Rifle cleaning question - How & when?

[Colc08]

As title suggests, when and how do you clean your rifle?

 

I have a 22 rimmy and hoping to soon get my 243 but not sure wether I should be cleaning them after each outing. I have read that it will throw the zero out for the next few shots. Is this coreect? but at the same time I wouldn't want to leave it and risk or corrosion.

 

Also how do you clean your rifle? I have a cleaning kit, rod type with wirey brush type head and wool mop. I would always wipe down any exterior metal work with an oily rag but not sure on the inside of the barrel itsself.

 

Advise welcome

 

Cheers

 

Col

[cooter]

The inside of the barrel on the .22rf never gets cleaned, as the lead is needed to line the barrel and keep it shooting straight.

On saying that, when I do clean the thing it does not take many shots for it to be back on song.

 

All CF's get patched with hoppes then dry patched and meths patch after each days use.

I give them a good clean either once a year, or if I feel they need it.

Works for me and I zero with a cold barrel so the first shot is always where it should be.

[kent]

.22 RF gets cleaned when ever it gets slightly less tight on paper or whenever I am changing ammo and whenever its been caught in the wet quite badly. About once ever 250 as a guide, takes about 25 to come fully back on song but useable from shot one if I had to.

.243 win? I clean centre fires every time they have been out and shot, if its shot a lot I also give it a good go with dedicated copper solvent till I cannot get any bright blue out of the bore. If it hasn't been shot I just patch it out once at room temp and put an oiled patch through. My centrefires are never stored without some oil in the bore and I know I must then patch out with meths then dry patches to remove this before use. The oil prevents any chance of corrosion in the bore, rimfire ammo (in .22) is lubed anyhow so I never bother.

There are loads of threads on this try a search

[fieldwanderer]

I clean all of mine after shooting but, with the .22rf, there's a school of thought that the grease, lead etc protects the barrel and its actually better to clean before use.

 

I came from a match shooting background (at international level) to quote my coach "clean steel can be consistent, dirt can't).

 

Everyone will give you a different answer though, just get into a routine you're happy with and don't worry about it.

 

A few pointers;

Get a one piece rod with plastic coating and handle that spins (let the patch or brush follow the rifling.

 

Use a bore guide, it helps to protect inside the barrel, chamber etc.

 

If your bullets are copper coated or jacketed, use a solvent every time, wd40 will usually shift lead fouling if bullets are just lead (.22rf).

 

ALWAYS push from chamber to muzzle, never back - it stops you moving the dirt into chamber, receiver or trigger and prevents damage to crown.

 

Don't scrub back and forth, it's not good for the barrel and knackers brushes pretty quick too.

 

I buy fourbytoo roll and cut to size rather than patches as its much cheaper and just as good. One of the 4"X2" bits cut in thirds works well for .22.

[henry931]

When I get back from a night out (with a centrefire) I use a bore mop soaked in "Wipe out patch out" (Always use a bore guide). Then stick it in the cabinet UPSIDE DOWN overnight.

 

Then the next day I just run 2 or 3 patches through it. I also use a bigger bore mop (e.g. .357 in a .223 chamber) to give the chamber a clean and give any non stainless parts a thin coat of oil (not the chamber though!)

 

That's all really

[Colc08]

Thanks for your answers guys. I've not come across Bore Guides or Patches before. Can anyone explain?

 

Sorry to seem simple but I like to be educated rather than find out the hard way and to a newbie rifle shooter every little bit of info is invaluable.

 

Cheers

 

Col

[Underdog]

There is many silly notions about.

The lube is what protects a 22 barrel and it wont get dirty any more than the last shot...it will(the fouling) settle to a level it is happy with. Each bullet removing excess.

Lead is the last thing you want sticking to steel and it readiley wants to...thats is the whole reason of lube on lead bullets to stop lead sticking. Removing this coating from a barrel achieves nothing. The upshot is the lube coating prevents rusting.

Non lubed bullets like a 243 leave no lube in the barrel that will protect from rust. The biggest bore ruster is condensastion or rain/whatever entering the barrel.

A dry patch or two down the barrel to remove any water should suffice.

Any jacket fouling can be removed when accuracy starts to fail or it is just time you think to remove it. Test where the first shot goes. A rule of thumb would be that the first shot on a clean barrel from a centerfire should be less tha two inch from the group....remember...not a given rule!

Have fun.

 

U.

[kent]

I clean all of mine after shooting but, with the .22rf, there's a school of thought that the grease, lead etc protects the barrel and its actually better to clean before use.

 

I came from a match shooting background (at international level) to quote my coach "clean steel can be consistent, dirt can't).

 

Everyone will give you a different answer though, just get into a routine you're happy with and don't worry about it.

 

A few pointers;

Get a one piece rod with plastic coating and handle that spins (let the patch or brush follow the rifling.

 

Use a bore guide, it helps to protect inside the barrel, chamber etc.

 

If your bullets are copper coated or jacketed, use a solvent every time, wd40 will usually shift lead fouling if bullets are just lead (.22rf).

 

ALWAYS push from chamber to muzzle, never back - it stops you moving the dirt into chamber, receiver or trigger and prevents damage to crown.

 

Don't scrub back and forth, it's not good for the barrel and knackers brushes pretty quick too.

 

I buy fourbytoo roll and cut to size rather than patches as its much cheaper and just as good. One of the 4"X2" bits cut in thirds works well for .22.

interesting, I have known a few very high level ( read national and international champs) .22 shooters and the clean barrel thing seems to be a given. With my hunting rifles I really do find that following a good clean it does take a few to settle down again after a good clean. This begs the question is it the quality of the bore finish that is easier to 100% take back to metal OR is it I leave the hunting rifle too long between cleans meaning its a lot harder to get back to steel?

I have monitored this "coming back in" of a cleaned rimfire many times and it is very much evident. To undertake this I have sheets with 25 small dots on and I fire a single round at each. without fail zero wanders around and then snaps back in and remains consistent. I suspect it is the former and the tube is darn near impossible to take totally back to bare metal as no paper puncher might leave theirs 250 or more rounds over a period of time. I 100% subscribe to the nearly clean rather than really clean creating the issues many experience with their cf rifles not returning to zero from shot 1.

[kent]

There is many silly notions about.

The lube is what protects a 22 barrel and it wont get dirty any more than the last shot...it will(the fouling) settle to a level it is happy with. Each bullet removing excess.

Lead is the last thing you want sticking to steel and it readiley wants to...thats is the whole reason of lube on lead bullets to stop lead sticking. Removing this coating from a barrel achieves nothing. The upshot is the lube coating prevents rusting.

Non lubed bullets like a 243 leave no lube in the barrel that will protect from rust. The biggest bore ruster is condensastion or rain/whatever entering the barrel.

A dry patch or two down the barrel to remove any water should suffice.

Any jacket fouling can be removed when accuracy starts to fail or it is just time you think to remove it. Test where the first shot goes. A rule of thumb would be that the first shot on a clean barrel from a centerfire should be less tha two inch from the group....remember...not a given rule!

Have fun.

 

U.

I should take issue with dry patching being sufficient, nothing competes with oil. Engineers use de-watering oil for things that must not rust in storage begs the question why? Long term storage of ferrous metal products is generally undertaken with special sticky / waxy type oils (this is a worthwhile thing and is used in firearms by the military etc for long storage)

 

Leaving metallic fouling in a barrel traps air-born moisture underneath, this can creep so creating pitting in the bore. This again like following the dry patching might never have been present at the time the thing was stored.

[Underdog]

Good point Kent. Oil or wax should however be removed prior to shooting a jacketed bullet firearm. It itself can cause damage!

If the gun is in an envirioment that can fluctuate in humidity and temp then add oil or other but remove it before shooting.

Water deposits will still damage a barrel first over copper foul.

Being balanced about it is key.

The target shooters and 22 are in a world known only unto them IMO. Let them scrub thier barrels all day long if they wish but after just one shot thier barrel is fouled....doh!

Some use to say to me copper coated 22 will wear out a barrel!

The general use of the word 'foul' is used in a negative way however in a 22 or other lead using firarms it can also be normal or good.

Some jacket fouling is not bad also.

Thorough cleaning should only take place when accuracy fades. Protect a barrel always.

 

U.

[kent]

Yes and remove it with a worthwhile degreaser like meths, dry patching out oil don't work (oil in the chamber is a big no, no on shooting so check it out). Std for me to take a rifle out run a meths soaked patch or two through then dry patch it out. Return to zero is always spot on from very 1st shot cold,clean bore

[dadioles]

Thanks for your answers guys. I've not come across Bore Guides or Patches before. Can anyone explain?

 

Sorry to seem simple but I like to be educated rather than find out the hard way and to a newbie rifle shooter every little bit of info is invaluable.

 

Cheers

 

Col

 

In answer to your question...

 

A "Bore Guide" is, broadly speaking, a tube that replaces the rifle bolt. It is rather like a bolt in appearance (without the knob) but generally made of plastic. To clean the rifle you remove the bolt and replace it with a bore guide. The bore guide ensures that the cleaning rod enters the chamber perfectly straight and cannot cause any damage to the rifle. A bore guide tends to be specific to one particular make and calibre of rifle as it has to fit in the place of the bolt. In my view you would be very foolish to use a rod and patches without a bore guide.

There are "universal" bore guides but I am not a fan of these and prefer a custom bore guide for a specific rifle. Typical price around £20 to £30.

 

A "Patch" is a small circular or square piece of cloth that fits on to a "Jag" which is a pointed piece of metal that screws onto the end of the cleaning rod. Patches are normally purchased pre-cut to the right size to suit a particular calibre.

I use one piece coated rods with a rotating handle which allows the patch to rotate freely as it passes down the barrel following the rifling. My .22 rod is Parker Hale and my .17 is Dewey. The Dewey is better quality but both are more than adequate. Typical rod prices around £20 to £40 and jags maybe £5, patches around £10 for 500-1000.

 

 

Basically you need a rod, a jag and a supply of patches, and a bore guide.

 

Rod through using wet patches soaked in an appropriate bore cleaning solvent using a new patch with every pass and only pushing the rod with the patch in one direction, from breech to muzzle, remove the dirty patch and withdraw the rod. Repeat until clean. I do not use metal brushes.

 

The rifling groove inside the barrel (especially in .17hmr) is incredibly fine and easily damaged.

 

One reason I only use rods and patches is that you can "feel" the patch as it goes through and really see the dirt on the patch. As the bore gets cleaner the patches pass through more easily (again, most noticeable with the tiny bore of hmr). There is a very real risk with things like a "bore snake" of pulling through dirt and rounding off the edge of the receiver or the crown by not pulling absolutely straight. I did purchase a bore snake, fell for the advertising, used it once and never again. I have too much respect for my barrels.

 

 

 

I finish of with a patch containing a drop or two of gun oil and if the rifle is to be used within a day or two a patch with meths to remove the oil followed by a dry patch.

 

I subscribe to the "keep your barrel spotless" group as this is the way I was taught by my shooting champion uncle.

 

Tonight I shall very thoroughly clean my cz .22lr and tomorrow if the weather is suitable I shall shoot a series of targets at 50 yards to see if there is any requirement for "conditioning shots".

[mx8]

I'm sponsored with Froglube by Xperttactical.co.uk - froglube was designed by a US soldier to keep their weapons clean and usable at their peak in the deserts, check froglube out on YouTube to see what it can do for you.

[Underdog]

Dadoils...I genuinley look forward to your results.

 

U.

[Colc08]

A "Bore Guide" is, broadly speaking, a tube that replaces the rifle bolt. It is rather like a bolt in appearance (without the knob) but generally made of plastic. To clean the rifle you remove the bolt and replace it with a bore guide. The bore guide ensures that the cleaning rod enters the chamber perfectly straight and cannot cause any damage to the rifle. A bore guide tends to be specific to one particular make and calibre of rifle as it has to fit in the place of the bolt. In my view you would be very foolish to use a rod and patches without a bore guide.

There are "universal" bore guides but I am not a fan of these and prefer a custom bore guide for a specific rifle. Typical price around £20 to £30.

 

A "Patch" is a small circular or square piece of cloth that fits on to a "Jag" which is a pointed piece of metal that screws onto the end of the cleaning rod. Patches are normally purchased pre-cut to the right size to suit a particular calibre.

I use one piece coated rods with a rotating handle which allows the patch to rotate freely as it passes down the barrel following the rifling. My .22 rod is Parker Hale and my .17 is Dewey. The Dewey is better quality but both are more than adequate. Typical rod prices around £20 to £40 and jags maybe £5, patches around £10 for 500-1000.

 

 

Basically you need a rod, a jag and a supply of patches, and a bore guide.

 

Rod through using wet patches soaked in an appropriate bore cleaning solvent using a new patch with every pass and only pushing the rod with the patch in one direction, from breech to muzzle, remove the dirty patch and withdraw the rod. Repeat until clean. I do not use metal brushes.

 

The rifling groove inside the barrel (especially in .17hmr) is incredibly fine and easily damaged.

 

One reason I only use rods and patches is that you can "feel" the patch as it goes through and really see the dirt on the patch. As the bore gets cleaner the patches pass through more easily (again, most noticeable with the tiny bore of hmr). There is a very real risk with things like a "bore snake" of pulling through dirt and rounding off the edge of the receiver or the crown by not pulling absolutely straight. I did purchase a bore snake, fell for the advertising, used it once and never again. I have too much respect for my barrels.

 

 

 

I finish of with a patch containing a drop or two of gun oil and if the rifle is to be used within a day or two a patch with meths to remove the oil followed by a dry patch.

 

I subscribe to the "keep your barrel spotless" group as this is the way I was taught by my shooting champion uncle.

 

Tonight I shall very thoroughly clean my cz .22lr and tomorrow if the weather is suitable I shall shoot a series of targets at 50 yards to see if there is any requirement for "conditioning shots".

 

 

Thanks Dadioles. That is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for Thank you sir, I now know how to correctly clean my rifle without damaging the rifling in my barrel. Which I did not know before.

[Bitfitter]

Stolen from the shilen barrels website

 

We get this question many times and have a great deal of difficulty helping some customers understand that a rifle barrel does not have to be spotless to shoot great. Many times more harm than good is done in trying to get it that way. Picture a car's fender. If the fender has a small dent in it, then professional application of body putty fills the dent. When painted over, the dent becomes unnoticeable, and the surface of the fender is smooth and consistent. The same thing happens in a rifle barrel on a microscopic level. Removing this small trace of copper puts you right back to square one. The next bullet that crosses that area will, again, leave a small trace of copper. Similar to patching a pothole. All successful benchrest shooters shoot one or more "fouler" shots down the barrel before going to the record target. This is not to warm up the barrel. They are resurfacing it on the inside. Benchrest shooters clean between relays to get the powder fowling out, not the copper. However, since copper usually comes out with the powder, they know that it must be replaced to get "back in the groove". I've had shooters tell me they "cleaned their rifle for 3 hours to get all the copper out of it." Their next statement is almost invariably that they had to shoot 4-5 rounds through it just to get it back to "shooting" again. This tells me that in order for the rifle to shoot well again, they had to replace the copper they worked so diligently to remove. I have a 7x08 Improved that shoots the same 1/2" MOA after 15 minutes of cleaning or 3 hours of scrubbing and de-coppering. Personally, I prefer shooting to cleaning. The gist of this is to set a regular cleaning regimen and stay with it. If the accuracy of the rifle is acceptable with a 15 min. cleaning, why clean longer? I would much rather have people admiring the groups I shot than marveling at how clean my barrel looks on the inside.

[dadioles]

I have finished testing the effects of cleaning my CZ rifle as promised and here are the results.

 

Remember, this is a .22lr using subsonic lead ammunition, NOT 17HMR or any other copper jacketed rounds.

 

CZ 452-2E ZKM .22lr 16" barrel fitted with DM80 over barrel moderator. Ammunition is SK Subsonic (Lapua).

 

The whole cleaning process only takes about 10 minutes or so.

 

1. Remove the bolt, magazine and moderator.

 

2. Clean the barrel using bore guide, rod, jag and patches. The solvent I used was "Riflecraft Bore Cleaner" followed by "Parker Hale 009" and I just used these until the patches came out clean - typically about 10 patches, the first was filthy and contained specs of lead, the second was significantly cleaner ... until the patches came out clean. A new patch was used for every push through. Patches were pushed from breech to muzzle and then removed before the rod was pulled back out ready for the next patch.

 

3. A couple of dry patches were put through to remove the solvent

 

4. A patch wetted with methylated spirit was put through to remove any last traces of solvent or grease.

 

5. Another couple of dry patches were put through to make sure all is clean and dry.

 

6. I stripped, cleaned and reassembled the moderator and screwed it back onto the barrel.

 

7. Bolt and magazine back in - cleaning job done.

 

Note: If I was not going to shoot very soon after this cleaning process, I would put a patch with a few drops of gun oil on it through the barrel to leave it better protected.

 

Shots were fired using a bipod resting on a slightly wobbly table with the butt stabilised by a sock filled with rice grains.

 

The distance to target was 50 yards (measured by laser).

 

The target comprises 20 circles, each 1" in diameter and containing a 0.5" square box. Fine lines are 0.25" apart.

 

One bullet was fired at each circle in turn, always aiming exactly at the centre. No adjustments were made at any time. Shooting order was from left to right, top row first.

 

I repeated the experiment three times and cleaned the rifle and moderator between each set of targets.

 

Clean, fire 20 shots target 1, clean, fire 20 shots target 2, clean, fire 20 shots target 3.

 

 

The first shot after cleaning (A1), on all three targets, was slightly low and left. Only by about 0.3" but clearly different to all the following shots.

Accuracy was restored at the second shot and every bullet landed within the 0.5" square thereafter.

It seems that a single "conditioning shot" is a good idea (for me).

My conclusion is that regular and thorough cleaning is desirable to maintain a rust free barrel in good condition.

A spotlessly clean barrel is in a "known" state and rust will not develop in pits of moisture trapped under lead flakes.

The rifling will not become clogged with lead and hardened powder residue.

It does seem (for my rifle anyway) that a single conditioning shot is necessary to restore accuracy after cleaning. For you it may be different.

 

Clearly my scope needs a click or two adjustment to bring the average of the shots slightly further to the right and also a fraction up, but the point of this exercise was to show consistency.

 

As you can see, there were no fliers (SK are very good).

 

One other point worth mentioning is that the average bullet placement does vary very slightly from target 1 to target 2 to target 3. Do remember that between each sequence of 20 shots, I removed and cleaned the moderator as well as the barrel. My guess (and it is only a guess) is that when I reassemble and re-fit the moderator it may have a subtle effect on the barrel harmonics as it will be re-fitted slightly differently each time. We are still only looking at a difference of perhaps 0.1" or 0.2" at 50 yards though.

 

The sequence of 20 bullets were fired in reasonably quick succession (5 shot magazine) but there was no sign after 20 shots of any barrel warming. My barrel does not contact the stock forward of the front mounting screw, it would be wrong to describe it as fully floated because it is not on this rifle, there is a screw which bolts the barrel to the stock.

 

Targets are (hopefully) attached and shown below:

 

 

[rapid rich]

Excellent writeup Dadioles and great shooting

 

Thanks, Rich

[dadioles]

In case anyone wants a copy of the blank target, here it is for you to download and use freely.

 

I designed it to fit on an A4 sheet and each circular target is exactly 1" dia with a 0.5" box in the centre and lines every 0.25"

 

When you print it, make sure your settings say "print 100%" or "print actual size" or whatever.

 

If you do not, it will still print ok but it may be expanded or shrunk to "fit the page" and the 1" circle may be slightly bigger or smaller than 1"

 

It is pdf (portable document format) file that can be printed from any computer. You may need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader or one of the alternative pdf readers (all downloadable free) to open and print it.

a4 20 small targets.pdf

[Underdog]

Very good and kind of what was expected....thanks.

 

How is the bore any better protected once all trace of bullet lube is removed from it?

 

Has anyone here ever seen a rusted out 22 barrel? I ain't by the way.

 

U.

[Underdog]

Stolen from the shilen barrels website

 

We get this question many times and have a great deal of difficulty helping some customers understand that a rifle barrel does not have to be spotless to shoot great. Many times more harm than good is done in trying to get it that way. Picture a car's fender. If the fender has a small dent in it, then professional application of body putty fills the dent. When painted over, the dent becomes unnoticeable, and the surface of the fender is smooth and consistent. The same thing happens in a rifle barrel on a microscopic level. Removing this small trace of copper puts you right back to square one. The next bullet that crosses that area will, again, leave a small trace of copper. Similar to patching a pothole. All successful benchrest shooters shoot one or more "fouler" shots down the barrel before going to the record target. This is not to warm up the barrel. They are resurfacing it on the inside. Benchrest shooters clean between relays to get the powder fowling out, not the copper. However, since copper usually comes out with the powder, they know that it must be replaced to get "back in the groove". I've had shooters tell me they "cleaned their rifle for 3 hours to get all the copper out of it." Their next statement is almost invariably that they had to shoot 4-5 rounds through it just to get it back to "shooting" again. This tells me that in order for the rifle to shoot well again, they had to replace the copper they worked so diligently to remove. I have a 7x08 Improved that shoots the same 1/2" MOA after 15 minutes of cleaning or 3 hours of scrubbing and de-coppering. Personally, I prefer shooting to cleaning. The gist of this is to set a regular cleaning regimen and stay with it. If the accuracy of the rifle is acceptable with a 15 min. cleaning, why clean longer? I would much rather have people admiring the groups I shot than marveling at how clean my barrel looks on the inside.

Thats my take on it too but make sure no condensation has formed by using dry patches shortly after bringing a cold gun in from the cold.

 

Hornets are special.... they don't generate enough heat to get the barrel warm on an odd shot here and there to dry out any water formed on combustion and said water will instantly condense in the barrel usualy close to the chamber.....you have been warned!

 

U

[dadioles]

Very good and kind of what was expected....thanks.

 

How is the bore any better protected once all trace of bullet lube is removed from it?

 

Has anyone here ever seen a rusted out 22 barrel? I ain't by the way.

 

U.

 

I think it is logical that there is a difference between subsonic lead bullets and supersonic jacketed rounds. The original post and my replies have all been in relation to subsonic lead so let's restrict the discussion to that.

 

The test that I carried out shows that there is not a great deal of difference in accuracy between the first shot out of a properly clean barrel and subsequent shots. It was clear, however, that there IS a small difference and that a single "conditioning" shot brings back the accuracy.

 

My guess is that the first shot helps to lubricate an otherwise dry barrel. I am not so convinced that it also "fills the imperfections" in a barrel but that may be the case. Only examination with a borescope would prove that one.

Each of my first shots were slightly low and to the left. I may be able to resolve that question by firing through a chronograph. If the first shot after cleaning is always slower out of the barrel, that will be due to increased friction.

There certainly is lead deposited inside the barrel, it is evident on the first patch when cleaning (tiny shiny silver particles).

 

How is the bore any better protected once all trace of bullet lube is removed from it?

 

As far as the answer to that is concerned, I think you are quite right, it isn't. What I would suggest though is that by cleaning the barrel you are removing powder residue which may be corrosive, it may also attract moisture and encourage corrosion, there may also be lead deposits that trap water.

Again I am guessing, but it seems sensible to remove all of these "foreign" substances by cleaning (it only takes a few minutes if done regularly) and if the gun is not going to be used for a few days, run a patch of gun oil through the barrel to prevent any corrosion.

I am not suggesting that you should clean a barrel of lead and bullet lube and just leave it unprotected, just that it is better to give it a known level of protection than just sticking it back in the gun safe after a shoot.

 

Has anyone here ever seen a rusted out 22 barrel? I ain't by the way.

 

I do not have much detailed experience of looking down small bore rifle barrels and cannot afford a good borescope in order to gain that experience. It does seem logical that a poorly looked after barrel will suffer from corrosion and pitting and that cannot be a good thing. I would not mind betting that there are an awful lot of badly pitted and poor condition .22lr barrels out there.

Corrosion would cause the sharp edges of the carefully worked rifling in a new gun t break down and the otherwise polished and smooth bore would become uneven and a bit like sandpaper. Deposits on the barrel wall may be stuck firmly enough not to be dislodged by a later bullet and may have the effect of scoring a bullet as it passes through the barrel and causing a "flier", who knows? Maybe this is why some people report that it takes quite a few rounds to restore accuracy after cleaning their barrel. Maybe there are an awful lot of imperfections that need filling? Oh for the use of a bore scope.

 

It is all conjecture but a clean barrel followed by a conditioning shot does work with my gun.

[Bitfitter]

With respect dadioles the original post was in relation to .22lr and .243 centerfire so it is all relevant

[dadioles]

With respect dadioles the original post was in relation to .22lr and .243 centerfire so it is all relevant

 

You are quite right, put it down to senile dementia on my part....

[dadioles]

I give up. I cannot make sense of it and am becoming too anal for my own good!

 

The spread of readings from my chronograph placed 1ft in front of the muzzle range from a lowest reading of 986 to a highest of 1041 over 25 shots which is pretty consistent for .22 subs (SK in this case).

The average is 1013 fps (91 ft lbs) with a standard deviation of 14 (on the box it says 315 m/s which is 1033 fps). All shots within a half inch box at 50 yards, no fliers.

 

Given that the whole purpose of this exercise was to test out a cleaning regime I am confused.

 

After cleaning, my first shot always pulls very slightly low and left. I hoped that it may be the consequence of a slower bullet. Slower because the barrel was dry and free of any lubricant. The chronograph shows that this is not the case.

 

I cannot explain why the first bullet after cleaning behaves differently to the second and subsequent bullets.

 

I shall carry on keeping my .22lr clean and just accept that the first shot after cleaning is likely to be about 0.3" low and left at 50 yards.

 

It was fun though......... Now back to the rabbits....