Cleaning and Blow Off Shots - Confused

[PeterAnderson]

Hi all,

I am confused - please advise.

I am shooting F/TR in .308". I have taken very good advice on cleaning chemicals which are doing their job. For three days now I have taken the rifle from the safe and run patches wet & dry down the barrel, good results so far; but as each day goes by and leave yet another wet patch to do it's work I have still to get a spotless patch out yet. OK No promlem just keep trying.

So the question is
If have gone to all this length to get a spotless mirror finish then why do the competition guys use 'blow-off' shots to foul the barrel 1st

This should be interesting

Happy Shooting

[ovenpaa]

Blow of shots. Your first shot from a freshly scrubbed barrel will seldom go exactly where you want and the rifle may need a few fouler shots to settle down. My AI is well shot out now and will climb nearly 1MOA at 1000 yards over the first 3-4 shots.

[Gun Pimp]

Peter,

If you are having a problem getting your barrel clean - are you using a good bore cleaner, like Butche's Bore Shine?

Are you using a bronze brush? Are you using a good copper-solvent like Sweets or Proshot Copper Solvent?

Re blow-off shots - or 'sneaky sighters' as some call them - Ovenpaa has provided the answer, though some would say that you should know your 'cold bore' zero.

Vince

[ovenpaa]

Sweets is very good and I also like Forrest bore foam, and always use it on new to me Pre45 actioned stuff. I tend to use a few different solvents and a PB brush as a change always seems to remove just a little bit more....

[rox]

So the question is
If have gone to all this length to get a spotless mirror finish then why do the competition guys use 'blow-off' shots to foul the barrel 1st

Some Chrono data tells you all you need to know:

chrono.gif (9.23 KiB) Viewed 2001 times

[PeterAnderson]

Hi Guys

Many thanks for your replies.

I am using the cleaning regime given to me by Mik Maksimovic of Dolphin Guns; Mik is one of the top F class shooters and built my rifle. So I am using Wipe-Out for the first clean which was left overnight (I now use Sweets as I ran out out of WO but do not leave this in the barrel), then WO Accelerator, and WO Patch Out. I was told not to use a brush of any kind. Mik did have a look down the barrel with his bore-scope and only found a little bit of carbon.

So I get some nice clean patches out - then - after a day or so try again and it still gives me a grubby patch.

But why go to all this trouble then fire some 'blow-off' shots to foul it up. Why don't I just leave it fouled in the first place.

Weird - :roll:

[Dangermouse]

Peter,

Cleaning is a personal regime which if you ask a 100 different people you will get 100 different answers.
It is not just full bore shooters either, air rifle, small bore and shotgun will all have people who do and those who don't.

Here is an in depth look at the basics
http://www.accurateshooter.com/technica ... ng-debate/

Accurate shooter also ran a story on how to ruin a barrel in 100 shots, unfortunately I can not find it but not cleaning was the main factor!

DM

[PeterAnderson]

Dangermouse many thanks for that.

Too some reading. I am not surprised that the BR guys V's long range shooters differ in their techniques. I think having read that I will reduce my cleaning regime to about 50-shots noting group size along the way.

Happy shooting

[Robin128]

Have a gander at this!

http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... luid#p2424

[Gun Pimp]

. I was told not to use a brush of any kind.
:roll:

Peter,

The use of a bronze brush is essential to remove powder fouling. It will not harm your barrel. Most benchrest shooters will clean after every 12 - 15 shots - this means bronze-brushing half a dozen times in every comp. You will not get out all the fouling (as Mik confirmed with his borescope) unless you brush.

Use a Proshot brush - not one of those awful Parker Hale things with the steel core - they only cost a pound or so, so change it frequently. (Use the old brush for cleaning the inside of case-necks).

Wipe Out and Forrest Bore Foam are OK - if you have a couple of days to clean your rifle - I prefer to do mine in five-minutes before I leave the range.

Some rifles will shoot to point of aim straight out of the cabinet on a clean dry barrel - others, as Ovenpaa and that excellent graph above indicate - will print the first shot or two low - hence blow-off shots. The trick is to know how your rifle behaves. We don't always have the luxury of blow-offs!

Vince