Clean bore--accurate gun

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getitdone1
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Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by getitdone1 »

Seems like I read somewhere if you clean the bore of your gun it'll shoot more accurately. :D I've never been into serious target shooting so I've never learned this first-hand. I have kept the bores of my guns fairly clean but now often let them go uncleaned for several days--in part because I'll soon be shooting the gun again.

Appears I did learn about a clean bore recently with my shotgun. You may recall I was having serious accuracy problems with my Remington 1100 shotgun. It was shooting slugs about 6 inches low and shot about 4 inches low--at 25 feet!

Bought some Shooter's Choice solvent and scrubbed the devil out of the bore of this 20 ga. Sales person at Gander Mountain recommened Shooter's Choice over a Remington solvent--both supposed to remove the plastic residue left in bore from plastic wads. In the past all I've ever used is Hoppe's No.9 solvent. Is Shooter's Choice a favorite with some of you guys?

After using Shooter's Choice both slugs and shot did much better. I wonder how much better the slugs would do if I'd replace screw-in modified choke tube with IC or cylinder tube? I know a more open bore is supposed to be better with slugs. Where's a good source for these screw-in choke tubes? Is cylinder even better than improved cylinder when shooting slugs? Which is best for buckshot?

I recently shot various slugs and shot for accuracy and find my gun's accuracy varies considerably with brand and load. Glad I didn't try to bend my barrel when all it will probably take is the right load with the right choke--and a clean barrel!

With respect to rifles, how much difference does a clean bore make for accuracy? How bad can copper fouling effect accuracy? Copper fouling is something I've never addressed until recently. I've never done enough shooting and comparison with clean and dirty bores to know.

I've had lots of guns (mainly rifles) over many years and should really already know the answers to the above. Never too late to learn.

Don
jnyork
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by jnyork »

Cleanliness is next to Godliness, unless it is a rimfire. Get that copper out of that bore and be delighted with the results. Many people clean a bore , look down the barrel and it's shiney and bright looking so they think it's clean. Take a flashlight and look down the muzzle and you will see the pretty brown streaks that are wrecking your accuracy.
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jeepnik
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by jeepnik »

Years ago, I was taught (when not using corrosive ammo) that once you sight it in for the season, you clean it, fire a fouling shot, and leave it till the season is over. This, of course, assumes you don't try to fill the barrel with mud, sand, snow or some other stuff. But generally, after use, I clean, lightly oil and put them away. Before the next use, I run a dry patch thru the bore.

Now is this regular cleaning "necessary"? Doubtful, as I've seen firearms that were,maybe cleaned at the factory do fine, and this was years and many rounds later. I look at firearms cleaning the way I look at any "preventive" maintenance, and that is, few things in this world have failed because they were too clean. Now don't jump on that, of course, like any good machine it will be properly lubricated. Oh, you can easily "over" lubricate and cause all sorts of problems.
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Bruce
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Bruce »

Don,

Just a small question. Are those chokes intended to be shot w/ slugs? I have seen more than one choke destroyed by slugs.
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Pisgah
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Pisgah »

Bruce wrote:Don,

Just a small question. Are those chokes intended to be shot w/ slugs? I have seen more than one choke destroyed by slugs.

Slugs through chokes can be a concern -- but not if you are using the older Foster-style slugs with the hollow base and "vanes" on the nose. These were designed to squirt safely through any choke. It takes experimentation to find which works with a particular gun and slug, and usualy it will be IC or Mod, but even full choke poses no danger to gun or shooter.

Don't expect the same with Brenneke or saboted slugs, though.
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FWiedner
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by FWiedner »

Clean is clean, but even the benchrest guys shoot fouling shots.

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Ysabel Kid
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Dad always said "a clean gun is a happy gun". I guess a stint in the army then becoming an FBI agent made him realize that if he was going to rely on a firearm to keep him alive, he'd make darn sure it was clean and functioning properly.

I used to be religous in cleaning my guns. Would do so as soon as I got home from shooting. Now, I keep a list of which guns are "clean" and which are "dirty", and try to clean some in a session every so often. Unless it is blackpowder or the ammuntion possibly had corrosive primers; those get cleaned immediately!
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MrMurphy
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by MrMurphy »

I'm generally more concerned with the action being clean than the barrel. Unless it's obviously fouled, a couple shots won't affect it.


In my previous occupation during test-firing we shot a sub-minute group with a rifle, proceeded to shoot the &!()*! out of it all day long with very dirty surplus ammo (in excess of a thousand rounds) rapid fire. Other than a single, or possibly two, bolt wipedowns and added lube, no cleaning.

End of the day, still shot sub minute. Groups had opened up a little if i remember correctly, but not by much. The barrel did not appear to mind all the shooting.
getitdone1
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by getitdone1 »

Bruce wrote:Don,

Just a small question. Are those chokes intended to be shot w/ slugs? I have seen more than one choke destroyed by slugs.
Bruce,

That small question is a good one. Just took a look at the choke in end of gun and appears fine. I think Brenneke and the other shotgun slug manufacturers would be in trouble with slugs that harmed the chokes or end of barrels. The Brenneke seems to be by far the hardest so it gave me the most concern.

Just did a little searching on internet about what choke to use with slugs. The old thinking seems to be improved cylinder or cylinder. Some very knowledgeable guys say use any choke up to and including full and experiment with chokes and various slugs to determine which combo shoots best out of your particular gun. My guess is this is better advice than the old, conventional advice.

Of course, if you're really serious about the best accuracy you go with the rifled barrel. I'm sticking with smoothbore because self-defense is all I'd use slugs for. And, I like the option of buckshot which is best with smoothbore.

Don
wecsoger
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by wecsoger »

Almost to a man (and probably a lot of women!) we over clean and over oil our firearms.

Read the stories of the Glocks shooting tens of thousands of rounds. Go over the FAL board (hope it's still there!) and read about the legend of 'ol dirty, a FAL that's gone through thousands of rounds. There's gun pr0n pictures with it too.

Corrosive, yes. Other ammo, not so much.

Oil at barest minimum, clean to functional standards, not parade ready.
Charles
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Charles »

The subject of cleaning rifle, the necessity thereof and it's effect on accuracy, if any, is a subject on which there is no agreement. Each of us, can only tell you what we do, and of course we think it is the best way, or else we would not be doing it that way.

I clean my rifle every time they are shot, unless they are rimfire. I don't make a fetish out of it, and shoot only cast bullets. Some cast bullet shooters swear that a barrels must be "seasoned" to do it's best and they don't clean. I really don't know what the truth is, all I know is what I do.

On a centerfire rifle, I wet a nylon brush with Ed's Red and give the bore about a dozen strokes. This is followed by two patches wet with Ed's Red, and a couple of patches to dry things out. I always use a rod guide or muzzle protector when I clean rifle barrels.

It will take me three or four shots with a clean barrel to get the rifle group it's best, but POI is the same, with or without fouling shots.

This is just the way I do thing and certainly not holy writ.
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FWiedner
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by FWiedner »

Charles wrote:It will take me three or four shots with a clean barrel to get the rifle group it's best, but POI is the same, with or without fouling shots.
Not being argumentative, but I find this statement to be confusing.

It's like saying you need to wear a boot to break it in but since it's comfortable there's no need to put it on.

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Paul Jenkins
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Paul Jenkins »

Gentlemen,
IF you ever get involved in competitive shooting you WILL quickly learn that cleaning properly IS the secret to the best accuracy. This is not opinion. It is a fact. I am not the proof, but , All the winners are.
Charles
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Charles »

I didn't intent to be obscure. let me try it again.

The cleaned barrel and fouled barrel shoot to the same point of impact, but the groups with the fouled barrel are smaller.
getitdone1
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by getitdone1 »

On a previous post I asked about the best solvent for removing the copper fouling in rifle barrels. Got some good replies there. Anyone else want to add their favorite?

Regarding shotguns, what's your favorite solvent for removing the plastic deposits in barrel? Gander Mountain sales person recommended "Shooter's Choice" to me so that's what I'm now using for this. He thought it was better than the Remington brand.

Don
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Mike D.
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Re: Clean bore--accurate gun

Post by Mike D. »

I clean my rifles and shotguns after the hunting season is over, that's all. This includes older Winchesters, too. No need to clean after every hunt. Mine get full of dust, so that is blown out, but that's the extent of it. :)
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