[Jim Legg]

Just returned from a week of shooting prairie rats in Wyoming. I shot app. 500 shots with my Anschutz 1717D HB. I did not clean the rifle. After returning home, the question that hit me was: how does it shoot now, 500 rounds dirty? Got up early this morning to beat the southern Utah wind and shot the following 5, 5 shot groups at 100 yards. Groups are in the order shot and were shot using Hornady V-max 17 grainers (the ammo my rifle likes best). .742", .9045", .651", .8105" and last, but best
.4045". Average of the 5 groups is .7025". Let me quickly add that my bench technique is mediocre, at best. At 72, I'm still trying to learn how to be consistent.

My conclusion is that I will leave my cleaning equipment at home next year.

My advice is to try these things out for yourself. Other rifles may behave differently. Don't take the advice of gun writers blindly. Many of them simply parrot what they have read, without ever testing anything for themselves.

Question remaining is: should I clean it now?

 

[Locoweed]

What kinds of groups were you getting before you put the 500 shots down the barrel? I'm of the opinion that most firearms are over cleaned these days, a holdover from the old days when military ammo was loaded with corrosive primers and cupro-nickel bullets. I wouldn't clean it unless my groups started really opening up.

 

[steve b.]

Jim,

I have noticed in the last two posts you have made, you take issue with the "average gun writer."

I'm curious as to if there is someone you have in mind or some publication that you take issue with...

s.

 

[Jim Legg]

Hi loco,
These groups are typical of what I normally get, whether it's been recently cleaned or not. But if one believes some of the stuff seen in print, it would appear to be necessary to clean several times during the day, to get the best accuracy.
To Steve,
I'm not picking on any one particular writer. Just a general observation made during 60+ years of reading hook & bullet magazines and books.

 

[gmd1950]

My 1717D shows some fall off in accuracy after 40-70 rounds, not much but a little, recently I put about 50 rounds thru it getting ready for a shoot at our club , then fired about 40 rounds in the event itself. At one point in the match it put 6 rounds in .456 inch at 100 yards, and did well with all the shots fired, so who knows, I always say when accuracy falls off, but I only pull a boresnake thru it then!?! I've done a good cleaning using the Patchworm system about every 200 rounds so far. I guess what I'm saying is whatever works for you.:bthumb:

Gerald

 

[CraigC]

I'm of the opinion that most firearms are over cleaned these days, a holdover from the old days when military ammo was loaded with corrosive primers and cupro-nickel bullets. I wouldn't clean it unless my groups started really opening up.

Agreed, 110%! It started with blackpowder and should've ended with non-corrosive primers.

 

[p5200]

Just returned from a week of shooting prairie rats in Wyoming. I shot app. 500 shots with my Anschutz 1717D HB. I did not clean the rifle. After returning home, the question that hit me was: how does it shoot now, 500 rounds dirty? Got up early this morning to beat the southern Utah wind and shot the following 5, 5 shot groups at 100 yards. Groups are in the order shot and were shot using Hornady V-max 17 grainers (the ammo my rifle likes best). .742", .9045", .651", .8105" and last, but best
.4045". Average of the 5 groups is .7025". Let me quickly add that my bench technique is mediocre, at best. At 72, I'm still trying to learn how to be consistent.

My conclusion is that I will leave my cleaning equipment at home next year.

My advice is to try these things out for yourself. Other rifles may behave differently. Don't take the advice of gun writers blindly. Many of them simply parrot what they have read, without ever testing anything for themselves.

Question remaining is: should I clean it now?

those are some fine groups for any age! nice shooting. :t

 

[pmullineaux]

you may actually like a cleaning right now, I would do it, just to get the stuff out of the bbl, that will draw in moisture. you may then have to shoot a bunch of rounds through it, then again, you may clean it, and find it has not only the good accuracy , but that it is more consistent in it's measurements.

 

[tweak'e]

i would be inclined to give it a quick clean ie single pass of a pull through. mainly to stop any build up of residue in the chamber.

 

[bobda]

Fouled barrel

A fouled barrel & accuracy seem to be synonymous. Here are 3 groups I fired after a thorough cleaning (at 100yards) when I was going through barrel break-in several months ago. http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z17/rldar63/group.jpg
Also when I started loading in the 60's I was using IMR 4064 in my 22-250, my gunsmith told don't bother cleaning your gun until you put it away after the season.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

With todays ammo all the real cleaning needed is external, unless you shoot lead as in revolvers, or if your shooting is very sporatic or you are done for any leangth of time, say a month or more and you are not storing in a de-humidified area.

I generally clean my guns these days at end of shooting just due to not nowing when I wll shoot again, but there are times I don't because I have planned other outings. I cleaned my 17 HMR S&W model 647 after shooting for two reasons, the barrel/cylinder area needed cleaning to function properly, and I cleaned the bore because I didn't know when I will shoot it again.

 

[Cypress]

I run a dry patchwork through the barrel a few times a year to get the chunks out. When I feel like I may not be shooting for a while, I clean the heck out of it and lightly oil everything.

Before I fire the first shot, I patchworm it just to get any pooled oil, bugs, dust out.

 

[54485]

With a Rem. 597 cleaning more critical - which kit?

Does anyone know of a good cleaning kit for the 597 17HMR? I'm thinking in particular one that has the proper metal brush for cleaning that step down area in the barrel? This round has a lot of blowback to the hip. Im not happy with my afterthought cleaning kit add ons for .17 cal.

Thanks ... one and all ...

Bjorn

 

[Jim Legg]

I did go ahead and clean it. I might not shoot it again before this time next year and agree that a gun should be cleaned before putting it away for a lengthy rest.
Thank you all for your comments,