Copper Fouling From Copper Bullets

[Ranger CS]

I have made a change and shoot Barnes TTSX out of all of my rifles. It is my belief that the newer generation grooved bullets foul less than the original Barnes bullets. I have concerns regarding copper fouling and am curious if one can accurately determine the amount of copper buildup without using a bore scope which I do not have. I realize one can run copper solvent through the barrel on patches until the colour disappears but this is a laborious process and sometimes I think I do it when it may not be really necessary. Most rifles shoot best when they have some fouling in the barrel, that's why many bench shoots do not shoot in a completion with their barrel squeaky clean and shoot a few fouling rounds before getting down to work. My question is knowing when to remove copper and when not to. I realize of course that one can simply keep shooting until you see a reduction in the rifles accuracy but by that time the barrel likely has a considerable copper build up that is time consuming to remove. I would appreciate any insight anyone may have to offer regarding this issue.

[elkhunter11]

Use a good powder solvent, then look down the bore from the muzzle. If there is significant copper fouling, you will see the copper streaks in the bore. KG12 removes copper fouling quicker, and easier than any other copper solvent that I have used. Some rifles will not shoot as accurately without fouling shots, and some will shoot very well with a freshly cleaned barrel.

[rottie]

To remove the copper spray in Wipe Out,let it sit for a few hours,or if real dirty let it sit over night. The copper it removes isa amazing
Clean all the wipe out after words with your regular cleaning solvents and you are good to go

[grizz325]

Wipe out all the way, works great

[Ranger CS]

I assume that leaving this substance in the barrel will not harm the bore?
A neutralizing substance is not necessary?
Thanks for advice guys.

[elkhunter11]

KG12 contains no ammonia, so it won't etch the bore, even if it was left in the bore for an extended period. However, it usually removes all of the copper in minutes, not hours like the other copper solvents that don't contain ammonia.

[Faststeel]

I have recently learned that at least 4 of my rifles shoot best from a clean bore, my 257 AI is a copper fouling SOB, after 10 rounds you'd think I fired 40.
My new Sako L61R is just getting broken in and did some very nice groups at 300 yards with a clean bore. Same with my Steyr pro hunter in 6.5x55. The things you find out when someone with a greater volume of knowledge and experience is your best bud. FS

[marxman]

i dont understand cleaning products. why does hoppes make hopes benchrest copper solvent that doesnt remove copper? how come a less smelly product like wipout works like a charm? for 20 years i used bore brush and smelly nearly useless products there should be 12 different brands of wipeout type stuff that all works fine is it patented or something? i dont know why demand hasnt pushed aside crappy products like #9 i have outers i think it is, equally useless. never tried any powerful ammonia stuff but now i dont think i need it. also the traditional ones arent very good at powder why the stink just salesmanship i guess. i look at the muzzle and you can easily see copper fouling in good light. im thinking if its gone from the muzzle it should be gone from the rest of the barrel

[SkytopBrewster]

So you need a way to measure how much copper fouling you have without cleaning the bore or shooting till accuracy suffers. What exactly are you asking, you seem to have the answers already.

[260 Rem]

I've been using Sweets 7.62 Solvent since the supply of Barnes Cr-10 dried up about a year ago. It is thick and doesn't smell too bad. I clean every 30 - 50 rnds but don't shoot many Barnes solids. One thing I have noticed with a current box of 30 cal Barnes TTSX is that their diameter is only .307 ...perhaps that is done to reduce pressure & fowling?

[Rdamours]

[Rdamours]

I like Wipeout for removing copper. When the patches stop turning blue the copper is gone and you're just down to the carbon etc. The copper removal was easy as if you think you're really copper fouled just let if sit overnight if need be. A good quality bore scope will show the buildup but I try to run the wipeout every second outing or so to keep the buildup down.

Seems like a lot of thumbs up for Wipeout from barrel makers and competitors

http://www.accurateshooter.com/techn...eaning-debate/

http://www.6mmbr.com/hawkeyeborescope.html