Bore solvent

[Death from Afar]

Team, what thoughts do we have on:
1/ How often we should use bore solvent to de-copper foul a rifle?
2/ What product do you fellas recommend?

My own 2cents:

1/ Once every hundred rounds or so.

2/ Hoppes- because it is the most commonly avalible.
__________________
Currently...

Ruger Mini 30.
Browning BLR .308.
K98 Mauser 7.92mm
Remington LTR .223 Ackley Improved
L1A1 SLR
Ruger 10/22 Magnum
Ruger 10/22 Stainless .22LR
Remington 870
And more .303's than I care to admit to owning!

[Ruger4570]

I use copper solvent everytime I clean a gun, never more than 15 to 20 shots, I use Sweets 7.62 or Wipe out.

[topspin43]

I use only copper plated ammo. Therefore...

I use copper solvent everytime I clean a gun.

I clean a gun every time I use it. 1 round or 400.

I use Hoppes #9.

I finish with a coat of Breakfree CLP loaded on a patch riding on the rear loop of my bore-snake.

[Tom2]

I understand Hoppes is a solvent for removing powder residue("nitro powder solvent") and I never thought of it as something to remove jacket fouling. Perhaps one of the products recommended specifically for jacket fouling should be used, if you suspect the need. Otherwise Hoppes will work as well as anything for normal cleaning. Beware any solvent with ammonia, if not used carefully, it might damage the bore, if left in for a long time. Follow instructions carefully on fouling removers.

[30Cal]

I clean with Hoppes after every outing (55-130rds typically). It'll remove copper; you just have to leave it in for 5-10minutes (as long as you haven't been dunking your bore brushes into the bottle of solvent--it won't work well in the bore if it's been working hard at dissolving brushes).

Sometimes I use sweets.
Ty

[Waffen]

I'm sorry guys but hoppes is not a copper solvent. If you really want to get copper out use Wipeout, Butches Bore Shine, Sweets 7.62, Barnes CR-10 or something like that.

Go ahead and use Hoppes, let it soak for a week for all I care, then patch it out. After this apply Wipeout for 45 minutes and patch it out. Patch will be blue every time.

Infact I just got done reading the bottle and nowhere on it does it mention copper. Purely a powder cleaner.

My routine is as follows:

Hoppes - Removes powder fouling
Wipeout - as may times as needed until patches come out looking un-used.
Hoppes - Removes the wipeout
Remoil - Removes hoppes
Drypatch

Make sure to use a good quality Dewey or Tipton rod with a jag. It makes me cry when I see people use 3 peice brass rods on good rifles.

[bikenjam]

I really like Butch's Bore Shine. It really gets the copper out from my barrels. Before i used Butch's, i used Shooters choice. About every 100 rounds i would use Sweets 7.62, regardless of how many normal cleanings i did in that period. This is with my .223, not a big bore, and i don't use moly.

Im also amazed at what Kroil will get out of my barrel.

[Foxman]

"I'm sorry guys but hoppes is not a copper solvent. If you really want to get copper out use Wipeout, Butches Bore Shine, Sweets 7.62, Barnes CR-10 or something like that. "
Not strictly true Hoppes does remove light copper fouling but the best is Hoppes Benchrest #9, it is written guaranteed not to damage the bore,is not based on ammonia like the others quoted and can be left in as long as you like.
I have use Hoppes Br#9 for over 18 yrs and it has done very well. I brush it in these days ( passing one way only breech -muzzle) with a nylon brush, before that I used a cloth patch to soak the bore. I soak the Bore and leave it overnight, I push a bronze brush twice through next day using a bore guide and a fresh wet patch first. Then dry patch it until it comes out clean. a Kroil patch to finish off and put it away. My bores are clean and several dry patches before use and all my rifles shoot the first shot dead to point of zero, if the didn't they would be gone. The only rifle I had that wasnt new and needed a fouling shot was an old springfield 45-70 that is now retired and hopefully be replaced with a Ruger #1 in same caliber , when my buddy will let me have it ( keeps backing off from selling it me)

[stevelyn]

For normal cleaning I use MPro-7. For copper removal I've had okay results with Shooters Choice although it's not formulated as a copper remover, and Tetra copper solvent which I'm using now. I'll probably switch over to Sweet's when the Tetra runs out.

[Ruger4570]

I still use Hoppes, but as an after shave, I love the smell and it always brings back some fond hunting memories. The only problem using it as an after shave lotion is that women kida look at you funny, who cares, I like it :D :D

[Death from Afar]

Good thread.

I was always of the view that the Hoppes was good for moderate bore fouling, and sweets was what you wanted for a really fouled one- because your patches always come out bluse with hoppes.

Ruger- you do know hoppes is carcenagetic, dont you? :eek:

[30Cal]

I leave the Hoppes in for 6-36 hours at a time (which I dare not do with Sweets). It takes me about 4-5 patches to get rid of all the copper--if I wipe the barrel with Sweets at this point, the patch comes out white.

Ty

[Foxman]

Yep +1 30 cal, thats my method and finding too.:D

[3dogs]

Afar
Lots of good info here, you might want to look at Pac Nor or Lilja's sites
and see whate the barrel makers have to say, don't forget that bore guide!

[Waffen]

Well, I have decided to put the Hoppes theory to the test. I just got back from the range with my .300 Ultra Mag. I purchased the rifle last week and a total of 95 rounds have been fired from it. Today the rifle fired 45 rounds all using RL-25 powder, shooting Barnes TSX's and Nosler Accubond's(if that matters)

I just got done running about 50 Hoppes #9 patches down the barrel with a Dewey rod/Jag combo. I patched until the patches came about about 95-98% white. The "dry patches" in between the hoppes patches were starting to just come out yellow. It certianly took away almost all of the powder fouling, I feel certian about that.

I have just applied Wipeout foaming bore cleaner to the barrel and will let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour. I will patch out the wipeout and post the results.

I have pictures taken but I don't have the USB cable for my camera so I will post them here in about a week when I can get to another camera to swap CF cards.

[Tom2]

I would be curious to find out which gun he is needing to clean fouling out of. Small bore hi vel? Med bore med. vel? or big bore moderate vel? or rimfire? Would think that fouling would be a different matter in any of these, and require different schedules of cleaning. Seems no one worries about jacket fouling that much in sporting handguns or rimfires, and are concerned about loss of accuracy in hi speed varmint rifles after one session. I have one of those electronic foul out gadjets, that is still in the blister pack unused. After I read the precautions, they make it sound like it is a hairs breadth between removing all traces of fouling and eating out the bore! Maybe I will sell it and use the money to get a new rod and jag set.

[Ruger4570]

Death from Afar: Now you tell me, no wonder my face looks so bad and I only have to shave parts of my face LOL.
I do like Hoppes, and it works pretty well for general cleaning and light copper, but I do depend on Sweets 7.62 and/or Wipe out for my bore cleaning. I have left Sweets in the bore overnight and have never seen a problem except a really clean bore. I know the Amonia is supposed to be bad for the bore, absorbs moisture etc. but I really haven't seen any problems doing this so I guess til I do, I shall continue and have a clean bore. At any rate, it sounds like we all have our prefferences and aren't about to adopt anyone elses methods.

[Waffen]

Well, I just patched out with Wipeout and it was a nice "Navy Blue" color, although the extra hoppes patching certianly helped with the powder fouling.

[3dogs]

Does anyone break in new barrels?

[Death from Afar]

Hmm, I might try out Sweets on "Vera" -my LTR. ( named after the rifle Vera in the series "Firefly"- if you like Sci Fi you will know what I mean) :)

[malachi]

I break-in barrels by cleaning after every 3 rds. for the first 30 and every 5 rds. for the next 50.
I use Shooters Choice or whatever solvent is handy and finish up with JB Compound.

[raktrak]

I always use a soaking of 1/2 Kroil and 1/2 #9, leave it 1-4 hours and brush 50 strokes with a nylon brush and repeat until I get white patches.To check I use sweets and a quick patch job followed by My 1/2 and 1/2 mixture.
If something acts stuborn I use a product called Extreme Clean, By the directions on the can.:)

[Zak Smith]

Kg-12