barrels that copper badly

[varmintshooter]

I know that good barrels aren't cheap and cheap barrels aren't good ( for the most part ). So knowing this I bought a cheaper barrel, go figure, and it coppers up pretty bad so now what I want to know is will it always be bad or will it get better as it gets broken in. I use this barrel for varmints and living on the east coast I don't get to shoot long strings so I can clean before it gets to bad. If it matters it is a 24" sporter in 20vt. it has shot some ok groups .5" - 1" @ 100 yds. but it won't shoot like my coopers. Looking for any suggestions other getting rid of it.

[varmintshooter]

Maybe 60-70 rounds

[Chickenthief]

I have used this method a few times and it works a treat!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/arch.../t-104205.html

onondaga
01-19-2011, 03:38 PM
I have a method that works for me with rifles and avoids the chore at the range of cleaning every shot and then every few shots. I used to to that for the first 100 rounds. NO MORE! Here is what I do at home before even firing a new rifle since Hoppe's put the Bore Snake on the market:

I drop the Bore Snake cord down the bore till the rope part is at the chamber, then I fill the chamber with Chrome polish. I just used Turtle Wax chrome polish and rust remover, but have used buffing compound paste wax also or SemiChrome or Flitz. Next I pull the bore snake through slowly drawing the polish with it. Then I continue to make 10 pull throughs without adding more polish till the 11th pull through. Start again and drop the cord in till the rope and fill the chamber again with polish and take 10 more pull throughs. I continue till I have done this procedure 6 times with 60 pull throughs.

Finish up buy not adding anymore polish and do 30 pull throughs. This polishes the bore and breaks it in better than shooting and cleaning for me. When I go to the range after this, I just shoot like any one of my old guns and the point of impact doesn't change about as with the clean and shoot method of break-in.

This really works and if your bore was a little rough like so many new guns, you will have improved your bore finish for better consistency of accuracy. This method can be used on old barrels too and will help accuracy if your bore was rough. New NEFs and Remingtons really need this to start out well. Savages are pretty good but this will break them in well.

Gary

[MIBULLETS]

I have used the shoot one and clean method a few times and I think it does help to some degree. The method described above with the bore snake sounds interesting since you don't waste reloading components and don't have to remove any fouling. I also still have one of the NECO fire-Lapping kits to apply progressively smaller grit polishing compounds to bullets that can then be loaded and fired to lap the bore. I does a reasonable job but it isn't a miricle either. You can get the bullet kits ready to fire now through David Tubb. I have used JB and Remington Bore cleaner a fair amount and it does smooth the bore over time nicely, once a bore is broke-in I still clean them with these cleaners probably once a year just to make sure they are really clean and carbon is kept in-check.

Some barrels just foul more than others and still shoot as stated, but in general the smoother the better. I would try some break-in or polishing if I were you.

[georgeld]

Some years ago I had one that sucked up copper real bad. Talking with friend Jack, He sent me a small bottle of Corbin's fine grit polish for barrels. I don't recall the name of it and the lable is gone now.

I buffed the heck out of the bore with that stuff and it cured the problem. I've also heard a fine valve grinding compound will polish them much quicker than most other fixes. Once that's done to your satisfaction, then use a polish like JB, or Corbins, there's half dozen more more products out there for fixing this problem. I always just used a brush or patch's. Never use a bore snake to do it. Bet that would make the job much quicker.

I have a K-38 that leaded with cast some at first. I was shooting a 3# coffee can full three nights a week for several years. Has to be over 10,000 of 'em fired thru it. My metal is just recycled bullet scrap from the berms, or indoor range. It's hard enough I can barely mark a bullet with my thumb nail. The bore on this pistol is now so polished after a long shooting session even the first patch comes out clean. Don't even dirty it. I just wipe the outside off and call it good.

You might give one of these polish's a good work out then shoot the hell out of it and see if that don't cure your fouling problems. I dislike the shoot n clean method immensely.
Good luck,

[brians356]

I've had great results minimizing copper fouling with CFE 223 powder, and it also produces the top velocity in several cartridges (according to Hodgdon's data) and it's been easy to find accuracy in my 223 Rem.

I have a late '70s Rem 700 VS in 6mm Rem, bought from a pawn shop, which fouled badly. I ran a set of Tubb's Final Finish fire lapping bullets through it, and it improved the accuracy while reducing copper fouling. Unfortunately, Hodgdon does not publish CFE 223 data for 6mm Rem, and when I asked them why, was told it was too unstable in that cartridge, even though it works well in 243 Win. The tech wouldn't even offer a starting load for me.

[foxhunter]

flitz works great!