Small bore competiton rifle cleaning

[Poper]

How often should a competition small bore (.22 rf) rifle be cleaned?
I know my Remington 572 doesn't like to be cleaned and shoots better dirty than clean. However, my competition small bore rifle is a Browning Buckmark rifle and it requires removal of the scope to be field stripped and properly cleaned. What a pain.

Poper

 

[twofifty]

You've already noticed that your rifle shoots better fouled than clean, which is the case for many rifles. Fouling is a gradual build-up of three things: bullet lube, powder residue and lead.

Cleaning frequency will vary rifle to rifle.

For instance bullet lube fouling is noticeable when fresh rounds are harder to chamber, or extraction/feeding becomes haphazard. Keep track of how many rounds of a given brand it takes to reach that state, then make it your routine to clean that area before the problem shows up again.

Powder and lead fouling will be noticed when bench checking your various C-P-T-R zeroes (done before a practice or match).

This fouling builds up gradually, but bench accuracy falls off much more quickly. Clean the bore thoroughly then keep track of rounds as above. Plan on cleaning the bore before the problem shows up again.

If you are to shoot a match, look at your records and decide if accuracy is likely to fall off during the match. If you decide to clean, make sure that you have enough time before the match to fire whatever number of rounds it takes to restore the basic fouling level that your rifle likes. Your notes should tell you how many rounds that takes.

 

[Jon_Snow]

If you are to shoot a match, look at your records and decide if accuracy is likely to fall off during the match. If you decide to clean, make sure that you have enough time before the match to fire whatever number of rounds it takes to restore the basic fouling level that your rifle likes. Your notes should tell you how many rounds that takes.

This. I clean my smallbore gun once a year, about a month before the state championships (FYI I shoot ~1000-1500 rounds through the gun in that time). That puts one local match between the cleaning and state so I know it'll be settled in.

 

[Nwflycaster]

My Anschutz only sees 800 - 1000 rounds a year anymore, it gets cleaned every year before the season starts whether it needs it or not. It likes to be dirty.

 

[BCRider]

Based on what I'd read about all this I was a fan of "leave it alone" as well. Then I read a rather long writeup on fouling and cleaning and the fact that bench rest rimfire shooters clean after every target string and shoot a dozen or so "foulers" before moving on to the next scored string.

Each provides a way to reach a steady state condition so each has merits I guess.

 

[tuj]

smallbore benchrest rifles get a cleaning with liquid wipeout and a patchworm every 200 rounds. smallbore pistols the same but every 600 rounds or so.

you can use a patchworm to clean your buckmark without taking off the scope.

every 1000-2000 rounds, probably time to tear it down and do a more detailed cleaning.

 

[Trent]

There's a reason fouling shots are specifically allowed in the Smallbore rules.

 

[Sam1911]

When I was competing we cleaned our Anchutzes once a year whether they needed it or not.