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New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:40 pm
by etonwick
Hi Guys,
I'm completely new to rifle shooting so please excuse if this sounds naive. Does anyone have any advice about rifle cleaning .22 LR? I've used shotguns for years and the general practice I've always adopted is to clean thoroughly after every session, including scrubbing the barrel with a phosphor-bronze brush. Aim has always been to leave the bore completely bright and clean. Is the same true for a bolt action .22?
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:16 pm
by dodgyrog
To be honest if my .22's get cleaned once a year that's a lot. Accuracy doesn't drop off (for me at least)
You might want to clean a new rifle a few times to get the barrel up to spec
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:20 pm
by mag41uk
I cant remember when I last "cleaned" the barrels on my 22`s. The last thing I would put down them is a phosphor brush. You shouldnt be getting any fouling in a 22 barrel.
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:47 pm
by strangesam
I clean the chamber of my semi-auto .22s, (and bolt face, receiver etc) fairly regularly (~500 rounds), but the most the barrel gets is an oiled pull through once in a blue moon.
The bolt action .22s don't even get that really, unless the fouling gets very bad (1000s of rounds)
I do oil the outside of certain guns, as otherwise my fingerprints go rusty.
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:29 pm
by Alpha1
I can not remember the last time I cleaned any of my .22 rifles.
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:43 pm
by bradaz11
When the build-up is thick enough it was starting to squeeze the barrel down is about when I start to clean
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:07 pm
by walesdave
.22 Bore snake through the barrel; quick squirt of gun scrubber in the action = it's clean
If you really, really have to...maybe a tooth brush over the bolt face to get any crap from under the extractor.
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:14 am
by dromia
You know its time to clean a .22 when it stops working. However do not clean the barrel, especially back to bare metal. A light pull through perhaps to remove powder and primer residue if it is being stored in very damp conditions otherwise leave well alone.
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:20 am
by 1066
Ok - I'll admit it, I'm a .22lr barrel cleaner.. There, I've said and feel better for it.
I've been shooting for some time now and for around 50 years subscribed to the "once a year maybe" club, this includes a good few years prone match shooting - However, having been doing a bit of .22 benchrest shooting over the last couple of years I've proved to myself that cleaning .22 barrels is important for the very best accuracy - How often will obviously depend on your rifle, ammunition and the standard you are looking for.
I have an old Anschutz Match 54 I'm using for .22 BR, it shoots fairly well, but to win anything it needs to shoot well consistently, a simple 100/100 is not good enough, you need 100/100 with a high "X" count.
I have found that, after a good barrel clean it takes around 8-10 shots to start performing well - it continues to produce good accuracy for around the next 60-80 (Tenex) shots then starts to tail off a little - still accurate but not pinpoint. I really wish I had known this 40 years ago when shooting prone.
My Voere .22 semi-auto I've had for many years (40+) seems bullet proof - it's reliable and "accurate" and I can't recall ever cleaning the barrel.
I shot this card yesterday with the M54, first try with Center-X ammunition (courtesy of Ovenpaa) It took a dozen shots to settle down before I shot the card - How long it remains shooting well remains to be seen.
100/6X
Re: New to shooting - any guidance about cleaning .22 LR?
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:00 am
by TattooedGun
1066 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:20 am
Ok - I'll admit it, I'm a .22lr barrel cleaner.. There, I've said and feel better for it.
I've been shooting for some time now and for around 50 years subscribed to the "once a year maybe" club, this includes a good few years prone match shooting - However, having been doing a bit of .22 benchrest shooting over the last couple of years I've proved to myself that cleaning .22 barrels is important for the very best accuracy - How often will obviously depend on your rifle, ammunition and the standard you are looking for.
I have an old Anschutz Match 54 I'm using for .22 BR, it shoots fairly well, but to win anything it needs to shoot well consistently, a simple 100/100 is not good enough, you need 100/100 with a high "X" count.
I have found that, after a good barrel clean it takes around 8-10 shots to start performing well - it continues to produce good accuracy for around the next 60-80 (Tenex) shots then starts to tail off a little - still accurate but not pinpoint. I really wish I had known this 40 years ago when shooting prone.
My Voere .22 semi-auto I've had for many years (40+) seems bullet proof - it's reliable and "accurate" and I can't recall ever cleaning the barrel.
I shot this card yesterday with the M54, first try with Center-X ammunition (courtesy of Ovenpaa) It took a dozen shots to settle down before I shot the card - How long it remains shooting well remains to be seen.
100/6X
I'm with this guy!
A clean rifle is a consistent rifle. There's nothing more off-putting than trying to shoot accurately and have a click rather than a bang. why would you not clean your rifle to maintain its best performance every-time you shoot.
Same for semi auto. Full strip of the bolt and clean all the crap off and light oiling to make sure its running at its optimum every time its out.
I am a competitive shooter, I don't see how anyone who wants high scores wouldn't look after their kit, whatever the discipline.