We finally got to go to the range Saturday. Was helping clean rifles and husband noticed orangish brown streaks on the rifle grooves of his 7 mm mag. Blue steel. Cleaned with Hoppes#9. Used foam spray in cleaner. And just got majority but not all with cast roil foaming bore cleaner. Patches are coming out blue with Hoppes. At end light tan with castroil bore cleaner. Used Nylon and steel brush about 2 dozen strokes with each. Has never done this before with Sierras or Nosler bullets. Only thing different it was cold as crap after a week of rain and he shot about 6 rounds of Berger VLDs before leaving. It's still shooting sub moa groups. Patches are coming out clean after cleaning but with a light you can see the light tan color in the rifling at the crown. Cleaned as soon as we got home like always. Is this anything to be concerned about and if so any idea of how to get these tan streaks out. Don't think it's rust but it's something. Other than the Bergers it's always had cup and core bullets shot through it. May have been like this forever as it's an old model 700 adl he's had for years but gets cleaned every time from the range and hunting. Tried to get a picture but can't get a decent enough shot with camera.
Remington 700 and bore streaks on rifling
- Thread starter Wendyj
- Start date
It is copper fouling. If it is not effecting accuracy, don't worry about it. When mine get bad enough, I use Barnes CR-10 to get it out. I'm sure there are other things that work as good, or maybe better.
Some barrels are pretty rough on the inside, they file a little copper off as the bullets goes by. I have a Savage that does it, but I don't clean it to that extent but about every 300 rounds or so.
Some bullets are also worse than others. Swift bullets for example have a pure copper jacket, and tend to foul a barrel faster than others. Small bore high velocity cartridges will also foul a barrel faster.
When the accuracy starts to fall off, time to get it out. The steel brush will definitely do more harm to the rifle barrel than the copper fouling.
Some barrels are pretty rough on the inside, they file a little copper off as the bullets goes by. I have a Savage that does it, but I don't clean it to that extent but about every 300 rounds or so.
Some bullets are also worse than others. Swift bullets for example have a pure copper jacket, and tend to foul a barrel faster than others. Small bore high velocity cartridges will also foul a barrel faster.
When the accuracy starts to fall off, time to get it out. The steel brush will definitely do more harm to the rifle barrel than the copper fouling.
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CarJunkieLS1
New member
Definitely Copper Fouling! My Tikka T3 in .270 Win does that and it still shoots accurately so I don't worry. When I first saw it I thought it was rust so I panicked lol. Does it look like this? That pic is my personal rifle and the last time that I shot it it put three shots that measured .538 inches and that includes the cold bore shot.
Carjunkie. Looks just like your Tikka. What can I use to get this out? Figured if copper the Hoppes would do it. I did use a brass brush as last resort but prefer the nylon brush. I get this in my Tikka CTR in 260 when I run a lot of Barnes bullets through it but Hoppes always gets it out. Glad it isn't rust.
603Country
New member
Why is it so important to you to remove the copper, if it isn't negatively impacting accuracy? Too much copper can be bad, but so can too little copper ( in some barrels).
CarJunkieLS1
New member
Wendy if you are wanting to get the copper out a lot of shooters I know recommend sweets 7.62 or wipe out.
I personally use Montana Extreme bore solvent and Montana Extreme Copper Killer in every rifle that I shoot. I use Montana Extreme as its what my rifle builder uses. Also don't use a brass or steel brush with the copper killer. Just soak a few patches and run them through then wait 15 minutes and patch out.
However be sure you use a good oil like Kroil on a few patches after the copper killer to make sure it all comes out and the Kroil will "neutralize" the copper solvent. Then just patch it dry.
I personally use Montana Extreme bore solvent and Montana Extreme Copper Killer in every rifle that I shoot. I use Montana Extreme as its what my rifle builder uses. Also don't use a brass or steel brush with the copper killer. Just soak a few patches and run them through then wait 15 minutes and patch out.
However be sure you use a good oil like Kroil on a few patches after the copper killer to make sure it all comes out and the Kroil will "neutralize" the copper solvent. Then just patch it dry.
Try the M Pro-7 Copper cleaner.
Its non toxic, has no ammonia & will dissolve stubborn jacket fouling overnight.
I swear by the stuff & it doesn't even smell.
Clean normally, run 3~4 wet patches of the M Pro through & store muzzle down.
The next evening repeat the normal clean (which will be quick & easy).
Way nice than strong ammonia that can etch your bore.
Its non toxic, has no ammonia & will dissolve stubborn jacket fouling overnight.
I swear by the stuff & it doesn't even smell.
Clean normally, run 3~4 wet patches of the M Pro through & store muzzle down.
The next evening repeat the normal clean (which will be quick & easy).
Way nice than strong ammonia that can etch your bore.
William T. Watts
New member
JB's bore cleaner or flitz will remove most of the copper, I usually apply JB's bore cleaner or flitz (which ever I happen to have) and run the patch thru the barrel a couple of times then reverse the patch and run it thru again, then a new patch with a bore cleaner a couple of times reverse it and thru again then a clean patch thru a couple of more times then inspect. I don't get too excited if I don't remove all copper, this method will remove most of the copper, if you want it all out repeat the process and that should get it. If you have shot 2 or more boxes then your going to have to repeat this until clean, usually I don't shoot more than a box of ammo at the range before I call it done for the day. After cleaning I run an oiled patch thru the bore a couple of times before storing the firearm.. Fellows some of the bore cleaners we have access to can damage the bore if not completely removed from the bore after cleaning, there are some that can etch the barrel if not removed completely before storing, been there done that..... William
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CarJunkieLS1
New member
Which is why I run a patch of Kroil through my bore after I use solvent. It "neutralizes" the solvent and them prevents corrosion during storage.
I have spent the last 15 years fighting Copper fouling.
My ritualized battles keep changing:
1) Moly coated bullets
2) Ratchet rifling
3) Select match hand lapped bore in custom barrel
4) Keep the bullet velocity below 3500 fps
5) Look in to the muzzle at a 45 degree angle with a light.
6) Powder solvent on a patch on a jag.
7) Dry patch on a jag
8) Look into the muzzle with a light.
9) If I see Copper, KG12 Copper solvent on a patch on a jag
10) Wait 5 minutes
11) dry patch on a jag
12) Look into the muzzle with a light.
13) Darrell Holland's Witch's Brew [a mixture of Kroil and Flitz] on a bronze brush with diameter larger than groove diameter. 20 strokes.
14) Check brush diameter. Get a new brush.
15) Alcohol on a patch on a jag
16) dry patch on a jag
17) Look into the muzzle with a light. If I still see Copper, go back to step 9 and star over.
18) Burnish bore with moly paste on a patch on a jag.
My ritualized battles keep changing:
1) Moly coated bullets
2) Ratchet rifling
3) Select match hand lapped bore in custom barrel
4) Keep the bullet velocity below 3500 fps
5) Look in to the muzzle at a 45 degree angle with a light.
6) Powder solvent on a patch on a jag.
7) Dry patch on a jag
8) Look into the muzzle with a light.
9) If I see Copper, KG12 Copper solvent on a patch on a jag
10) Wait 5 minutes
11) dry patch on a jag
12) Look into the muzzle with a light.
13) Darrell Holland's Witch's Brew [a mixture of Kroil and Flitz] on a bronze brush with diameter larger than groove diameter. 20 strokes.
14) Check brush diameter. Get a new brush.
15) Alcohol on a patch on a jag
16) dry patch on a jag
17) Look into the muzzle with a light. If I still see Copper, go back to step 9 and star over.
18) Burnish bore with moly paste on a patch on a jag.
^^^ Wow. Nice to be retired 
KG's products are good, as are many others and everyone has their fave.
I've been using Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner (powder and copper) for years because I'm lazy- and it works. Spray, soak overnight, patch it out. Repeat if needed.
My hang-up is brushes, and you can find opinions on both sides of this issue, from top shooters. Personally, I never run brushes in a bore unless there's a real severe fouling problem- like some of the Mosin-Nagants that pass through my shop and look like they've never been cleaned.
KG's products are good, as are many others and everyone has their fave.
I've been using Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner (powder and copper) for years because I'm lazy- and it works. Spray, soak overnight, patch it out. Repeat if needed.
My hang-up is brushes, and you can find opinions on both sides of this issue, from top shooters. Personally, I never run brushes in a bore unless there's a real severe fouling problem- like some of the Mosin-Nagants that pass through my shop and look like they've never been cleaned.
KG is good. It was one of the 2 finalists in my "find a good non aromatic solvent" trials.
The only reason the M-pro won was that it stays "wet" on overnight soaks. Its disadvantage is that it's a 2-solution cleaning regimen, whereas the KG 12 is a single solution.
Either is probably just fine..
The only reason the M-pro won was that it stays "wet" on overnight soaks. Its disadvantage is that it's a 2-solution cleaning regimen, whereas the KG 12 is a single solution.
Either is probably just fine..
It seems that KG dissolves the edges of the Copper well enough for the Kroil to get under it, so the brush and abrasive can peel it off.
But I might just be imagining what happens at the micro level.
The guys I hunt with put Hoppes #9 in overnight. They fire ~ 5 practice shots a year, while I shoot more like 50..... some years 75 rounds per rifle. That is a lot of cleaning if they foul at 10 shots. I am often cleaning more than one rifle and shooting more than one rifle at a time.
But I might just be imagining what happens at the micro level.
The guys I hunt with put Hoppes #9 in overnight. They fire ~ 5 practice shots a year, while I shoot more like 50..... some years 75 rounds per rifle. That is a lot of cleaning if they foul at 10 shots. I am often cleaning more than one rifle and shooting more than one rifle at a time.
I used some pro 7 copper and carbon cleaner tonight. Left it in for five minutes and got all but one rifle groove that I can see with a light. Used patches only. They came out pure blue. I tried it again for five more but the one groove is still a tannish color. Looks way better than before. Treated the barrel with Hornady supreme and left sitting on gun cleaning stand. I was just wondering if the last box of Nosler Combined Technology bullets may have fouled it. They are moly coated and it's the only rifle he has shot them in. Cleaning is pain in the butt. We usually take ten rifles and 2 hand guns every range trip. Lol. Husband has a bad case of scope eye from getting in too close to 45-70 Saturday. Left a lump on his eyebrow the size of an egg.