VFG Cleaning Pellets or Bore Snake??

[maffas]

Hey Folks,
Which of these would be better to clean my HW90K .177?
I have read a thread on here about barrel conditioning so understand the process would just like to find out a little more on cleaning before I spend out.
Also any solvents/oils recommended would be appreciated.

Regards

Maffas.

[bunideath]

There was an article in Airgun World some time ago where they asked several large airgun makers about barrel cleaning and they nearly all said dont clean,leave it alone.I remember that Daystate was one of them cant remember the rest. Obviously this not the case if barrel rusty etc. Cheers

[mashed104]

Everytime i aquire a second hand gun i do the samething if it makes a difference or not i dont know but i always do just it ,

I fire a Felt pellet that has a few drops of oil on it , Then fire another 5 through dry , I then fire 15-20 of the pellets im going to be zeroing with usually bis mags to line the barrel ,

I then fire a further 10 shots through the chrono to check what consistancy is like ,

Then zero the scope to the rifle at 30 yds ,

[shootgun]

the felt pellets works fine for me too...

[18 Wheeler]

VFG pellets.

Here's an excerpt from Daystate's online manual:

BARREL CLEANING
For optimum performance the barrel should be periodically cleaned using felt cleaning pellets lubricated with a barrel cleaning solution recommended for air rifles or alight grade oil.
The frequency depends on the pellets used and the individual barrel, but as general guidance the barrel should be cleaned at least every tin of pellets.

[secretagentmole]

Just do not bother cleaning unless you suffer a decrease in accuracy, ie if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[paul james]

Neither.
Both leave a certain amount of lead/crap/rust still in the rifling, i use the VFG rod system as it's the only one i have tried that really cleans out the barrel. I tried the pull through with some Napier rifle clean cloth cut for patches in my HW100 barrel which was removed from the gun to make cleaning it easier, after a few patches they emerged clean from the barrel, i then used the VFG rod with an intensive cleaning felt and it came out black, it took several of these and the regular felts before they were also emerging clean.
The felt pellets fired through the barrel won't shift anything, a pull through is better, but the rod system is far and away better still.

[jumbuck]

There was an article in Airgun World some time ago where they asked several large airgun makers about barrel cleaning and they nearly all said dont clean,leave it alone.I remember that Daystate was one of them cant remember the rest. Obviously this not the case if barrel rusty etc. Cheers

In the 35 years i have been shooting air rifles i have never cleaned a barrel and never had any problems with accuracy Early on i was told by a proper gun smith that they don't need cleaning so i have never cleaned them (as already said there are exceptional circumstances, rust etc.). I do clean my powder burners but not too often as if they are cleaned too often the accuracy can go off and that was my case with my .17HMR, the guys on this forum soon put me right and it has been great ever since

[18 Wheeler]

IMO it does help to reduce fliers. Whilst I always clean new barrels as they are invariably filthy.

As Paul says above, the VFG routine seems to remove crud that others leave behind.

[Gwylan]

I'd use a simple pull through with a patch and some gun cleaner, or white spirit. Some bore snakes have wire brushes in them, which can cause damage, especially to PCPs with breech seals. If you use felts, you MUST put a pellet in behind them, or you'll wreck the piston seal, and possibly damage the ram. I hate felts, as you have to catch the little bu99ers to see if your barrel is clean.

Gus

[pelletpower]

I use a cleaning rod with the brass wire brush end first to loosen the lead from the rifling, then I use the Napier pull threw with a light spray of oil on the first patch and the keep pulling clean in oiled patches threw until its clean. Then re lead the barrel with the pellet I'd be using with say 25-45 shots and then that's it.
I have never used the cleaning pellets, they seem abit of a gimmick to me. There is no way they will move anything from the rifling.

ATB
Jamie

[angrybear]

The only form of cleaning any of my air rifle barrels get is a dry VFG felt at the end of a tin of pellets.

With a PCP you can do it indoors (although it's quite a bang!) and easily find the felt which will be black, but with a springer you MUST put a pellet behind the felt, or even push it through with a rod which is how I do my springer.

[18 Wheeler]

I have never used the cleaning pellets, they seem abit of a gimmick to me. There is no way they will move anything from the rifling.

Depends how you use them.

Firing a lightly lubed felt (Lupus grease preferred) is a good method of removing any moisture from the bore after a session.

If you want to actually clean the bore then do the full VFG routine (Intensive felts + VFG bore cleaning compound, working through to regular felts and finishing off with Lupus grease, all done with a rod). There is probably no better way of fully cleaning an air rifle barrel.

[maffas]

Thankyou for the replys people, im still a little confused as to weather leave it alone or clean??
Ive not even put a full tin of Bisley Mags through it yet so I may just take the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' advice for now.

Thanks again

Maffas

[Big Seth]

Clean it when you want to clean it