Switched to shooting cast...barrel prep needed??????

[Retumbo]

I have read/heard a lot of people saying that you have to remove EVERY trace of copper left in your rifle before you start shooting lead.

Anybody have any insight into this. I never really worried about it and never really noticed any issues since I started shooting cast.

Thanks

[454PB]

I've heard that too, but I've never seen it to be true. However, I do a thorough barrel cleaning before switching from jacketed to cast or vice versa. That doesn't mean removal of "every trace of copper".

[Pb2au]

It has been my impression that this recommendation has been offered many times in an effort to do a few of things.
1) A badly copper fouled barrel can propagate leading in some cases. (not all mind you). So it is a simple thing to remove the fouling and start with a clean slate as it were.
2) A high amount of copper fouling can degrade accuracy in general, so again, why not start out with a clean slate.

Of course all things being equal, each gun will tell its own story. In your case, you have been getting on well without worrying about and that is well and good.
Different results for different situations!
I think maybe the best way to support that recommendation is this:
Simply remove a variable to make your results easier to interpret!

[Shooter6br]

Good advice. I have used "Sweets" for copper removal . Depends how fouled your barrels are.

[newrib]

I agree with the post from Pb2au. I get the barrels of my cast bullet shooters as clean as possible before shooting cast (all my rifles are mil-surp)

[geargnasher]

I get every speck of that copper junk out before I even think of shooting cast bullets. Had some issues with lead sticking to copper in a few pistols, and once that happens it's a bear to get both lead and copper out. I never chanced it in rifles. For barreles heavily-fouled with copper (and most used rifles come that way due to the owners never bothering to use copper solvent if they even did clean the bores) nothing beats an Outers Foul-Out system. Use it a couple of times and you'll be glad you bought one, the time saved is more than worth it.

Gear

[ballistim]

I've had some cheap milsurp barrels that were filthy and required a lot of cleaning just to get to the point where I'd get blue on the patch & nothing else. Plugged end of barrel at that point & would carefully pour 30% ammonia in from chamber until full & stand on end of barrel for a few hours. Amazing how much copper fouling there is some times! I'm not sure I'd recommend this for an expensive firearm but has worked well for me in a couple of really dark bore surplus guns.

[sghart3578]

I shoot mil-surps and commercial guns both and I have never subscribed to the "remove every last bit of copper" school. In fact, I routinely switch back and forth from lead to copper several times per range session in all of my guns. I just came back from the local indoor range where I shot cast loads and jacketed loads back and forth in my Marlins, an 1894CS and a 336 Texan. I have never had a problem with leading and my accuracy is great.

Let the flaming begin.

[LenH]

I know a couple of Bullseye guys that shoot a jacketed HP during slow fire (50 yards) and then switch to a LSWC for timed and rapid fire (25 yds). And we had to wait
on these guys to do a quick cleaning before switching from jacketed to lead, these guys shoot in the mid to high 800's per center fire and .45 matches. One guy told me not to shoot
lead right after copper unless you run a quick clean in the bore. I never could afford shooting both during a match so I just stayed with cast.

[JWFilips]

A couple of cleanings with Sweet's When the patch shows no color.....Dry & use some Hoppes & You are good to go

[ballistim]

I shoot mil-surps and commercial guns both and I have never subscribed to the "remove every last bit of copper" school. In fact, I routinely switch back and forth from lead to copper several times per range session in all of my guns. I just came back from the local indoor range where I shot cast loads and jacketed loads back and forth in my Marlins, an 1894CS and a 336 Texan. I have never had a problem with leading and my accuracy is great.

Let the flaming begin.

Some claim that copper fouling can sometimes cover up the rough spots in the bore before shooting cast, so opinions are all over the place regarding this. I shoot cast only now so I can't comment one way or the other now but before subscribed to the "get as much copper out first" just so I eliminated a variable. Consistency is my friend!

[varmint243]

In my earlier days of shooting I switched between cast and jacketed without a thought
Now I clean when switching between one and the other
As far as I can tell I see no evidence that it is required
It just seems like a good idea

[pworley1]

Give your rifle a good cleaning then shoot and enjoy.

[GP100man]

I clean mine , then run a patch or mop with flitz/JB bore paste until I can`t feel any ruffness. After that it`s Ed`s Red.

Have`nt shot a condomed bullet in 15 yrs or so.

Bores stay smooth & shiney unless I get a wild hair & try summtin stupid, which my wife tells me I`m good at , I tell her it`s from frustration & aggrevation LOL!

GP

[labradigger1]

I regularly shoot cast and sometimes j words. I never clean between shooting either one. I do however clean very regular. Since switching to pc boolits I think it matters even less. I can shoot 200 rounds easy in 30 cal rifles and the barrel looks as new inside.
Lab

[bobthenailer]

I don't know for sure! my solution is to almost never shoot jacketed bullets.

[Harter66]

I had 2 rifles that leaded very badly both had a lot of old copper in them I've just taken no chances since them if it's had over 10 jacketed through it I clean,clean ,clean Burchwoods,Hoppes and Barns have been good to me so far . I had a 9mm do the same thing I never did get about 3 places copper free and it would build on those places.

[prs]

Lead is not so prone to solder itself to the copper, but tin is. On the other hand, antimony seems to help tin not so solder. Look at the bright side, if you get a leaded barrel, the copper will probably come out with the scrubbing you do for the lead.

prs