billrquimby Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Thanks for the info Bill. I think I realize now that we were talking about two different things . I didn't mean to infer that I thought the rifle was fouling after only a dozen or so shots. What I was trying to say was after the 200+ shots down the tube and my consistent ineffective cleaning the rifle had become fouled. I wasn't letting the solvent do it's work and the copper kept building up until it got to a point where it affected my accuracy. That and the brake was a bit loose as well which probably threw the harmonics a little haywire, but accuracy was inconsistent even after I fixed the brake. The reason i asked how old your rifle was is because I have been told the barrel makers are getting tighter and tighter on tolerances and fouling is affecting newer barrels more. I'm not 100% sold on that one, but it does make a bit of sense. Also, if you have a very high quality barrel that has been well lapped with a clean throat (I would imagine you do ) it will foul less. (Less reamer marks to create the copper dust and vapor. Even the rifling process has an effect on how much copper fouling is created.) Also, good quality hunting bullets that have pure copper jackets to control expansion will tend to foul more than match type bullets. Barnes bullets for example have a very bad reputation for copper fouling. I was using Noslers and Scirocco's, but plan on playing with Bergers this Spring. Again, thanks for your input and information Bill. I appreciate it. And I wish you further succes with that 7mm of yours. I bet that thing could tell some stories Hi Kevin: I've only fired 175-grain Nosler Partitions through that barrel, except for perhaps 20-30 rounds of 140-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips, which I loaded especially for my desert sheep hunt. After that, I zeroed it again for 175-grain Partitions. This thread has made me feel guilty. I suppose it's time to buy a cleaning rod and some supplies and clean the darned thing. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Sniper Report post Posted January 10, 2009 ... I suppose it's time to buy a cleaning rod and some supplies and clean the darned thing. Bill Quimby Bill, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted January 11, 2009 ... I suppose it's time to buy a cleaning rod and some supplies and clean the darned thing. Bill Quimby Bill, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Hadn't thought about it, but that rifle is kinda like Barbra Streisand. She needs a nose job, but she's smart enough to not risk what surgery might do to her voice. A clean barrel could affect my perfectly good rifle's performance. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
