Rifle Cleaning?

C

CC268

New member
Hey guys, I just picked up a Tikka T3 Lite .243 and want to keep it in the best shape I can. I was wondering what you guys recommend I do for cleaning and how often (how many rounds)?

As far as materials go I have the following:
- Break Free CLP
- Break Free Powder Blaster
- CorrosionX (this was recommended by my sporting clays instructor)
- Hoppes Bore Solvent
- Hoppes Gun Oil
- Brass brushes, mops, patches, etc
- Hoppes Viper Boresnake .243

I learned to completely take apart and clean my Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting, something I would like to know how to do with this new Tikka. Anyways, any advice is appreciated!
 
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I've rarely shot a bolt action for more than maybe 20 rounds in a session. Generally, I'll spray WD40 on a patch and run it through and then inspect it. Maybe repeat a couple of times. If it comes out plenty clean, I then run an oily patch through the bore.

Other than a wipe-down with an oily patch, I don't do much to the outside. I'll pull the bolt, of course, and do an inspect and wipe.

From time to time as the mood strikes, I'll be more thorough in cleaning the bore. Copper remover in a sort of "In case of in case" mode.

No problems, this last half-century, anyway. Mostly sub-MOA.
 
For bolt action rifles, I recommend the following kit:

- Dewey Coated Cleaning Rod
- Brass jag
- Bronze bore brush with bronze or brass center
- Bore Guide that fits the action - ideally with a solvent port
- Butch's Bore Shine solvent
- Optional: JB's Bore Paste
- Weapon Shield CLP. . .Great oil
- Bulk cotten rag material and good scissors for cutting perfect patches
- Blue paper towels
- some kind of plastic poker to wipe down the action internals with oiled rag material on the end
- waxed cloth for wood stock. soap and water for plastic stock.
- FAT torque wrench for assembling and disassembling the stock from the barrel.
- some kind of gun vise
- Q tips for oiling critical areas
- needle point oiler for oiling
- brake cleaner/gunscrubber for cleaning trigger. . .Don't use unless you are sure you can get oil back onto critical points as this deoils things completely.
 
Thanks for all the help so far guys! How hard is it to tear down one of these rifles and how far does it really ever need to be torn down?
 
I don't know anything about Tikka's, but I would start by searching YouTube, I'm sure somebody has done a video.
 
shooter's choice or sweet's 7.62, every time you shoot it, except for big game then clean it every two weeks.
 
I would say the current supplies you have are more than sufficient. Congrats on your new rifle as well :D

All I have to say is +1 to all the above, and my recommendation as to the frequency of cleaning should be every time you shoot it, clean the bore (even if you fired once) and afterwards put some Hoppes oil on a patch and run it through the barrel after its clean. That said, if you only fired it a few times in one session, just remove the bolt and check the trigger mechanism with a Q-Tip put some oil in there and wipe the excess. Disassembly of the bolt is not usually required unless you've put a couple boxes of ammo through it (my opinion, if you do this every time, it wont hurt either)

Enjoy your new rifle!
 
I have a Tikka T3 Hunter in 243 (the hunter has the wood stock). It is fantastic rifle.

For bolt actions you do not need to take them apart to clean them. You remove the bolt to clean it, that's it. I would recommend a bore guide (I have this one, http://www.midwayusa.com/product/815732/tipton-universal-bore-guide).

I have switched from Hoppes #9 to using M-Pro 7 to clean the bore (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/619561/m-pro-7-bore-cleaning-solvent-8-oz-pump). I think both of them do a good job but the M-pro is not a solvent so it does not smell up the place and does not require the same level of ventilation.

I posted a question in the bolt action forum asking how people clean their rifles and there were many different answers. This is how I clean my Tikka (I clean it after shooting 50 rounds or so):

- Using a Hoppes one-piece cleaning rod with a .243 brass jag I run several wet patches of M-Pro 7 through the bore (action to muzzle only, no back and forth)
- Wait 5 minutes
- Run a nylon brush through the bore once or twice (action to muzzle only, no back and forth)
- Run additional wet patches of M-Pro until patches start coming out almost clean
- Sometimes wait another 5 minutes
- Run wet patches until they come out clean
- Run dry patches until dry
- Remove bore guide and use pick + cotton patch to clean chamber
- Finish with one or two pulls of a bore-snake
 
I will probably follow the above method! So on a rifle are you supposed to only run the brush through ONE way? I know on my shotgun it is perfectly okay to basically scrub the barrel with my brush both ways, because it is chromed.
 
CC268 said: I will probably follow the above method! So on a rifle are you supposed to only run the brush through ONE way?
Click to expand...

I don't see how a little brass brush can damage a barrel that has a bullet forced through at 30-50,000psi, at 2,600fps.

What you should make part of your maintenance is copper removal. I just bought a borescope for Christmas and I thought that I was very thorough in my maintenance. Alas, all the evidence is there to be seen, I just couldn't see it. Lots of copper affecting accuracy, pressure and velocity.
 
One-piece, coated, ball-bearing (allows free rotation as it's pushed through the bore) cleaning rod- as in Dewey.

Get a bore guide to protect the throat, and keep solvents out of the action.

Forget the bore snake. Useful for a quick but incomplete clean, handy in the field as in a hunting trip where you're not able to use the regular equipment.

Arguments on both sides as to brushes (even what type) or patches only.

I use patches only, with Wipe-Out foaming cleaner.

Whatever you use, it comes down to not damaging the bore, or the crown of the rifle with your equipment and procedure. Most of the commercial solvents will get the job done, and it's splitting hairs whether to use Brand "X" or "Y".
 
I'm not sure there is such a thing as over cleaning if done right but there is a definite point of diminishing returns.

I don't and won't "thoroughly" clean my guns every time they are taken out and shot. Sometimes they won't see a patch for days on end in the field, sometimes I'll run an oiled patch or two thru and do a good wipe down (followed by a fouling shot), and yes when needed and sometimes when I'm bored I break out all the goodies and clean them up right and proper.

It's all about use. You go out for a quick hunt in dry conditions and fire a shot or two leaves very little reason, if any, to clean the snot outta your gun. Even less if you're gonna do the exact same thing the next day, and the day after that, and the day after........ Kept oiled and reasonably clean, no gun will suffer ill effects if it isn't babied.

Water, dirty conditions and copious amount of ammo run thru it on any given day demands a good cleaning though.

Cleaners of choice: Nothing more than RemOil and Hoppes #9.
 
1. I got some Barnes CR-10 Copper Bore cleaning solvent...how often should I use this stuff?

2. How often should I undo the two bolts that hold the trigger up and clean all that stuff out??
 
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I've been dealing with copper fowling for the past couple of weeks. I have 308 bolt action that I've put a couple of thousand rounds through and an AR-10 with about the same number of rounds. I clean them after every trip to the range, but I had never cleaned for copper. Like most people I use Hoppe #9 and Rem Oil.

I started experiencing loss of accuracy and wanted to look inside the barrel to see if the rifling was gone and was time to replace the barrel. I finally found a gunsmith that had a borescope, after talking to him he told me not to bother with bringing the rifle until I had cleaned the copper and if I still had a problem afterwards I could bring the rifle to him.

I started by soaking patches, let is soak for ten minutes and them using dry patches. After a day of doing this with no end insight I called him back and he told me to plug the end of the barrel and fill it with Hoppe Copper Solvent and let it soak overnight. I did and after about 20 patches the bore was clean.

I took it to the range and tested it. And sure enough accuracy visibly improved. On the 27th (Thursday) I received my new borescope. Now I can see in there.

From now on I'm planning on using a cleaner that removes both carbon and copper, KG-12 Big Bore Cleaner Solvent. So for me the answer is every time I shoot.
 
I'd clean a new barrel before use. After that I clean the barrel sparingly unless it gets wet.

Hunting season is winding down and all of my hunting rifles will be taken out of the stock and thoroughly cleaned within the next couple of weeks. I use CLP or something similar to wipe down exterior surfaces and to use as a lubricant. I will use a copper solvent with patches to clean the barrel. No real brand preference for cleaning products, most seem to work. I use a brush as little as possible, but will if needed. I do recommend a quality 1 piece cleaning rod.

From January to mid summer is the slow time at my local range and when I get in the most practice and experiment with different loads. I've found that my rifles are more accurate after about 10-12 rounds have been put through them so at this time of year the barrel is not cleaned. I'll still wipe down the exterior and clean any crud out of the action, but the barrel is not cleaned unless accuracy starts to decrease. If an individual gun needs a thorough cleaning it gets it, but usually not

Once the weather warms up and the range gets more crowded, I shoot less. I'll once again break everything down for a good cleaning. I'll make a few more range trips with each rifle sometime in August or early September to verify zero and fowl the barrels before hunting season starts. The barrels don't get cleaned again until after hunting season unless I hunt in the rain with it.
 
Barrel needs cleaning about every 40 rounds. Wipe the bolt with oil at that time. Action can probably go several years before you need to clean the trigger or disassemble the bolt.

It is a good idea to annually remove from stock and clean/reoil the barrel & bottom action surfaces. You may want a torque wrench to retighten. Depends on your feeling of torque. I have the FAT wrench, but could likely do without.
 
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