Help with cleaning

Ask questions and share information about reloading.
Redfox
New Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:55 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Remington VSSF II
Location: northern NSW Australia

Help with cleaning

Post by Redfox »

I have been cleaning my .243 Winchester and continually get a blue grey patch. I have patched it out with JB Bore Cleaning Compound-I have also done the barrel out with Sweets. I have brushed it with a bronze brissle brush-I have washed the brush after every time I scrub the barrel-I have patched it out after and still have blue/grey patches. I am perplexed as to why it continually shows a blue/grey patch. I am meticulous about my cleaning but this has me baffled.
Is it possible that the discolouration is coming from the bronze brush or could it be that the barrel continually has fouling in it.
Note- I am using Pro shot brushes.
Some advice would be much appreciated.
One Life One Chance
inKYfromSD
Senior Member
Posts: 158
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 7:26 am
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ 527 varmint .204, Cooper Model 21 20 VarTarg

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by inKYfromSD »

The blue is coming from the brush. Use copper solvent with nylon brushes or patches. I use two wet patches of Shooter's Choice (SC), then a nylon brush soaked in SC, and finally two dry patches. After taking RIO's advice, I now follow with a bronze brush soaked in SC, two more dry patches, then start with the copper solvent. Lather, rinse, repeat until clean like the shampoo bottles say.

I finish with a wet patch of Hoppes #9 Benchrest and let it sit overnight. If patch comes out with no blue then I lightly oil the barrel and consider it clean. Stock up on bronze brushes, then don't last as long as nylon but they really do get the barrel a LOT cleaner!
Redfox
New Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:55 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Remington VSSF II
Location: northern NSW Australia

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by Redfox »

Thanks inKYfromSD, I thought that would be the case but wanted to check with someone else if I was on the right track. :)
One Life One Chance
Jim White
Moderator
Posts: 1406
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:06 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ-527, Remington 700 VLTHSS

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by Jim White »

I use both nylon and bronze brushes. For those solvents that require elbow grease to get clean, a bronze brush is the only way to go (Shooters Choice comes to mind). For those solvents that chemically remove the carbon & copper fouling, nylon brushes are quite effective (SLIP-2000 (carbon) (Sweets 7.62 (copper)).

If the barrel continues to foul quite easily try and get it bore scoped. You would be surprised that a barrel that shines like a new dime when looked through may actually look worse than the cobble-stone street in front of Paul Revere's house.
remy3424
Senior Member
Posts: 169
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 6:42 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Rem 700, Tika T3, Ruger 77R MKII., Savage Pred., Rem XR100 +
Location: Iowa, Plymouth Co.

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by remy3424 »

I tried Wipe Out brand Patch Out cleaner in my prairie dog rifles....wow, my 25-06 and 243 tooks days of dry patch, nylon brush, wet patch...wait...repeat each morning, when I got home from work and again before bed...days of this...the patches start as dark blue as new denium jeans...very surprising. After that I scrubed with JB bore paste or shine, whichever one I have. Will find out next thursday if they clean-up any easier now. One of my small bores also took awhile to clean out also, might have been a Rem 700 in 204 or Sako in 223, can't remember which one for sure. The company also makes an accellerator that doubles the speed it work, but I haven't found it locally, had to mail order the clearner also. Brad might sell the stuff.
Take a kid to the range, both of you will be glad you did. remy3424
User avatar
wirelessguy2005
Senior Member
Posts: 663
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:59 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Custom 20 SCC, Savage LRPV 20 Nitro , Howa 1500 204 Ruger
Location: Indiana

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by wirelessguy2005 »

Yep we sell the Wipe Out Patch Out as well as the Accelerator. I use the Wipe Out Patch Out in all my rifles and have had great success with it. As noted you will find once you get all the built up copper and powder fouling out it will be much easier to clean/maintain the rifles on subsequent cleanings. If you suffer from very stubborn carbon fouling it may also be necessary to use the Carb Out product. If you are in need we stock Montana Extreme nylon brushes and brass jags. We also have our very own top quality cotton flannel cleaning patches in 7/8" round and square that work perfectly in the 17 and 20 calibers.

Brad
Jim White
Moderator
Posts: 1406
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:06 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ-527, Remington 700 VLTHSS

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by Jim White »

A 60/40 mixture of Shooters Choice & Kroil works very well too.

I've tried the patchout products and they do work but...if the barrel is really gunked up (with copper, carbon, powder foulling) it may take several days of soaking/cleaning per "their" instructions to get it all out. In fact that is what I did with mine and it was well worth it the price and effort to do it. Depending on the required barrel condition for your loads you may have te reseason the barrel prior to use.

Also, just because one recipe comes out clean doesen't mean its all out either. ;)

HTH,
TrapperDan
Senior Member
Posts: 102
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:51 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: remington 700 204,cz 527 american 204
Location: southern oregon

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by TrapperDan »

What brand of cleaning rod do you guys use for the 20 cal.? I use a Gunslick carbon rod but it is so flexible that I have to cut my patches down in order to push them through. Been looking for a stiffer rod. Dan
Wolves . ISIS of the animal world
User avatar
futuretrades
Senior Member
Posts: 835
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:16 am
.204 Ruger Guns: HOWA 1500 .204 Ruger Varmint, Bull Bbl, Lupy 6-18x40 custom

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by futuretrades »

My personal choice for 1 piece cleaning rods are the Dewey rods. Stainless steel, available in both coated and un-coated types. A few years ago, I decided to give a Tipton, carbon fiber rod a try. Big mistake for myself. Rod is too flexible, as you stated, and the balance, because of the longer and heavier handle, made this rod a major PITA! The Tipton cleaning station I am using, and have been using for many years, has a place to set your rod in, when not in use. Every time I placed the Tipton rod in the rod holding station, because of the heavier and longer handle, the rod wanted to "flip" out and smack me in the face and fall on the ground. At my age, I don't have the patience for such crap!
NRA Benefactor Life member
HOWA 1500 Varmint 204 Ruger, Bull Barrel, Hogue Overmold Stock, Leupold VXII 6-18x40mm AO LRV Custom Reticle Timney Trigger
Cooper Mdl 21 20VarTargW/Leupold VXIII, 6-20x40AO Varmint Hunter reticle.
Jim White
Moderator
Posts: 1406
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:06 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: CZ-527, Remington 700 VLTHSS

Re: Help with cleaning

Post by Jim White »

TrapperDan wrote:What brand of cleaning rod do you guys use for the 20 cal.? I use a Gunslick carbon rod but it is so flexible that I have to cut my patches down in order to push them through. Been looking for a stiffer rod. Dan
Dewey rods with a bore guide. Don't know who makes them but they are white DELRIN with a solvent port. Got mine from Russ Haydon but I believe Sinclair's sells them too. I also use those chamber swabs to clean in the bolt face area.

HTH,
Post Reply