Barrel "Conditioning".

[markjmctec]

i have always thought that cleaning barrels was a good idea and something that should be done just to keep everything accurate and on target, but after reading parts of this thread it has made me think twice. I have always cleaned the barrel using a soft copper brush and never seen and visible damage and now this appears to be wrong thing to do i should be using cloth and no cord as this can wear out part of the barrel.
Now i am confused as i thought metal was more hard wearing than cord, i see the FT boys with the cloth pull throughs and using them every 100 shoots or so. Now are they doing correctly as they are at the top of the airgun evolutionary tree as it were and all the rest of us aspire to be as good as them respectfully.
So i ask if my grouping is the same cleaning the same barrel for 20yrs with a copper brush then where is the damage and why has it not effected the grouping at 40yds (Theoben Sirocco)

[Duncan1976]

Pull through the best

[Christoph1945]

A most interesting thread with plenty of interesting input from any number of experienced airgunners. Many thanks for giving me plenty of food for thought.

I have been trying to tame a 0.177 Stoeger ATAC Supressor for a year or so now, without much real progress. Having read and digested much of the input in here I shall now go away and try to practice what I have read. Perhaps, in the end, I shall have to convert the ATAC into a cricket bat but I shall at least have given it a fair innings. (Pun intended! )

Chris

[buckmaster]

Interesting thread.

[Phillian]

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen shooters on a sighting in range with four or five different makes of pellets opened in front of them, taking five or so shots with each type and then saying that their gun is not grouping.

Whenever a brand of pellets is changed (sometimes even different batches of the same pellet) or if the barrel has been cleaned then the barrel has to be "conditioned" to that particular pellet by putting at least ten shots (I do 20 to be on the safe side) through it before trying a group.

Different brands of pellets have different percentages of elements in them which affect hardness, coefficient of friction, B.C's etc which all have an effect.

Just thought a "Heads-Up" on this subject might stop a bit of frustration....

Neil

Interesting never thought of that

[spr0cket]

As a newbie to the area of airguns, some useful info in here on caring for the new rifle.

Thank you to the various contributors.

[Steyr]

Had no problems yesterday swapping between JSB Heavy and Defiants - but both were lubed with the same oil

That is unlikely to make a difference. If using the same lube was a solution it would be common practice. It is.more.lieluly that both projectiles you used are essentially compatible.

[Banjo]

Whenever a brand of pellets is changed (sometimes even different batches of the same pellet) or if the barrel has been cleaned then the barrel has to be "conditioned" to that particular pellet by putting at least ten shots (I do 20 to be on the safe side) through it before trying a group.

Neil

Thanks for this, it's something I kind of suspected / worked out but it's good to have confirmation. Been testing JSB's from their 'sample pack' and didn't find too much of an issue switching from one to another, but when I switched to RWS, H & N, or AADF my groups went all over the place for the first mag before starting to settle down.

[hutchys]

Old but good thread with plenty of food for thought.

[u.k.neil]

I really cannot believe that it is nearly 16 years since I started this thread off.

frightening isn't it?


Neil

[gordon]

And It'll soon be Christmas Neil

[angrybear]

I really cannot believe that it is nearly 16 years since I started this thread off.

frightening isn't it?


Neil

That's because it isn't

9/2008 - 1/2020 = 11.3 years not even close to 16

should've gone to .....

[stephen hanson]

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen shooters on a sighting in range with four or five different makes of pellets opened in front of them, taking five or so shots with each type and then saying that their gun is not grouping.

Whenever a brand of pellets is changed (sometimes even different batches of the same pellet) or if the barrel has been cleaned then the barrel has to be "conditioned" to that particular pellet by putting at least ten shots (I do 20 to be on the safe side) through it before trying a group.

Different brands of pellets have different percentages of elements in them which affect hardness, coefficient of friction, B.C's etc which all have an effect.

Just thought a "Heads-Up" on this subject might stop a bit of frustration....

Neil

never had to do that rifle brand new gets a good pull through until patch is clean and never had any probs getting the right pellet but have seen people do that and spend all day and get no were, my self once you get the right pellet stick with it but just because jack down the road says this pellet is good, it might be crap in your rifle ,I have seen people twist there heads of over pellets, I ask them for a go and I do one shot. and I look close and follow through and if it land were the cross hairs are I just say that's the pellet for your rifle fire 20 to 30 and lets see the results, I take all the other tins a way and say shoot away and after an hour, I ask they say fantastic and every time were at the range there is just the on tin of pellets, siting with lots of tines you will never get it right .

[u.k.neil]

That's because it isn't

9/2008 - 1/2020 = 11.3 years not even close to 16

should've gone to .....

Doh....... Was looking at the date that I joined this forum..


Neil

[HW777]

Doh....... Was looking at the date that I joined this forum..


Neil

Still pretty impressive though for a thread to still be running for 12 years Neil.



I remember reading many years ago, a Venom article in one the AG mags.

Saying not to clean a barrel from breech to muzzle, as you don't want to be dragging any muck up from the barrel,

through the choke and crown, which kind of makes sense to me.