Loss of accuracy after cleaning
- Thread starter Ttocs
- Start date
I think as a minimum a barrel should get a light oiling after use to avoid corrosion. We are all taught to do this religiously to shotguns so I think rifles should be treated the same. I find it easiest to have a rod set up permanently with a lightly oiled mop and just use and re-use that, it takes seconds.
I don't actually remove this oil before going stalking (and I might not even fire) but mostly because I will have just woken up at stupid o'clock and am already late for dawn. Once the rifle is zeroed, for stalking I am more interested in this first "from cold", "with oil" shot that a group. It helps if you have a target set up the whole time in a convenient location. My aim is to shoot deer not groups.
Every couple of months I do a deeper clean with meths, once a year I use copper solvent and then fire maybe 6 fouling shots.
Seems to work.
I don't actually remove this oil before going stalking (and I might not even fire) but mostly because I will have just woken up at stupid o'clock and am already late for dawn. Once the rifle is zeroed, for stalking I am more interested in this first "from cold", "with oil" shot that a group. It helps if you have a target set up the whole time in a convenient location. My aim is to shoot deer not groups.
Every couple of months I do a deeper clean with meths, once a year I use copper solvent and then fire maybe 6 fouling shots.
Seems to work.
Bore paste? Not in my barrels.
I've inadvertently fired one of my rifles which had been oiled before storage, but the oil not removed, and it's not something I'd recommend. I didn't enjoy it. Noticeably more recoil and noise and the bolt stiff to lift. Second and subsequent rounds were as normal. I believe that leaving oil in the barrel can increase pressure and may not be all that safe.
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
You are correct it is not recommended.
In the extreme it can ripple or bulge your barrel.
I always patch out with meths if I have oiled the bore.
The other thing is that you can’t guarantee that you have exactly the same amount of oil in the bore so how can you rely on the consistency of any difference in POI to the “dry” bore zero.
Oiling the barrel and shooting with oil in the bore is extremely dangerous.
It causes dieseling and drag,and massive pressure spikes..
Ttocs
Well-Known Member
Just be out waiting in my “fox box” for a fox that‘s clown up on my camera; rifle on adjustable rest, on carpeted bench, and but on bag. Fox didn’t show but there was a rabbit 150 yards away so, to check my ‘zero’ I fired at the rabbit. It hopped away wondering what the noise was - it should have been fox bait at that range! At the weekend i shot at a broadside fox 200 yards away, from the same shooting position, and missed it; quickly reloaded and shot at it again when it stopped 10 yards away from its original position this time hitting it where I’d aimed.
Theres something seriously wrong and I’m getting frustrated - I’ve missed 3 foxes recently and now a rabbit. Going to go over the rifle and sights in the morning then I’ll pop out and shoot a group or two to see what’s going on. Could just be a cold bore thing but it’s never been a problem before; the 3 shot groups in my first post include a cold bore shot.
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Theres something seriously wrong and I’m getting frustrated - I’ve missed 3 foxes recently and now a rabbit. Going to go over the rifle and sights in the morning then I’ll pop out and shoot a group or two to see what’s going on. Could just be a cold bore thing but it’s never been a problem before; the 3 shot groups in my first post include a cold bore shot.
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antsa
Well-Known Member
I too have experienced a temporary loss of accuracy after cleaning but a couple of barrel warmers got it sorted. On the other hand in two of my rifles, a .223 Varmint and a .222 Sporter, I've had what you might call an opposite effect. The Varmint was/is an absolute tack driver, head-shooting critters at beyond 250m. One day having a plink at 100m it spread like a 12g. After a good clean it was back in business. Same thing with the .222, a drop-off in grouping was remedied by a good clean. Go figure?
Cheers
Cheers
Steff
Well-Known Member
Having read your post in which you wrote that you had meanwhile fired 50 shots after the cleaning, I have come to think, that your accuracy problems may not have to do with the cleaning at all.
If I was in your shoes I‘d give the scope mount a serious check up.
Steff
Well-Known Member
This is how our fathers and grandfathers have treated their barrels to the effect of utterly clogged up grooves which eventually make it look like it had been shot out. Oil burns in the barrel upon firing creating a super hard layer of carbon. Do this more often and the only thing that will (maybe) get them back to life ist steel wool.
Cleaning rifles is bad. The OP was doing fine with his 204, happily shooting small groups, and then the local expert -who doesn't own the OP's rifle, or load for it, or shoot it- bullies him into cleaning it. So he cleans it. Then he dirties it to get it shooting right. Now it's dirty again. If he doesn't clean it that same bully will chastise him. At which point, if he has learned anything, the OP will say either "Mind you own business" (the American Response) or "Thanks! I'll do just that!" -then don't. My girl friend has about 300 rounds rounds through her 204 without cleaning. Five rounds can be covered by a half inch target dot.
This is not to say it hasn't had a patch through it. We shoot on dusty prairiedog towns and on windy days we will push a patch with a scant drop of oil down our barrels, followed by patches til dry. No copper remover no "deep cleansing" (
) done. Works every time. Three hundred yard hits right out of the gate.~Muir
This is not to say it hasn't had a patch through it. We shoot on dusty prairiedog towns and on windy days we will push a patch with a scant drop of oil down our barrels, followed by patches til dry. No copper remover no "deep cleansing" (
) done. Works every time. Three hundred yard hits right out of the gate.~Muir
Ttocs
Well-Known Member
The rifle is fitted with a Drone Pro 10x with a Kevgun mount - its rock solid. I’ve checked all the Allen screws on the mount and on the scope; I‘ve checked the front lens retaining ring too. I’ve also removed the stock, cleaned, wiped with an oil drag and re-assembled the rifle. I’ll go and shoot a group tomorrow before I swap the scope for my Zeiss and shoot another group. Last resort will be to clean it again (just a good nylon brush scrub with Patch Out) to see if that makes any difference. Last resort will be to try some different loads through it. Can’t see how things could have changed in that respect but I’m running out of options. Could try a change of moderator too as I have an Evo 204 defused (currently use DPT) but that‘ll definitely mean changing the load.
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Someone mentioned JB Bore Compound. Wonderful stuff if you wish to convert your 6.5 to 7mm!
K
K
You have removed all the good stuff that made your barrel shoot
I did this with a 300wm I bought on here about 10 years ago
I do recall the seller telling me “don’t deep clean it” but I knew better.
Did some load development which went extremely well producing a single ragged hole
Gave a full strip and clean and proceeded to clay pigeon sized groups!
From memory it took around 40-50 rounds to settle
However I am not a user of bore pastes. They sound far to aggressive to make me want to scrub my bore with them
I did this with a 300wm I bought on here about 10 years ago
I do recall the seller telling me “don’t deep clean it” but I knew better.
Did some load development which went extremely well producing a single ragged hole
Gave a full strip and clean and proceeded to clay pigeon sized groups!
From memory it took around 40-50 rounds to settle
However I am not a user of bore pastes. They sound far to aggressive to make me want to scrub my bore with them
I’ve got the same setup,when I had zero issues I sent my drone back to Kev ,he said it was something to do with the focus and a lens coming loose inside the drone,all good now
Fair enough, thanks for the warning. I better change my regime.
Steff
Well-Known Member
They are not really aggressive. You won't hurt your bore using them. In fact they are oftentimes the render of last resort when all else fails cleaning wise.
But it is indeed not something one should use on a daily basis if one wants to maintain one's zero. It does change the surface properties in the barrel quite substantially and cannot be compared with a regular cleaning job, not even using chemical solvents. So using a bore paste will not damage anything but it will take a while for the rifle to settle afterwards.
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