GTA
Target Shooting Matches, Discussion & Events => The Long Range Club => Topic started by: rsterne on November 26, 2022, 12:47:12 PM
-
H.A.M. just posted an article on the importance of barrel cleaning when shooting slugs....
https://hardairmagazine.com/buyers-guides/airgun-buyers-guides/accurate-slug-shooting-barrel-cleaning-is-key/https://hardairmagazine.com/buyers-guides/airgun-buyers-guides/accurate-slug-shooting-barrel-cleaning-is-key/
I admit I only clean my barrel when doing other maintenance on my airgun, which is probably one of the reasons I have not yet qualified as a NUAH Master.... ::)
If you wish to post your cleaning regimen, products and techniques used, that would be great!....
Bob
-
I powder coat my slugs and I rarely clean my barrels. I should probably rethink that, but knowing me I won't.
-
I made almost a year with my Akela and slugs. I cleaned it last month with a dewy rod jag and felt plugs. Unused ballistol for solvent. It took a long time and a lot of felts. Next time I will try patches and see if a tighter fit cleans faster.
-
With pellets like never.
With current slug setup have to do 50-100.
Posted this test results to 100yd match.
+ 100shots 5x5 back to back groups:
1,084
1,068
1,066
0,624
0,896
0,9476 < Awg MOA
Barrel cleaned:
0,502
0,863
0,645
0,710
0,481
0,6402 < Awg
Cleaned/ lubet with Balistol. Now changed to Hpl. Lets see how many shots can make with it
-
Following, as I am trying to qualify for the NUAH club. First group this AM was just over an inch, and opened up after that. ;D I am really like my RTI Prophet II. 8)
-
Inquisitive minds want to know.
Nice comment Jari.
Hunter
-
Bob,
I just read that article yesterday.
With my GEN I Marauder, it liked the H&N .218dia slugs best.
However, I polished that barrel.
I got a Armada last year. It liked my go to pellets: JSB 18.13grn.
But the slugs, looked like a wide spread shotgun. I have not polished that barrel yet.
I will try to get out on Tuesday if the weather clears enough.
-
Bob, a couple years back I was having the dickens getting any kind of group out of my .308. After many attempts to figure it out, I had tried just about every thing. First it was the baffles clipping, then I had problems with fouling of my barrel. While trying to solve that problem I found what felt like a constriction where the allen head screws secured the barrel band to the barrel. I fired lapped the barrel with Wheeler's medium and fine grits. That helped some but I was still getting a fouled barrel but it was not as bad. The swagded ammo I was using was pure lead and I wasn't happy with the FPS I was getting. So in a attempt to gain a few feet per second I polished the barrel with a mop and red jeweler's rouge. I gained maybe 15 fps and reduced the fouling but didn't eliminate it. I started testing banded bullets to reduce the bearing length and immediately picked up a 100 FPS. I read one of your articles about adding 5% tin to the pot to helped fill out the mold and I decided to give it a try. Not only did it do what you said but it also practically eliminated all leading of my barrel. So now I clean my barrel about once ever 1000 shots and it is cleaned with 3 patches. Prepping the barrel is the key to eliminate the fouling, but using the right metal in the slugs is the key.
-
I use a combination of the various methods of tapered bore lapping, using a combination of patches with JB Bore paste and the lapping paper recommended by Todd at TJ's, followed by Motorhead's Mothers mag wheel polish and Trewax hard wax treatment.
I rarely clean my barrels. Now that I think of it I am at a place where I can test a decently dialed in gun with >1k slugs through it, shoot say 5 or so groups, then clean/re-wax and shoot another 5 or so groups. maybe in the next week or so. Combo is a TJ's 1:26 .300 mostly shooting NOE .300-55's running in the low 900's. Currently it is shooting 1-2" groups at 100 yards assuming I do my part.
Actually this now has my interest, so I will follow through in upcoming days/weeks.
Should I post here or a new thread elsewhere?
-
Keep the barrel cleaning stuff here, please, so we can all find it!.... 8)
Bob
-
What is the ‘lapping paper’ mentioned that Todd recommends? I’ve not heard of this before.
Dave
-
Once the barrel is cleaned, does it need some slug shots to relead the barrel before accuracy increases or is the accuracy there with slugs immediately after barrel cleaning?
-
Once the barrel is cleaned, does it need some slug shots to relead the barrel before accuracy increases or is the accuracy there with slugs immediately after barrel cleaning?
The gun I described in reply #8 will require disassembly as such that re-zeroing will be required. Normally it doesn't move much, but it does move. So there will be a few shots prior to the groups. Normally 5-10 shots is sufficient to re-establish zero.
Based on both my personal experience and that of others (with a much greater level of experience/expertise) a well-prepped barrel should not require many (if any)shots to lead in. If the bore is smooth, there is nothing for lead to fill in.....
If all goes well before this weekend is out I will test that theory.
What I referenced as lapping paper is actually polishing paper. Please note I am not endorsing nor recommending its use, if you choose to use this tread carefully as it can be aggressive.
(https://i.imgur.com/cmSAvry.jpg)
-
I remember seeing a YouTube video by Matt Dubber where he said he had about 20K slugs through one of his barrels without cleaning. If I remember correctly, he said accuracy may degrade slightly then be restored after a bit more shooting. I don’t remember the number of shots that would take, but I can’t imagine he would tolerate very many.
-
Thanks mackerel
Dave
-
Once the barrel is cleaned, does it need some slug shots to relead the barrel before accuracy increases or is the accuracy there with slugs immediately after barrel cleaning?
The gun I described in reply #8 will require disassembly as such that re-zeroing will be required. Normally it doesn't move much, but it does move. So there will be a few shots prior to the groups. Normally 5-10 shots is sufficient to re-establish zero.
Based on both my personal experience and that of others (with a much greater level of experience/expertise) a well-prepped barrel should not require many (if any)shots to lead in. If the bore is smooth, there is nothing for lead to fill in.....
If all goes well before this weekend is out I will test that theory.
What I referenced as lapping paper is actually polishing paper. Please note I am not endorsing nor recommending its use, if you choose to use this tread carefully as it can be aggressive.
(https://i.imgur.com/cmSAvry.jpg)
This is going to wait a bit longer before I follow thru with cleaning and comparing results. The gun is just to stable and shooting good right now for me to touch it. Getting here has been a bit of a roller coaster like ride and I am going to enjoy it a bit longer prior to next disassembly.
Right now I grinning and giggling as I pick off the 100 yard 1" spinner on a fairly consistent basis.
I will update the thread once I do stop and clean the barrel.
-
Yessss!!! That's awesome Mike!
-
I rarely clean a barrel on any of my airguns however I only use 99.9% pure lead in them.
-
I need to clean my .257 barrel every 75 or so shots if I want to keep it accurate. It can do 12-15mm 5 shot groups at 100m when clean but they open up to 1 moa or even more as I reach the 100 shot mark. I'm currently experimenting with PC bullets to see if I can skip the barrel cleaning.
-
Went ahead pulled and cleaned the barrel. This is a 1:26 TJ's .300 that has seen >2k slugs since last cleaning. I am sharing a few random borescope pics from the process:
As it came out of the gun:
(https://i.imgur.com/U9X8I0V.jpg)
After a few tight fitting patches soaked in ballistol
(https://i.imgur.com/7uVxlge.jpg)
After polishing with Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish.
(https://i.imgur.com/mygGd5S.jpg)
Then a couple of acetone patches to remove all residue, the I applied a liberal swabbing of Trewax. The trewax is drying, will reassemble and do some groups later.
-
Still not sure about post cleaning needs, make it smooth give it a non stick coating and just flipping shoot till I hit no more, it would be different if I was trying to earn a dollar competevily . There may be a point when too much practice fouls my barrel ;)
-
So many comments, but only 11 votes! 😕
-
So many comments, but only 11 votes! 😕
Voting closed: December 10, 2022, 12:47:12 PM
-
My 👎 bad.
Hunter
-
Went ahead pulled and cleaned the barrel. This is a 1:26 TJ's .300 that has seen >2k slugs since last cleaning. I am sharing a few random borescope pics from the process:
As it came out of the gun:
(https://i.imgur.com/U9X8I0V.jpg)
After a few tight fitting patches soaked in ballistol
(https://i.imgur.com/7uVxlge.jpg)
After polishing with Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish.
(https://i.imgur.com/mygGd5S.jpg)
Then a couple of acetone patches to remove all residue, the I applied a liberal swabbing of Trewax. The trewax is drying, will reassemble and do some groups later.
Sorry for the lack of followup here. I had some mechanical challenges that pretty much ruined the testing. The Brod's bolt screw had loosened and was causing inconsistent velocities. By the time I realized what was happening i pretty much tainted the results. In the end the gun shoots the same as before, 1.5-2" groups at 100 yards. I saw no real change with cleaning vs. dirty bore on this particular gun.
This did give me motivation to address upgrade the .300 bolt screw/pin from 8/32 to 10/32, so that is a plus.
There are some barrel/breech stability issues that need to be addressed, once I have a solution I plan to repeat the test. This particular gun has multiple barrels/calibers (.22, .25, and .300) and testing has shown they all perform the same from an accuracy perspective---1.5-2" at 100 yards with an occasional 1" or less group. At Riku's urging I will be adding a barrel band, hopefully this will be the missing link to <or= moa accuracy.