[Adam]

Just curious as to how often you guys who shoot their .22's a lot clean them?

I use my .22 to practice my shooting techniques as it's a lot cheaper and less abusive than shooting my big bores and the mechanics behind a good shot are the same with one gun as another. Even when I do intend to shoot my .30-06, I still "warm up" with the .22 so as not to waste the more expensive ammo.

My gun has probably had a hundred rounds or more through it since the last cleaning but it's still holding a good group so I'm not sure it really NEEDS to be cleaned. At 50 yards I can cover a 5 shot group with a nickle (if I do my part) and for me, shooting a cheap Marlin with even cheaper "American Eagle" ammo, that's pretty good.

I'm just wondering what your all's thoughts were.

Thanks!

 

[Big Ken]

I've read several opposing points of view in regard to cleaning a 22.....I never run a cleaning rod through my barrel, based on some target shooters recommendations..Others clean their rimfires every time they shoot....Not me.

 

[bergerjohn]

I'd say save your self the time and wait till it needs it.
But thats me and I'm hard on gear!

 

[Adam]

Ken, so what do target shooters & you do?

 

[overthehill]

i shoot competitively in rimfire. i clean action/ chamber often. the barrel i clean once a year after the season. it takes at least one box of 50 rounds to foul the barrel enough to shoot good again. maybe just my rifle. IMHO more damage is done by cleaning rods than not cleaning at all.

 

[jayd4wg]

i clean my ruger 10/22 when accuracy suffers greatly, or the action gets so gummed up it won't operate. So far, with 8 boxes of ammo thru it since i got it, it has not needed cleaned yet and still puts boolits in the 8 ring at 50 yards with a red dot. no complaints.

My 22mag gets a thorough cleaning at the end of hunting season to make sure there's no rust forming in the off season. again when I pull it out of the safe in the fall, and i'll run 1 or 2 boxes of ammo thru it before hunting season and it will not get cleaned until i put it away for good in january. 150 rounds is not enough to copper foul the barrel and it comes clean with 9 patches. shoots bug holes...no complaints.

Alot of long range shooters will say barrel cleaning is overrated. the only time they clean theirs is when accuracy suffers. I'm not that in-tune with my rifles and ride the middle ground - i clean "once in a while", not "never" and not "every shot"
:shrug:

 

[HOGGHEAD]

I usually clean the barrels in my 22 rifles once a year. Whether they need it or not. Seriously I shoot them alot before I clean them. However if I hunt with one and it gets wet then I will give the barrel a good cleaning. But if it ain't wet then it will get er once a year. The first week of the year. All my rifles get their yearly full break down and clean up that week. Tom.

 

[DennyF]

i shoot competitively in rimfire. i clean action/ chamber often. the barrel i clean once a year after the season. it takes at least one box of 50 rounds to foul the barrel enough to shoot good again. maybe just my rifle. IMHO more damage is done by cleaning rods than not cleaning at all.

Pretty much my "regimen" and that of those I shoot with in our winter league. Not much effort required on my bolt guns, but I do tend to clean the innards in my 1022s fairly frequently. I clean the chambers weekly.

On that note, once completely "ignored" cleaning my oldest 1022, many years ago. It went over 3 years with almost zero attention and thousands of rounds of ammo (mostly Win. Wild Cats). Did run a dry patch down the bore now and then and that was it.

My bud picked up it up once when we were at camp, asked me how long it'd been since I'd cleaned that rat ball. It functioned fine for over 3 years, then I tore it apart, cleaned and re-lubed it.

 

[Big Ken]

Ken, so what do target shooters & you do?

I simply follow their advice and do nothing to the inside of the barrel..I worry about damage from a cleaning rod..I'm paranoid about stuff like that.

 

[tundragriz]

22 bullets have a wax coating designed as a lubricant. It lines the barrel to prevent lead buildup. That is why if you do clean it may take many shots to restore the lubrication film. Powder fouling might be a problem in the chamber and just in front of the chamber. These areas you may want to clean on occasion. I don't do much 22 shooting, mainly pest control with remington eley target ammo out of a VERY accurate kimber. I've had it for a lot of years and maybe I'll run a loose solvent patch through it every few years mainly to clean out powder fouling in the chamber.

With wax as a lubricant, the lack of pressure and velocity of a centerfire, lead very soft compared to copper, lead deposition has much less effect than copper in a centerfire. The lead is actually a lubricant itself and excess will simply get pushed out the barrel.

Here is a recent video of the Kimber barrel. There are lead deposits just in front of the throat but the barrel is mostly clean. I think you can see the quality of the bore.
http://picasaweb.google.com/tundragriz/BoreVideos#5494217737462311650

Compare to an early 1900s barrel and what might happen if you completely ignore the barrel.
http://picasaweb.google.com/tundragriz/BoreVideos#5494218595406976690

 

[hunt/fish365]

I don't think I have ever cleaned the barrel of my Marlin. I've has it since about 1999 I think. Couple times it got wet so I ran a couple dry patches down the barrel, and then a semi oily patch. It has fired several thousand rounds, and it still shoots dime size groups with cheap federal bulk packs from walmart. That is my most fired gun. The first few years I had it I shot probably 2000 rounds a year. The past several it has shot probably a 1000 rounds or so a year. Still shoots the same tday as the day I bought it.

 

[great white hunter]

I don't think I have ever cleaned the barrel of my Marlin. I've has it since about 1999 I think. Couple times it got wet so I ran a couple dry patches down the barrel, and then a semi oily patch. It has fired several thousand rounds, and it still shoots dime size groups with cheap federal bulk packs from walmart. That is my most fired gun. The first few years I had it I shot probably 2000 rounds a year. The past several it has shot probably a 1000 rounds or so a year. Still shoots the same tday as the day I bought it.

I'm with you on that one!I've never cleaned mine yet.

 

[smage1]

Agree clean chamber and bolt but leave barrel alone!
More rifles are ruined by improper cleaning than any thing else
Smage

 

[jimsdad]

I clean my .22 rifle and revolver every time I shoot them. This includes using a bore brush, oil patch -- the works.

 

[winchesterbob]

A man I trust implicitly (Melvin Forbes of NULA) patiently explained to me many years ago that the priming compound in .22 rimfires contains abrasive materials which when deposited in the throat area do nothing but bad things...Tight chambered 22 rimfires will eventually refuse to chamber rounds when this residue buildup increases...

It's a simple matter to clean the chamber area/leade to remove any priming compound/powder accumulation and cheap insurance to boot....there's also several rimfire solvents available to those who wish to clean their barrels....

Use of a properly fitted rod guide and sound cleaning techniques will negate any damage to the bore....

 

[tcprohunter]

I will not use a rod in my barrel either! I use a Hoppes BoreSnake. I clean my woodchuckin gun about every 50 rounds. Little cleaner down the barrel and Run the snake through. Thats it. More barrels are damaged from cleaning rod than any other thing you can do to them.

http://www.bellmtcs.com

He has a side bar dedicated to not using a cleaning rod. Really informative guy. Just my thoughts

 

[Winchester75]

I clean the Bolt and receiver area about every 500 rounds. I clean the bore when accuracy falls off which is about 1000-1200 rounds. I do pull a patch worm through with no solvent after a few sessions [200 rounds].

 

[Andy1]

I clean my .22 when they tell me too, when general accuracy suffers. On some rifles that is 500 rounds, on others it is twice that. I always wipe down and clean chambers a little more often

 

[wis bang]

When Dad passed there was a new Rem pump in the gun cabinet. I will take it to camp and shoot 2 - 3 tubes at a time. I've cleaned it once. This is the 5th deer season since he passed.

When I was a teen we shot DCM 22's for the local fish & game. We cleaned them once a year after shooting them every weekend...

 

[jayd4wg]

guys, please make sure we differentiate between 22WMR and all other lesser .22 rimfires (LR, L, S, CB, BB)...the latter bullets are lubed. the WMR uses a "real", "regular", swaged? style bullet which does not have any kind of lube on it (unless you find some of the moly coated ones) and the bullet diameter is different. that's all...moving on.