Copper Build Up on Rifling

[ToolMann]

Looking for some thoughts. My wife's Weatherby Vanguard 2 in 270 WIN has excessive copper build up on the rifling. I had this issue before with Barnes bullets, but am shooting some Nosler handloads. Gun was shooting great out to 600 yards. Last trip out had ridiculous vertical stringing. Cleaned it up good, no real improvement. Cleaned again, removed and reset action, and shot decent today, but not the 1" 10 shot groups (at 100) I'm used to with it. Not even close to that. Yesterday when I was cleaning I looked into the muzzle end and noticed copper again (may have been there but has crappy lighting in my basement and don't always look down that end after cleaning). So after the range session today I broke what was left of my Barnes Cr-10 and went to work. 30 minutes of the process on the bottle, over and over. Kept getting dirty patches but in the end still have what looks like excessive copper build up. You can see it very clearly (I can try to take a pic if that helps) on the rifling lands, but the grooves are clean and shiny. So, any thoughts? Anything to worry about. Our other rifles never have this problem.

Thanks in advance.

Tim

 

[rayporter]

once you get it, it takes a lot of cleaning to keep ahead of it.

 

[wildwilderness]

Lots of JB bore compound, sweets 7.62

 

[ToolMann]

Ordered some Bore Tech Cu+2. We'll see how it does.

 

[D_Dubya]

Ordered some Bore Tech Cu+2. We'll see how it does.

I have had good success with Bortech removing copper. I have found in my guns that I shoot Barnes in, that clean is key to accuracy. Still, a bad case of fouling can be a real pain to get cleaned up even with all the right stuff.

 

[Big Lew]

David E. Petzal’s method has always worked for me.

How to Clean a Rifle

Gun cleaning isn't difficult and it's extremely important if you want your firearms to last. Here's how to clean a rifle.

www.fieldandstream.com

 

[Aviator]

Bore tech, best I’ve found for copper.

 

[Lawnboi]

Do yourself a favor and get a bore tech jag and rod while your at it so you can actually tell if it’s coming out or how badly it’s fouled. Brass jag plus the bore tech solution leaves a lot of blue on a patch even without running it down the barrel.

All my barrels have copper streaks in them. I rarely clean for copper, mainly carbon. I wouldn’t let what your seeing effect what you do. Let the rifle tell you based on how it shoots.

Nothing wrong with getting a good clean in and starting at square 1. That said I’d be exploring many more options than just a streak of copper on your rifling.

 

[rayporter]

i tried some boretech eliminator while shooting dogs this summer and it was good stuff.
i would follow up with something safe like butches or shooters choice, though.

wipe out gets used quite a bit also.

 

[ToolMann]

Appreciate all of the thoughts and info. We'll see how it goes. I did look other places before going the copper removal route. Action removed from stock and reset, tried a different scope, checked base and ring screw torque, etc. It is shooting better than the day with vertical stringing and huge groups, so I think I'm getting it back on track. I started playing with loads again which I shouldn't have done since I had the load dialed. I'm going back to my original load, try to get the barrel back in shape, and see what she does. I want to take that rifle pronghorn hunting this year. It will go deer hunting either way, but hoping I get it back to being my "long range" gun.