Can I overclean my .17 hmr?

S

spy231

New member
I read on an earlier post that more 22 barrels are wore out by overcleaning rather than shooting.
When I go to the range I normally put about 20 shots through my .17 HMR and when I get home I clean it. Is that too often?
I do the same thing with my .270 when I get it home from the range after about 10-15 shots. Is that too often?
 
The wearing out from cleaning is almost invariably from rod wear..... the cleaning rod rubbing against the rifling. Use a bore guide and a good stiff rod and that's normally not a problem. If you live where there's high humidity, not cleaning a gun sufficiently may more likely cause a problem to your bore from corrosion than will rod wear.

If you are afraid of rod wear and don't want to use a rod on your .17HMR, buy a bore snake, remove the brush inside it, and use that to clean the bore, applying solvent and a rust inhibitor to it. That's what I use on my HMR.
 
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Improper cleaning technique, cheap cleaning equipment and user ignorance probably damages more barrels than just about anything else.

.17 HMR rifles shoot jacketed bullets unlike .22LR which shoot predominantly lead bullets. So I clean them the same as any other centerfire, usually making a note of when accuracy falls off or before storage.

For the small bore of the HMR I like to use wipe out foaming bore cleaner. I then push a couple of patches through on a good rod with a jag via a bore guide. It doesn't take many patches or very much effort, I just let the foam do it’s thing.

I don't like using bore snakes with the exception being my Ruger 10/22 when in the field or when a rod and patches is just not feasible. Something about continuously putting the same "patch/snake" through the bore time and again that doesn't set well with me; even if you are careful at preventing contaminants from getting on it.
 
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Improper cleaning technique, cheap cleaning equipment and user ignorance probably damages more barrels than just about anything else.

.17 HMR rifles shoot jacketed bullets unlike .22LR which shoot predominantly lead bullets. So I clean them the same as any other centerfire, usually making a note of when accuracy falls off or before storage.

For the small bore of the HMR I like to use wipe out foaming bore cleaner. I then push a couple of patches through on a good rod with a jag via a bore guide. It doesn't take many patches or very much effort, I just let the foam do it’s thing.

I don't like using bore snakes with the exception being my Ruger 10/22 when in the field or when a rod and patches is just not feasible. Something about continuously putting the same "patch/snake" through the bore time and again that doesn't set well with me; even if you are careful at preventing contaminants from getting on it.



I agree whole heartedly. Cleaning can cause damage if done improperly or excessivly. Use a guide and quality rod. Dont go crazy with brushes or stong solvents.
 
I don't use a bore snake except for light "intermediate" cleaning (p-dog town or middle of a competition). I also wash them in the washing machine so other than the immediate cleaning there's no buildup.
 
Fouling in a small bore like the .17 may affect accuracy much sooner than a larger bore, as it occupies more of the bore diameter. So cleaning the .17 should be done when accuracy drops off. Personally I think you clean too much if after 10-15 shots.
 
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Improper cleaning technique, cheap cleaning equipment and user ignorance probably damages more barrels than just about anything else.

.17 HMR rifles shoot jacketed bullets unlike .22LR which shoot predominantly lead bullets. So I clean them the same as any other centerfire, usually making a note of when accuracy falls off or before storage.

For the small bore of the HMR I like to use wipe out foaming bore cleaner. I then push a couple of patches through on a good rod with a jag via a bore guide. It doesn't take many patches or very much effort, I just let the foam do it’s thing.

I don't like using bore snakes with the exception being my Ruger 10/22 when in the field or when a rod and patches is just not feasible. Something about continuously putting the same "patch/snake" through the bore time and again that doesn't set well with me; even if you are careful at preventing contaminants from getting on it.



I agree whole heartedly. Cleaning can cause damage if done improperly or excessivly. Use a guide and quality rod. Dont go crazy with brushes or stong solvents.



+10 I agree with you 100%. I have seen guys banging away at a rifle from both ends at the range after every few shots and think they are doing the rifle a favor for cleaning it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif



I am not big on cleaning a rifle until it shows a decline in accuracy. I couldn't begin to clean after 10-15 rounds. I also am not shooting BR comps, a decline in practical accuracy to me would give a BR shooter an ulcer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif and I have a few friends who shoot BR. I am shooting Moly in one of my Broughton barrels, I have put just under 300 rounds through it in the last 2 weeks without a loss in usable accuracy. The load shoots in the .4's for 5 shots on a bench, but I can only hold about 3/4 minute groups under field conditions with a pack or sticks, which is how I do most of my shooting anyway. I cleaned it a few days ago just for grins. It cleaned up very quickly with almost no copper fouling to speak of. I use quality components when I do have to clean. I prefer Mike Lucas' bore guides, and use Dewey rods. I like bronze brushes if I need to and like to wash and clean them before use to keep any grit thats gets on them out of the barrel.

I am waiting for the dang rain to stop so I can head behind the house and sling-up and work on that for the day. If it keeps up much longer I will have drank so much coffee I won't have a chance to shoot straight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif . If I shoot crappy I can blame it on a dirty rifle. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif A guy has to have some excuses, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
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why remove the brush in the boresnake? does it do something bad?



I just remove it because it increases the chance of the pull cord breaking, and, since I only normally shoot a couple of shots a day, or even in a week, it's more important to me to get the powder fouling cleaned out than whatever little copper fouling an HMR would leave. I leave the thorough cleaning with a rod for the end of the season or after a sight in session.

Here in Ohio, with the high humidity during the summer, corrosion is more of a problem, so I would prefer not to run cleaning rods through the gun every day, or week, when I have only put a couple of shots through it.

It's a HMR, not a .17 Remington, so copper fouling is much less of a problem for me than corrosion is. I put solvent on the lead end of the bore snake and a good gun oil on the back end. That holds me until I need to do a proper cleaning with a bore guide and a rod.
 


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