EQUIPMENT

A pull-through or felt pellets, to clean the bore of the barrel to remove excess lead “dust”.
A very soft brush ( a photographers puffer brush is ideal) for dusting sights, trigger mechanism etc.
1/4” paint brush for dusting less delicate areas.
A silicone cloth to clean exposed metal areas, particularly the barrel sleeve.

SMALBORE RIFLES:-

Views vary on this subject. Some, even very experienced and successful, shooters never deep clean their rifles. The theory being that fouling in the barrel reaches a critical mass and this provides consistency. They will, however, ensure that the moving parts are not hindered by the build up of lead, lubricant and propellant deposits and will use either a lightly oiled “rag” or a silicon impregnated cloth to prevent rust on exposed metal parts, particularly the outside of the barrel.
Others clean their rifles thoroughly after every time they shoot. They will fire several rounds to foul the barrel before commencing a competition, to gain consistency that the non-cleaner has. The number of shots depends on the particular rifle and the shooters attitude.
In both cases confidence in the equipment is essential and whatever gives the shooter the most peace of mind is the approach they will take.

FULLBORE RIFLES:-

Unlike small-bore ammunition, which is made of just lead, the lead in a full-bore round is contained in a copper “jacket”. Because of the very high velocity the lead is liable to become molten. The “jacket” contains it so that it keeps it’s mass. On it’s transit through the steel barrel the copper leaves a deposit behind which, if not removed, will cause an electrolytic reaction and corrode the barrel.

Whether shooting full-bore or small-bore, if the rifle gets wet in should be stripped and thoroughly dried off before storing.

WORTH REMEMBERING

All target rifles and pistols are precision instruments and should be treated with great care as the slightest damage will affect the accuracy and will be expensive to rectify.

Finger marks are highly corrosive so always try to hold the rifle by the stock and use the cloth to wipe them off, if they appear on any metal parts.

Have your rifle serviced by a suitably qualified gun-smith every year or two, depending on how much use it gets. Make a note of how the service has affected your group and how many shots it takes to either deteriorate or improve, this will give you an indication of how often to clean the bore.

ALWAYS make sure that bedding screws, sights and anything that has a screw though it to keep it on the body of the rifle is secure.