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Thread: What is the best cleaner for cleaning barrels, I shoot only cast bullets, thanks

  1. #21
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    There's nothing wrong with the cleaners that contain ammonia but the ammonia is of no value unless you're trying to remove copper fouling. When you are dealing with copper fouling, Hoppes #9, works beautifully.

    I've seen guns that made it through a lifetime with noting more than kerosene (as a solvent) and 3 in 1 oil (as a lubricant). There's a huge tendency to over-think cleaning and lubrication of guns. It really isn't rocket science.

    During times of my life when money was tight, ATF served as my universal gun oil. It works just fine.

    For cleaning after shooting cast bullets, Kroil is my choice, but frankly; lots of products will get the job done. When dealing with lead fouling, it's more of a mechanical operation than a chemical one. Just about any light oil will help.

    Like most gun enthusiasts, I have a shelf full of oils, greases, cleaners and other gun care products. However, for about 90% of my needs I can get by with 4 products: Kroil, Hoppes#9, Clenzoil and RIG. Lubriplate and Ballistol will round out the supplies needed for just about everything else.



    Kroil - My first line cleaner when cleaning guns used with cast lead projectiles. I'm sure Ed's Red would be an excellent substitute.

    Hoppes #9 - If you're dealing with copper fouling you need some type of solvent than contains ammonia. Hoppes #9 is as good as any. I've used all of the others (Sweets 7.62, Shooters Choice, etc. ) and I see no need to leave Hoppes #9.

    Clenzoil - this is a bit of a regional thing but if I was restricted to only one cleaning/lubricating/preservative [CLP] product -Clenzoil would be my choice. It is an outstanding product.

    RIG - For long term storage of ferrous metals RIG has never failed me.

    Lubriplate - a basic white Lithium grease for sliding surfaces under load (sears mostly)
    Ballistol - doesn't harm wood or leather. Useful when dealing with black powder cleaning chores.
    Last edited by Petrol & Powder; 12-25-2019 at 11:06 AM.

  2. #22
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    Ballistol is all i use
    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy nelsonted1's Avatar
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    Do all of you clean lead out of your barrels every time you shoot? Unless the responders are the ones doing it. I tend to not touch the inside of my barrels unless I have to. I always wonder if I'm abusing my rifles but wonder about why if nothing is wrong as in getting them wet out hunting.

  4. #24
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    JB Bore Cleaner and Eezox ... used in combination

    JB ... https://www.amazon.com/Non-Embedding.../dp/B07NSYS1LH
    Eezox ... https://www.amazon.com/Eezox-Premium.../dp/B07FCRVTDL
    I buy Eezox by the quart - been through 9 quarts and working on the 10th
    Regards
    John

  5. #25
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    theres the right answer. Bottom line to much of it if you ask me. So if the bore has a slight graying I don't even worry about cleaning it and if its worse then that I fix whats causing it. Ive got guns that have shot thousands of rounds of lead and have never seen a brush. About my only cleaning routine with lead is at the end of the day I shoot one or two jacketed bullets down the bore but even that is usually just a waste of jacketed bullets but old habbits are hard to break. If I scrubbed all my barrels whistle clean after every shooting id be spending more time cleaning then shooting.
    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne Smith View Post
    Elbow grease! What you put on the patch is variable depending on what you need to clean off your bore.

  6. #26
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    I like Hoppe's, but an easier way, that I have found to actually work, is to spray Rem Oil into the bore, let it set for awhile and then run HOT water through the bore. Finish up with a couple of passes with a bore snake. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical when I first heard of this method, but it does work.

  7. #27
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    Ed's Red. It takes out the powder fouling fine. If you are getting lead in the bore, you are doing something wrong.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  8. #28
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    Ed's Red will do everything you need to do for cast. If you size right and use gas checks when needed, all you will need to do is wipe the outside and clean the soot out of your barrel every now and then.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  9. #29
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    00-9/Butch's bore shine/outers nitro solvent .the trick is to wet the bore go have a coffee/tea then quick brush through then dry patches till they come out clean .give time for the cleaners to work.

  10. #30
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    It starts at your shoulder and ends with them things that we also type with. I have always had the best luck using what God gave us. I have had no luck training either X-wife or the dogs.

  11. #31
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    My cleaning depends on what Ive been shooting and also how much. One thing not mentioned is the number of rounds fired between cleanings, 5-10 rds is as big a chore as 100 rds. I normally use a 50 50 mix of shooters choice benchrest and kroil for most cleaning. After jacketed bullets and smokeless powders. Balistol mixed 20-1 with water for black powder lead or PP rounds. THese I clean every 10-15 rds to moniter fouling control as I go. Windex at the range for cleaning between strings with BP.

    JB bore cleaner also has a place on my bench for badly fouled bores.

    AS mentioned above the chemicals type cleaners need some time to soak and work. The mechanical cleaners Rem clean, JB bore cleaner soaking does little they need the scrubbing to work. I also use a appropriate vise for holding supporting the firearm while cleaning, this makes keeping the rod centered and pushing thru much easier. As does a rod guide to keep rod centered

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by richhodg66 View Post
    Just about all I use anymore. I hardly ever shoot anything but cast, and the Ed's Red works fine for me. Cheap too.
    What he said!
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  13. #33
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    For cleaning a new old rifle I use a good fitting brass brush and Kroil,give it a few strokes and let it soak a while. After a a couple of cleaning sessions with the brush, I dry the bore with patches till they look acceptably clean.

    To preserve the bore I use Bens Liquid Lube, or thinned liquid Alox on a bore mop or patch. Also use BLL as a rust preventer on the outside of the firearm, but if you use to much it can get a bit tacky, but will protect it well.

  14. #34
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    Properly sized bullets, Ed's Red and Shooters Choice Lead Remover
    "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."--Plato

  15. #35
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    If you are getting a lot of lead build up...it's the cause you should addressed first. Either you have a rough bore (try a scrub with JB bore paste)....or you have inadequate lube, or undersized boolits.

    OK...now that's out of the way.....I use Shooter's Choice Lead remover (I haven't needed to use it since I switched to Powder Coating)...and I also use Ed's Red for normal rifle cleaning....and a 50/50 mix of ATF/Kerosene as a protective gun oil.

    redhawk

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  16. #36
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    Eds red , without a doubt has what is needed and does a fine job , I also switched from lube to powder coat and it does make cleaning a quicker job .

  17. #37
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    I don't have leading issues in my rifles or 1911 and find any solvent that removes powder fouling does a good job. However my loads are all light target loads and the rifle bullets are all gas checked.

  18. #38
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    Ed’s Red,push a patch soaked in it through the barrel,then another patch back and foward,leave till next shooting session,push a dry patch through and shoot.

  19. #39
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    I've tried all kinds of products from Shooter Choice to Kroil to the fancy Wipe out cleaners.

    Hoppe's #9 and water is all a guy needs to clean any gun. There are a few cat pee smelling ammonia cleaners that get copper out better, but you better keep a close eye while using them. I've purposefully pushed too soft bullets too hard to find where the limits are. I've had barrels where the grooves where completely filled. Hoppe's #9, and a bore brush wrapped in chore boy is all it takes. Leading is so easy to clean I don't know why people get so scared of it. For your normal loads that leave next to no lead, you don't even need the chore boy. A dry patch usually gets it all out. A dry patch works better than one soaked in cleaner. Use cotton patches, not the paper thin junk. Old T shirts, especially thick work shirts are the best of the best.

  20. #40
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    When hot I apply a wet patch and soak the bore with Ed’s red .
    Pack up my stuff then put another wet patch through working back and forth along the barrell.
    When I get home.
    1/2 hr or more soaking a patch or two and it comes out clean.
    It seems to take the same amount of trouble if I shoot a few or a hundred.
    If my bore goes sour I will run a brush with some bronze wool on it to scour out any offending material.

    I run a patch through the next day to make sure everything is clean.

    I once was getting some paper patch fouling that the overnight soak showed up.
    I have changed papers but it could have been acidic maybe or embedding the bore.

    I don’t get that now.

    I can’t even a 22lr sit without a patch through it.
    The humidity here and powder residue most likely turns to some form of nitric acid or some such.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check