[5417]

Hey guys, those of you who own the .17hmr, when do you clean this calibre?

Some say after every session, others say when accuracy drops off.

Seems to me the latter makes sense as new powders and primers are non-corrosive.................as longs as whatever i do i don't run the risk or stuffing up my barrel.

Regards

 

[2109]

I just run a patch down the bore with a patch worm, lube it a little then another patch before I shoot.

 

[Bill A.]

cleaning .17 HMR

I'm curious about this too, as a new owner of a CZ .17. I've never been an aggressive cleaner of .22 mags--just the patch worm routine. I've never seen the need for copper solvent with that caliber; it looks to me like the velocity is too low to cause copper fouling like you get with CF rifle. But the .17 is quite a bit faster, so I wonder . . . Also, it seems to me that the .17 leaves behind a lot of powder residue. It takes quite a few Hoppes #9 soaked patches before they start to come clean.

Bill A.

 

[mrmarklin]

I only clean when the function of the rifle comes into play ie. fails to cycle properly or accuracy drops off. My Anschutz 1717D seems to burn ammo very cleanly. Residue is minimal, and I've only cleaned the barrel once, which was a waste because it took a while to get back to my usual 1/2" groups.
I've noticed no copper fouling with this barrel, but Anschutz are known for very smooth barrels.

Cycling is probably more of an issue with semi-autos, because they can stop unpredictably. Bolt actions usually have some warning signs like feeding problems, hard bolt closing etc. that can tip you off, but the gun still works.

You get warnings with semi-autos too such as stove-piping, failure to come into battery etc, but then those things stop the gun Right??!!

 

[The Dane]

Rule of thumb: When precition starts to deteriorate clean. Expect 5-20 rnds to get back to square one.:t

 

[646-1]

Are you guys saying not to clean regularly? I clean my bore after every shooting session like my centerfires. Please convince me that this isn't necessary!

 

[2883]

I have two hummers an Anschutz and a Marlin. I clean them both after each shooting session with a patchworm, Pro-Shot .22 felt patches, Butches Bore Shine And Butches Oil. Use CLP on the bluing and Militec on the bolt. I haven't used a brush on either weapon. I will always shoot 150-200 rounds each time I take them out. After a couple of days, I will clean the bore once again. with the same chemicals and patches. I don't really think all of this is necessary, but I love both guns and want them to last a very long time.

 

[bentley]

MOA

i clean after every shoot also.if i shoot about 200rnds then run a copper solvent soaked patch through my barrel it will cum out green. not overly so but a little green, which tells me there is some copper fouling.so i clean after every shoot and notice no ill effects on acuracy. later Bently

 

[Bill A.]

copper

That green is pretty conclusive: There is some copper fouling.

Thanks for the info.

Bill A.

 

[bentley]

green

yeh bill thats how i felt. it is real light ive never fired more than two hundred rnds w/out cleaning so i dont think they foul much but they do foul. i use hoppes copper solvent.thanx Bently

 

[mrmarklin]

MOA

Read my previous post!! It's definitely not necessary unless the loads you shoot are "dirty". In other words leaving excess residue in the action and barrel. Optimum loads don't do this. They burn cleanly and efficiently, therfore cleaning the gun should be minimal.

I own guns I have NEVER cleaned!! True, I haven't fired them a super lot, but if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I shoot my Semi-auto pistol a lot, about 4-500 rounds every month. This is a S&W Target model 41 built to very tight tolerances, much tighter than most of the rifles out there, and it only needs cleaning every month or so. The tell tale on this gun is stove-pipe jams. It's gone as long as 1000 rounds without a problem. The load is a clean-burning CCI Std Velocity round.

In my centerfire .45 (SIG 220Sport model built, again, to tight tolerances) if I shoot clean rounds that don't leave a lot of powder residue, the gun will easily go 1000+ rounds without problems. With a dirty load I'm cleaning it all the time. The answer is to shoot optimal loads.

Now with CCI and Remington ammo out there, if the Hornady was a problem, switch ammo to see if the other brands are better.

As I said before, the Hornady shoots very clean in my Anschutz. I'm not even going to experiment with the others.

 

[Jim Legg]

Patchworm??

I've only been shooting since 1943, so I'm still learning. What the Hell is a "patch worm"? Is that what geezers call a jag? A patch worm sounds like a tool used to remove lost patches from a muzzle loader. Thanks,

 

[techshooter]

Jim,

It - Patchworm, eliminates the rod and jag - or at least provides an alternative, replacing them with a flexible nylon constructed line: like weedwacker, and buttons to drag a patch or button through. Just the line-kit is $6.00. There are two calibers and two lengths each. Four flavors in total.
This is what they manufacture: 20/20 that is, I think.
http://20-20.8m.com/

Their product is reviewed well here, at rimfirecentral.com - One member created a device to use it as an applicator of Moly-Fusion in one situation. There is not a bad word to be found on it anywhere: While not "knocking" anything, it is clearly an alternative to the coated rod, except it is a "pull" device rather than a "push" device. If you take a look at it, I think you will see the possibilities.

As a note, there are some people who treat the bore with Moly-Fusion(tm), which you could say is a pre-cleaner, as it is a treatment that is semi-permanent in wearing, permanent in resisting solvents.

The company that makes it is a sponsor of RimfireCentral.com as you can see between the website's proclaimations and the following:
http://rimfirecentral.com/mainpage.shtml