.243 - to clean or not to clean?!

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BunnyDoom

Well-Known Member
I bought a browning xbolt in .243 last year (I've had a lot of problems with it!) - the latest was an inability to shoot a decent group... which I eventually worked out was due to the rifle being clean!!!

I was told to always clean my .243 after shooting - I'm a deer stalker so it's all about the first shot being through a clean and cold barrel... trouble is it doesn't group 3 shots when it's clean and cold!!! My .17hmr won't shoot straight unless it's clean, and my .22 won't shoot straight unless it's dirty (so I never clean it).

It settles down after about 6 shots, and I'm able to shoot very good groups when I zero at 100yds... but by then the barrel is warm, and being a fluted barrel the zero seems to shift!!!

So my questions are:
  • Should I bother cleaning it if it doesn't like it? - Once zeroed I'll only use it for the odd deer.
  • Does anyone else have an issue with fluted barrel's moving zero when warming up?
  • Does anyone know a magic trick that will swap my xbolt for something more sensible free of charge and without having to wait 4 months for a variation?! ;)
Thanks,
Rich
 
Rich,

I have an x-bolt .243 stainless fluted and was told only clean it if it gets wet or on loss of zero. I have put 140 shots through it, not cleaned it and it groups fine.

ATB
 
BunnyDoom said:
I bought a browning xbolt in .243 last year (I've had a lot of problems with it!) - the latest was an inability to shoot a decent group... which I eventually worked out was due to the rifle being clean!!!

I was told to always clean my .243 after shooting - I'm a deer stalker so it's all about the first shot being through a clean and cold barrel... trouble is it doesn't group 3 shots when it's clean and cold!!! My .17hmr won't shoot straight unless it's clean, and my .22 won't shoot straight unless it's dirty (so I never clean it).

It settles down after about 6 shots, and I'm able to shoot very good groups when I zero at 100yds... but by then the barrel is warm, and being a fluted barrel the zero seems to shift!!!

So my questions are:
  • Should I bother cleaning it if it doesn't like it? - Once zeroed I'll only use it for the odd deer.
  • Does anyone else have an issue with fluted barrel's moving zero when warming up?
  • Does anyone know a magic trick that will swap my xbolt for something more sensible free of charge and without having to wait 4 months for a variation?! ;)
Thanks,
Rich
Click to expand...

Wondered how long it would take to ask!!!!!!
 
It sounds like you need to get the factory bedding sorted out.

There are also some cleaners that claim do not alter the POI from a clean barrel. Have you tried them?
 
Brithunter said:
It sounds like you need to get the factory bedding sorted out
Click to expand...

I have a friend with an x-bolt fluted .243 who had exactly the same problem. It turned out to be the bedding as suggested above - he spent ages trying to get it zero'd before realising what the problem was (he's had the bedding sorted now and it shoots very accurately).
 
I have started using wipeout to clean all my rifles.
1st shot slightly off zero then business as usual, not expensive and seems to do a good job.
 
When you clean do you remove all carbon and copper?

The reason i ask is maybe your rifle only needs the carbon removed.
 
palmer_mike said:
I have a friend with an x-bolt fluted .243 who had exactly the same problem. It turned out to be the bedding as suggested above - he spent ages trying to get it zero'd before realising what the problem was (he's had the bedding sorted now and it shoots very accurately).
Click to expand...

So bedding in - basically just carry on shooting it and don't clean it then?
 
weejohn said:
When you clean do you remove all carbon and copper?

The reason i ask is maybe your rifle only needs the carbon removed.
Click to expand...

Yep have been removing all carbon and copper, but also had the same problem when I just used a boresnake... so I'm thinking I should just avoid cleaning it altogether? Maybe the odd dry pull through with a patch?
 
What are you using as a cleaning agent? I was a KG user till Pierred came round and showed me how unclean my clean barrel was :roll:
 
BunnyDoom said:
I bought a browning xbolt in .243 last year (I've had a lot of problems with it!) - the latest was an inability to shoot a decent group... which I eventually worked out was due to the rifle being clean!!!

I was told to always clean my .243 after shooting - I'm a deer stalker so it's all about the first shot being through a clean and cold barrel... trouble is it doesn't group 3 shots when it's clean and cold!!! My .17hmr won't shoot straight unless it's clean, and my .22 won't shoot straight unless it's dirty (so I never clean it).

It settles down after about 6 shots, and I'm able to shoot very good groups when I zero at 100yds... but by then the barrel is warm, and being a fluted barrel the zero seems to shift!!!

So my questions are:
  • Should I bother cleaning it if it doesn't like it? - Once zeroed I'll only use it for the odd deer.
  • Does anyone else have an issue with fluted barrel's moving zero when warming up?
  • Does anyone know a magic trick that will swap my xbolt for something more sensible free of charge and without having to wait 4 months for a variation?! ;)
Thanks,
Rich
Click to expand...

Have you had a gunsmith borescope your barrel? Just wonder if the bore is roughly cut and the bullet jacket of the first few rounds are shaving and 'filling' any gouges as they pass down the barrel, smoothing it out for your subsequent shots.
 
Blitzking said:
Have you had a gunsmith borescope your barrel? Just wonder if the bore is roughly cut and the bullet jacket of the first few rounds are shaving and 'filling' any gouges as they pass down the barrel, smoothing it out for your subsequent shots.
Click to expand...

It went off to Browning UK supposedly to be fixed when the mounting blocks fell out (yep scope and blocks partly detached from the gun whilst in use), I was told it was given a look over but no-one's ever commented on the bore... I would have thought more of browning, but this is my first experience with their rifles and frankly I've been very diappointed so far.
 
BunnyDoom said:
Forrest bore cleaning foam to de-copper it, and napier to de-carbonise it...
Click to expand...

I would suggest that Napier is not up to the job. There are very good agents on the market, Carb-out (by the makers of Wipe-out) has a very good following. Personally I use JB Compound every 60-70 shots.

As said above, having your rifle properly bedded would be a good move - but sorry, once done, is not an excuse not to PROPERLY clean your rifle. There are two ways to clean a rifle, the first is to treat the operation like taking medicine and get the whole business over as quickly as possible, or treat the operation knowing it is a slow process to get the best results - have a look at this vid (part one of three) - this guy knows what he is doing:-

http://coriniumrange.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/wipeout-video-part-1/


There is actually a third method called the boresnake but I dont really wish to comment on them except to say they are better employed keeping up your trousers.

I have 3 C/F rifles - two will put the second bullet where the first went, the other will always put the first 5mm at 4 o'clock. I load for 8 other people comprising 9 different calibres, none have this problem of the first bullet (let alone the next 4) straying from zero.
 
When I first got guns I used P-H 009 cleaner as that's what came in teh kit. i have used it ever since. Now for copper removal when it becomes needed I have tried several removers and the best so far has been Forest Foaming Bore cleaner. I first remove the Nitro Powder fouling with P-H 009 then wipe that out and apply the Forest Bore Foam. Repeat if required.

As to fouling shots well nearly all rifles are a law unto them selves so one has to find out what each one likes.

I have a .270 that does copper foul quicker than others the bore is super smooth too. The problem is that the bore is tight and this causes copper fouling.

I use proper cleaning rods and brushes and jags. There is no room for a bore snake or pull through in this house!

Do you not check the tightness of fastenings occasionally on your rifle?
 
The only condition you can reliably reproduce is clean. Maybe you need to establish a cold clean barrel zero by cleaning between every shot. Then at least you know where the first shot is going to strike.
 
As Brithunter says rifles are a law unto them selves, mine does not like cleaning, so gets it very seldom,gets a wipe over and a rod put through it if its been out in very foul weather, other than that I leave it, works for me.
 
I've got an X-Bolt 243 stainless fluted, shot crap straight from the box, got slightly better when hot. Had it checked out and it turned out that the barrel was touching the stock, had it sorted out by a local gunsmith in around 30 minutes, now shoots spot on hot or cold, I only very occasionally pull a dry pullthrough it.
It has probably had around 400 rounds through it in the eight months, gets used and abused, also used as an estate rifle on our DSC courses and has never let anyone down.
Get the bedding checked, it only takes a little to alter a lot.

Mal
 
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