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Custom barrels really help |
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Posted: November/12/2012 at 22:47 |
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I was out at the range running a load that I've run through two other rifles before, one of which (a Rem. 5R .308 Win) also had a 24" barrel. I always got a consistent 2725 fps with it in that rifle. With the Rock Creek 24" stainless on my new rifle, that same load is running 2795.Although today I only ran 16 rounds through it, the barrel also looks very clean. There's no sign of copper when I shine a bright light down the tube. None of my other barrels have ever not shown some. This barrel definitely cleans up faster. Not that I do that very often. I did a careful break-in...as in not over-doing it. I cleaned every round for the first 10, then shot and cleaned after 3, another 3 and four. These days, my cleaning routine consists of running a round 2" patch soaked in Sweet's 7.62 up and down the barrel 5X, followed by a dry patch on a bore spud, another 5X with the Sweets and a dry patch. If that's not enough, I'll repeat one more time. I then run a patch soaked in CLP through on an undersized spud and leave it that way until the next time I shoot.
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Reaction time is a factor...
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Yep, no doubt about it.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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Have you tried Barnes cleaner? Less messy than Sweets.
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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Easy cleaning is one of the best parts of a custom barrel IMO.
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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Bigdaddy0381
MODERATOR Georgia peach Joined: February/27/2007 Location: Georgia Status: Offline Points: 13680 |
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cleaning is over rated.
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P&Z Firearms , Pro gun cleanings and gun repair and wood refinishing.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 |
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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I have a custom barrel on my 7-08. It doesn't seem to foul at all.
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-Matt
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Sgt. D
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: February/20/2008 Location: North Carolina Status: Offline Points: 4525 |
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+2
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Take care of Soldiers, Show em how its done and do it with em, Run to the Fight & and hold your ground! I die my men go home! If you're a NCO and this ain't you. GET OUT! GOD BLESS AMERICA!
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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I have seen some barrels that were so rough inside that 5 shot groups went from sub 1 inch to over 3 inches in less than 20 rounds and that was slow fire keeping the barrel moderately warm. Lots of blue glop drained out of these barrels using foaming bore cleaner
On the other hand premium custom barrels deliver consistent accuracy for many rounds, some up to 100 or more. I am not a serious barrel cleaner and probably spend about 5 minutes a week per barrel. Carbon build up just infront of the chamber seems to be a greater factor rather than copper fouling. Having a rifle with a 1st rate barrel is a real pleasure and rifles that are favorites eventually get nice custom barrels having precise chambers & headspace. Also a good time to get a different caliber. |
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Of the two hand lapped tubes I have had, 100 would be the extreme low end. 500 to 1000 would be more like it. |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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Bigdaddy0381
MODERATOR Georgia peach Joined: February/27/2007 Location: Georgia Status: Offline Points: 13680 |
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I'm not going to stir the pot about me hand lapping every barrel I have custom or not before they are even shot, but yes I have rifles I have never cleaned and have 1200+ rounds plus and they are shooting as good as the day I bought them and still don't need cleaning. |
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P&Z Firearms , Pro gun cleanings and gun repair and wood refinishing.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 |
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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sure glad I qualified my statement with the word "more"
on a related issue I think barrel break in procedures are useless I clean my barrels about 100 rounds or so whether they need it or not because they look nice when I look through them. I attempt to see light interference rings but the rifling might make these difficult to see. Carbon & other crud is annoying and can not be helpful. A bullet shot through a fouled barrel will likey hit where it is aimed where one fired from a cleaned barrel will not.
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stickbow46
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: January/07/2009 Location: Benton, Pa Status: Offline Points: 4678 |
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I have a custom made barrel on my T/C 460 by MTM,I was told to season the barrel even though the tube came lapped [40 rounds recommended].I also have a Remmy 243 tube made by Hart & Bob told me to just go shoot & clean every 25rds.
Seems to me it's like asking the question, should I lap my rings?Everbody has their own way of what works & what doesn't. Me,I will season the barrel at the same time I'm zeroing my scope.This saves money & lets me have my chicken soup [can't hurt]. After that I clean my rifle every time I go to the range then finish by shooting 1 round so as not to have one of those nasty,shinny tubes.Must work as I haven't had a problem in 45yrs of on & off shooting!
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Pearls of Wisdom are Heard not Spoken
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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The one reason I will do a minimal break-in on a custom barrel is the reamer marks from cutting the chamber. There's likely to be an unavoidable and almost microscopic edge on where the chamber meets the lands. All I do is shoot 1 and clean for the first ten rounds. And my cleaning is just running a bore spud with a 2" round cotton patch on it soaked in Sweets a few strokes back and forth (never coming more than 1/8" out of the muzzle. Then a clean patch.
Every shot was used to help sight in the rifle or confirm muzzle velocities and accuracy. In between shots, since I like to make sure the barrel is dried out, I'd shoot 20 rds of .22 LR. I often bring the .22 for something to do, especially if trying to dope cold bore shots at 300. My range has 200 and 300 together so I'll humble myself with .22 practice @ 200. I repeated the process for the next ten shots, except switching to 3, 3, 3, and 4 between cleaning. Then I called it done. I wouldn't expect to clean again until accuracy dropped off...maybe 200 rounds or so. If the barrel has been out in the field all day, as in hunting in trees and snow, I'll run a patch with CLP on it using an undersized bore spud.
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Reaction time is a factor...
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