Pellets

[Skipjack76]

l own a Daystate Revere and an AirArms S410 both .177 both accurate rifles but recently l noticed the S410 seemed to be dropping off in accuracy and not because of a drop in pressure so l cleaned the barrel with a pull through and was pleased to find that it was back on the mark, so my question is are any brand of pellet any cleaner than the rest ie are any brands fouling the barrel with fewer pellets fired through the rifle than any other brand.
Is it down to the quality of the lead?

[TonyL]

I have never felt the need to have to clean a barrel. I mainly shoot springers and haven't ever detected a drop-off in performance that dictated a barrel clean. However, I have heard a good few PCP shooters say otherwise and they will advise a clean and re-lead once accuracy drops off. For some, this seems to be a regular "routine" ritual after so many shots after gleaning the information. For others, only when that drop-off is detected.

I have never washed, dried and lubed pellets but understand that this might help in this regard.

At a guess, and pretty much a generalisation, I'd say that pellets from JSB and H&N will be the "cleanest" ex-factory. But the pellet to choose (for me, anyway) would always be the one that delivers the best accuracy in a particular rifle / barrel.

[look no hands]

Like Tone says, I never really cleaned my springer barrels, I did a shroud change on my Prosport and had to heat it up to try and remove the old one but I ended up removing it completely from the action and cutting it off, long story short, whilst it was off, I cleaned the bore through and it wasn't as accurate afterwards as it was before, it has slowly regained accuracy over time as its releaded up from being shot.

Pete

[Jesim1]

Most barrels need a clean now and then to keep them accurate, but it's 100 pellets with some guns and 1000+ with others, there is no real way of knowing till your using that gun. The pellets in my experience have little to do with how quickly you need to clean a barrel, so always clean a new barrel, and then just when the accuracy falls off, although more often will not do it any harm, it's not arguably going to help it any if it's shooting well either

[rapidresponse1]

ive never cleaned any of my springer barrels

[DGG24]

I very rarely clean my springer barrels (95, 97 & TX) but my Red Wolf seems to benefit from a pull to through more regularly than any other gun I've owned!

[rapidresponse1]

my 95 has never had barrell touched

[look no hands]

my 95 has never had barrell touched

It's a break barrel, how do you cock it

Pete

[PCPShooter]

Some barrels do need a bit more cleaning - usually if a bit ‘rougher’

I’ve bought second hand rifles with factory oil in them, (turns to black paste when shot a lot with pellets)
I’m sure at least one rifle was sold as inaccurate - which isn’t surprising if you leave the storage oil in before use …….

You do have to be able to shoot to the rifles limit too to pellet test ‘well’

[Trumpetier]

It's a break barrel, how do you cock it

Pete

[ChrisC]

I shoot HFT comps and both my Steyrs groups open slightly after 500-1000 pellets. When i say open up i'm saying a five shot group at 45 will normally be around 10mm (ish) but after a tin of pellets the group will be closer to 12 or 15mm. I have considered just keeping on shooting to see whether the barrel will 'push through' and the groups will tighten again but as a pull through take 5 minutes and after i know the gun will be on song, then it makes sense to someone who could spend £200 plus a 8/9 hour trip for a comp to have that confidence. I don't wash/lube as i really didn't see a difference with my barrels but i do weigh as i have seen tighter long range groups with weighed pellets.

[Rativity]

I clean my barrels and leave a note on my phone of the date I did it. Then when accuracy starts to open I will know how many shots for that particular barrel. I keep the old tins

[gsxrman]

Find this thread both interesting and strange. Chris says his groups open up, and i believe him, but mine never do and never have that i remember. Only rifle I really shoot now is MK1 Rapid17FT, it has never needed the barrel cleaning, by me anyway.
Ben Taylor cleaned it but after being re-leaded it was fine and remains fine. Solid 1/2" groups still after all these years with Crossman Premiers 7.9s. My XL1 is the same too.
So, is it the barrels of today, pellet material or lube that is on them? I tried JSB in both rifles, XL1 liked them best but they move more in the wind and vary more than the premiers.

[PCPShooter]

No two barrels are the same

some will need a clean more often, others seem to almost never need one

Some ammo is softer and likely leaves more deposit, etc etc .....impossible to generalise

I rarely pull through barrels, once pellet tested, cleaned, re leaded with the chosen pellet. I had an original Fenman with Anchutz barrels that must have been rough as sandpaper inside.
It opened up after 200- 300 pellets, once I understood what was happening, it simply needed a pull through half way through a tin

[HW777]

I have never felt the need to have to clean a barrel. I mainly shoot springers and haven't ever detected a drop-off in performance that dictated a barrel clean. However, I have heard a good few PCP shooters say otherwise and they will advise a clean and re-lead once accuracy drops off. For some, this seems to be a regular "routine" ritual after so many shots after gleaning the information. For others, only when that drop-off is detected.

I have never washed, dried and lubed pellets but understand that this might help in this regard.

At a guess, and pretty much a generalisation, I'd say that pellets from JSB and H&N will be the "cleanest" ex-factory. But the pellet to choose (for me, anyway) would always be the one that delivers the best accuracy in a particular rifle / barrel.

JSB pellets are the dirty dogs of the pellet world, being pure lead they do leave deposits, try rolling a FTT and JSB between your finger n thumb, you'll soon see which is the cleaner pellet