to get set up for the second and third shots.

Then, I'll usually let the barrel cool a little between groups, just to keep it from getting super hot.

Ever seen a 7.62 machinegun barrel glowing red? What a neat thing to see - but I suspect it was pretty rough on the barrels...

With my .308 Win, in NRA target competition, we often often fire 20 rounds "slow fire" or strings of 10 rounds rapid fire. Those barrels get pretty warm, but maintain their accuracy.

For cleaning, my .25-06 fouls pretty easily, rough bore I suspect. So I clean it every 20 - 40 rounds. I shot 9 rounds through it yesterday, getting set for a hunting trip. I won't clean it again until after the hunting trip.

The .308 has a very smooth Krieger barrel and I've gone a couple of hundred rounds without cleaning, and no deterioration in accuracy. It's a heavier barrel, and of course hand-lapped, so it doesn't foul much. I've fired some two day matches, 80+ rounds one day, another 80+ the next day, and didn't bother to clean in between. No need. Actually shot higher scores the second day too.

Regards, Guy

Mortis · Oct 12, 2012

Having shot NRA High Power Rifle Silhouette, I determined that accuracy depended on 2 things. Shot #1 and Shot #5.

The string of fire was 5 rds in 2.5 minutes. Hardly enough time for a barrel to cool. Plus you took a 2.5 minute break then fired another string of 5. And if it was a 60 rd match, then you fired an additional 5 rds before you left the line.

No one can accurately predict minute of angle spread as a bullet heats up, because environmental factors plays into this, and effects how fast the barrel heats or cools between shots.

One thing I learned at Edson Range with an M-14 rifle was the more it was fired, the tighter it grouped. We were not allowed to break down the rifle for cleaning, but only punched the barrel at the end of the days firing. It was not until we qualified were we required to field strip and completely clean the rifle.

This is because carbon loading on the rifle acted almost acted like glass bedding it. It created a tighter bond between the action and stock. It also took alot of the 'play' out of many of the moving partsand the carbon loading of the gas piston created faster lock-up and cycling.

Back to a bolt gun........ I am a firm believer in the ability of multipul shot preformance. A one shot kill is great. But 2 or even 3 shots have been necessary.

And not to start an arguement......but I do not believe in the concept pencil barrels will not shoot but a single, cold shot well.

I have several trophy's taken in Silhouette using a Browning Micro-Medallion in 7mm-08. But then again, I was not shooting at a 2"x2" target at 500 meters with a benched rifle. I was shooting Angle of Ram, from the Unsupported Off Hand position. So, a bit a variance was acceptable.

Once I have a new rifle sighted in..... I will fire as many as 10 rds thru it as fast as I can so I am aware of how it will react hot.

257 Ackley · Oct 12, 2012

Guy Miner":2shhu1ba said:
Ever seen a 7.62 machinegun barrel glowing red? What a neat thing to see - but I suspect it was pretty rough on the barrels...
Regards, Guy

I carried that damn thing (0331) and put a life-time of bullets through one. I have had barrels that looked like bananna's at the end of a day. Made it tough for me or the A-gunner to pull it out of the receiver. The armour would not be happy when he saw what kind of shape it was in :mrgreen: . Kinda funny how everyone wanted to shoot it, but no one wanted to carry it.

6mm Remington · Oct 12, 2012

Now this is along the lines on the cleaning bit here so I will ask. I read one time where a guy was saying that if you are using different powders such as H4350 and then IMR4831 in loads trying to work one up and say you shot three three shot groups with one powder and bullet, and then tried the loads with the IMR4831, you should clean between switching the powders and loads as it could affect accuracy. Is that true.

Say I load IMR4350 with 90 gr. Accubonds in my 6mm and I have three different loads to try and then same bullet with H4831SC to try. I only shoot 9 shots and then go to the next loads, but I clean between trying these two completely different loads. Is that necessary or am I being overly anal? :shock:

Mortis · Oct 12, 2012

257 Ackley":1fslskkw said:
Guy Miner":1fslskkw said:

Ever seen a 7.62 machinegun barrel glowing red? What a neat thing to see - but I suspect it was pretty rough on the barrels...
Regards, Guy

Click to expand...

I carried that damn thing (0331) and put a life-time of bullets through one. I have had barrels that looked like bananna's at the end of a day. Made it tough for me or the A-gunner to pull it out of the receiver. The armour would not be happy when he saw what kind of shape it was in :mrgreen: . Kinda funny how everyone wanted to shoot it, but no one wanted to carry it.

I never flinched from humping an M60.... once ya figured it out... sucker was a fantastic force multiplier.

Was sad to see it replaced by the M240 series LMG, but it was getting old.

Did a live fire exercise one night..... had 500 rds belted together... You could light a cigarette on the flash suppressor when the last round cycled thru.

Dang, those were the days!!!!!

Oldtrader3 · Oct 12, 2012

I was fine carrying an M-60 occasionally. I really liked getting that sucker hot on firing exercises. It was a solid, accurate and fine functioning MG. I really liked the M-60 as a squad weapon. I was a corpsman though and carrying a 1911 most of the time.

nvbroncrider · Oct 12, 2012

The best groups I've ever shot outta my 280 Rem in a M77 has been with a moderately warm/hot barrel not hot enough to brand cattle but warm enough to get your attention.