Copper fouling ?

[kyron4]

Shot my new Savage '06 today and took it home and cleaned the bore, soaked it over night with Hoppes' 9 Benchrest copper solovent, cleaned and brushed again, could still see copper foulings, soaked again ,cleaned till patch was white. look inside could still still traces of copper fouling. Do I even need to be going through all this in the first place ? Does the copper "smears" hurt anything ? This is just a hunting rifle and not a competition rifle. Any input ?

 

[TurtlePhish]

Don't bother with the copper fouling until it actually starts to have an effect on accuracy. A fouled bore shoots to a different POI than a clean one, and that could be bad when out hunting. Just shoot it, clean copper when groups start to open up.

 

[TonyAngel]

Hoppe's No. 9 Benchrest isn't a very good copper solvent. A good solvent won't have you scrubbing the bore until your arm aches.

 

[gbeecher]

Don't bother with the copper fouling until it actually starts to have an effect on accuracy. A fouled bore shoots to a different POI than a clean one, and that could be bad when out hunting. Just shoot it, clean copper when groups start to open up.

I agree. There's no harm in frequent cleaning of a firearm, despite what others say, but most guns are cleaned more often than is truly necessary. Periodic cleaning of the copper fouling is plenty good. Shoot your rifle and enjoy it!

 

[HOOfan_1]

Wipe-Out is much much much better than Hoppes Benchrest.

My 35 year old Remington 700 was full of copper, Hoppes benchrest only made the copper look shiny....Wipe-out cleaned it all out in 1 8 hour soak.

 

[50 Shooter]

Another good copper solvent is Boretech's Eliminater copper solvent. It's a surfectant and letting it soak for 15 mins and then running a jag through will usually work for light duty. If its heavy you can let it soak overnight by plugging the barrel and filling it up.

Remember that brass jags and brushes will give you a false positive.

 

[joed]

To remove copper fouling I use Sweets. It's a strong ammonia and you do not leave it sit in the bore. All it's taken me is a few patches till the green is gone, then follow up with hoppes and last oil.

Don't be to fanatical about it, I ruined a barrel because of it.

 

[joed]

Also, what kind of brush are you using? That may be why you think you have copper fouling. Bronze brushes do tend to give the barrel a copper fouled look.

 

[Robert101]

Even with mild copper cleaners I find it realitively easy to remove copper from my barrels. I can usually feel how easy the brush and/or jag move in the barrel to know without seeing it if it is thoughourly clean. How many times did you bronze brush the barrel? For me it takes about 3 sets of the following:
1. wet patch 3 times to really soak the barrel.
2. wet bronze brush 8 to 10 times.
3. wet patch 3 times (new patch each time)

I repeat this process of 1, 2, 3 for three sets to get the barrel clean. Just a guide as sometimes a little less and sometimes more depending on rounds fired.

 

[Craigman]

I've also found the Gunslick Foaming bore cleaner to work well. Those little $10 bottles actually go a really long way.

 

[savanahsdad]

I agree. There's no harm in frequent cleaning of a firearm, despite what others say, but most guns are cleaned more often than is truly necessary. Periodic cleaning of the copper fouling is plenty good. Shoot your rifle and enjoy it!

I agree too, pluss some fouling may even make it shoot better , you will have too shoot some more and see ,

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I've been using Hoppes Benchrest solvent for years...it works just fine...but its not fast (for a really fouled bore it may take 2-3 overnight soaks)...no scrubbing, just soaking.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

don't clean it til the groups open up. it takes my savage 10-15 shots to settle in. that's a lot of barrel foulers to burn through if you clean it after every outing.

 

[adelbridge]

I wouldnt leave anything in there overnight. A copper solvent will dissolve all metals some slower and some faster than others.

 

[Float Pilot]

COPPERZILLA

Just follow the instructions.

 

[chaser_2332]

clean a barrel?.............

 

[FiveInADime]

I just tried Wipe-Out for the first time today and I am a believer. I left it in for 2 hours and when I ran the first patch through a ton of purple liquid came out the end and the patch was all purple. I ran about 8 patches through until it came out clean. Then I looked at the bore near the muzzle where there's always visable copper and there was none! I was floored. It's that easy? I have been working hard to get all the copper out for years and I have always had to settle with some copper still in the barrel. Oh well, now I know.