Bore Guides, does anyone use them?

[Aussie Foxer]

Hi guys,

 

i'm about to take delivery of my new Tikke T3 Super Varmint in 222 cal.

 

Should i use a bore guide or are they over rated for a rifle that will be used for pest control.

 

What about barrel break in ?

 

1 shot clean, 1 shot clean etc,etc,etc?

 

Thanks,

 

Neil.

[The Gun Pimp]

Never clean without one!

[mikeroz]

Hi Neil,

I've shot cf rifles for 26 oŕ 27 years. Initially I didn't know how to clean them properly and it wasn't till about 1999 when my only rifle back then, a Remington 700 in 308 went seriously off the boil that I took it for an inspection. The smith, who's boss held the uk bench rest record for the smallest group, gave me a lecture on how to properly clean my gun. Accuracy was restored and a whole load of cleaning products was purchased including bore guides. I have always used them ever since.

I clean my rigle after every outing even if I've only fired one shot.

As for running in, well I didn't do it for my Remmy, but then we didn't have the Internet back then with all this shared knowledge. I don't think it harmed it too much, but I wouldn't not now. I won't cost anything extra but time and you know it makes sence. I think the Lilja barrels website has a breaking-in procedure, but if not the goggle it and eventually sometime will come up.

[MrCetrizine]

I've never used one. I figure the explosion that happens has more chance of causing wear than lightly contacting the chamber with a soft brass jag wrapped in cotton.

[ds1]

rain forest have died for the amount written on this, bore guides are essential for USA "bubba" and his "redneck kin folks" but give it bit of thought.......not all bore guides are the same. I have custom Gucci guides from Neil Jones, very good guides from Sinclair (recommend these) and ok ones from AI and RPA.

 

A guide centers the cleaning rod at the arse end of the action, to do any good it needs to be in line with the bore and the hole in the bore guide just large enough to take the cleaning rod. The Sinclair get round this by using delrin and machining it to the chamber with an o ring seal, so it should be centered in the chamber (the o ring also stops crap going back into your chamber). The arse end hole is still too big as you can pass a jag with a patch through it. RPA bore guides don't seat so far into the chamber but have a tighter hole for the rod (you have to remove the bore guide each time to pass a new patch through). AI guides have neither a tight hole nor seat deep into the chamber, so not much benefit. In general a bore guide, provided it is in line with the bore is going to help keep your rod in line.

 

With my DTA rifles I preferred to clean the barrels without a bore guide as I could take the barrels out of the chassis, set them up on V blocks and pass a rod down them using my forefinger and thumb as a guide.....much easier to clean a barrel when you don't have an action behind it.

[Chanonry]

Bore guide - yes

 

Cleaning all the time - no, only a bore snake until it goes off the boil or will be in the safe for some time. Depends on the use admittedly, but benchers discipline is not needed for many other applications and is probably counter productive

 

Barrel break in - hugely contentious topic. One US barrel manufacturer on record as saying he only has a break in procedure on his website to stop people phoning him up for one and wasting his time. His view was it was a total waste of time. Views range from Superstitious Nonsense to Absolutely Essential. Do whatever feels best.

[VarmLR]

Boreguide every time. Helps prevent misalignment and cack-handed accidents to bore and prevents seepage of solvents into the action and stock area. I clean every time the rifle is shot and use Wipeout (patchout). You only have to leave wipeout in for a few hours after shooting 40 rounds and patch it to see that it's dissolved copper wash from the barrel. Barrel break in (do it or not, and what procedure) depends on how the rifling was formed. Most modern rifles have factory lapped barrels so break in is of limited use. However, I did follow a procedure for my rifles which was to shoot one, clean one for 5 rounds, then shoot 2, clean for another 10 rounds, then shoot 5, clean for another 20 to 30 rounds. Using a solvent, you can check for copper wash which tends to gather at microscopic machining marks or defects and as I understand it, break in is just a procedure to polish the barrel only just enough to smooth out these patches without over polishing the bore, which conversely to thinking can increase barrel friction. You can sometimes feel these patches during short stroking with a patch soaked in Wipeout or similar and I have found that they mostly occur within the first 9 inches of barrel and close to the muzzle end. Once you clean through you can feel a bit of extra friction at these points and short stroking using a brush and solvent at these points polishes them out. Once done, I can usually feed the rod and patch through smoothly all the way.

 

Whether it makes much difference in the long run, the jury's still out on.

 

For boreguides, I'd recommend either one of the custom Shooting Shed ones (aluminium and custom made to fit snugly to your chamber sealed with an "O" ring to prevent solvent seeping back where it shouldn't, or similarly, a custom Delron one (with O rings) which also sits sbugly in your chamber made by Matt at HPS precision rifles. Matt's Delron ones are cheaper than most commercial ones and better imho.

[onehole]

Always use a bore guide,,,shop offerings don,t always fit snug especially at the rear of action and can usually be observed as locking up out of line with bore ,,,not good......I was able to make up my own ,,,,locks up dead in line with bore as rear action bush fits bolt hole exactly and cut down fitted case holds it at the front end,,,,,,,

[foxpig]

Nice dave . They look really smart.

[onehole]

Nice dave . They look really smart.

Thanks,,good to hear from you take care,,,,,O