Why clean your rifle? Quite simply, a clean rifle is an accurate rifle. Each time you touch off a round, tiny deposits of copper and lead from the bullets are left behind in the rifle’s bore—not to mention gunpowder residue. If left unchecked, those deposits can cause pitting, which is essentially corrosion. Over time, this corrosion will cause your shot to land just about anywhere—except where you’re aiming.
So, clean your rifle, especially if you have just one rifle for all big game. It’s not hard, time-consuming or expensive. Start-up costs are about $100 for basic cleaning supplies and gear. In this illustrated guide, I will walk you through the basics of cleaning your barrel and action, which takes about an hour. Besides, it gives you an excuse to hang out in the quiet of the garage after dinner.
Supplies Needed to Clean Your Rifle
For this supply list, you can find just about everything you need at Hoppes.com. I don’t get money from them, nor do they give me free stuff; I just like how it smells.
- Secure gun cradle or padded vise
- Cleaning rod
- A one-piece, coated rod is best for avoiding damage to the barrel’s crown and rifling.
- Jag
- Used to securely hold patches, ensuring the solvent and oil make 360-degree contact with the bore.
- Brass bore brush
- A necessary tool for mechanically scrubbing away copper and lead fouling, which contributes to poor accuracy.
- Cloth patches
- Wire brush
- Bore guide
- A critical tool for bolt-action rifles that prevents the cleaning rod from scraping or gouging the chamber and throat.
- Bore-cleaning solvent
- Specifically formulated to chemically loosen copper, powder residue, and carbon buildup that ruins rifle accuracy over time.
Time needed: 30 minutes
7 Steps to a Clean Hunting Rifle
- Safety Check and Disassembly
Ensure the rifle is unloaded, then remove the bolt. Place the rifle in a vise or cleaning cradle and drape a rag over the comb.
- Apply Solvent to Bore
Soak a patch in bore solvent, place it on the cleaning jag, and run it through the barrel from breech to muzzle. Do not pull the patch back through. Remove the patch immediately at the muzzle.
- Brush the Bore
Soak a brass brush in solvent. Run the brush from the breech end all the way out of the muzzle. Only after the brush is completely out should you pull it back. Repeat this push/pull action 10 times.
- Dry Patching
Run dry patches from the breech to the muzzle, removing them with each pass. Repeat this process until the patch comes out clean or nearly clean.
- Clean the Chamber and Bolt
Clean the chamber by gently spinning a clean patch or Q-tip around it. Clean the bolt using a wire brush and a lightly oiled Q-tip.
- Oil the Barrel and Chamber
Run one final patch that is lightly coated with gun oil or lube through the barrel from breech to muzzle. Follow with a lightly oiled patch in the chamber.
- Final Inspection
With the bolt removed, point the heel of the buttstock toward a light source and look down the barrel. If any fouling or debris is visible, repeat steps 4 and 5.
