[Leadnut]

My first stainless rifle (338ME) shoots better fouled but I don't like leaving it that way.

 

[FredT]

Keep it clean and figure out how to foul it before the hunt. Remenber, it is stainless not stainproof.

 

[ihunter338]

My first stainless rifle (338ME) shoots better fouled but I don't like leaving it that way.

The bore-snake is my best friend, with a couple of drops of gun oil just behind the brush. I shot plenty, during shooting and after I use the snake. There are plenty of stainless products for cleaning and maintaining. To me, nothing beat a soft cloth with a couple of drops of 3 in 1 oil.
I don't really pull out the cleaning kit until around 100 round have gone thru. Just keep it wiped and lightly lubed and you'll be fine.

 

[sullivan]

I have no idea how long you can put off cleaning a SS barrel, before the bore deteriorates, spoiling accuracy. It is not the sort of thing you would want to experiment with, or you could end up needing a new barrel. But you have the dilemma of initial inaccuracy which takes a few shots before settling down.
Just wondering......do you "condition" your SS bore after cleaning? All of us here follow this practice, which consists of oiling after thorough cleaning.
Then, before the next outing, dry out the chamber thoroughly. Wipe out the bore twice; two patches, one pass each. Maybe one pass with one patch. See which option works the better.

 

[dpe.ahoy]

Come hunting season, mine don't get cleaned out until they are done for the year unless they get soaked. Here in Montana, we don't have to worry as much about rust if firearms are not stored in humid basements. Just another reason I love it here. 8) DP

 

[gunpowder]

From whatever I have read during the last 30+ yrs on stainless...it takes awhile for the barrel to 'break in'.....more than 30 round's..i.e. unless someone lapp's the barrel before use...

Once the barrel is lapped ... you will see a difference.. in grouping...

 

[Leadnut]

I do run oily patches through after cleaning for storage then run a coulpe of dry patches through before shooting. I have never seen any indication of corrosion that I can tell if I do let the 338MXLR sit a couple weeks. But then is corrosion in the stainless going to be a green patch?

With my Blued 30-06, if I let it sit for a couple weeks after shooting I get green patches out if it. That's non corrosive ammo too. Seems it is prone to corrosion?? Do green patches always mean corrosion? For anyone with an answer, that's with the cheap Federal Power-Shock in a Remington 7400 carbine, Redfield scope... excellent scope by the way. It loves that stuff, at least for factory ammo it does pretty good. Must have 1000 rounds through it by now and it still shoots 1.5" groups at 100 like the 338MXLR. I know some people don't have anything good to say about the 7400... mine has been excellent... 338MXLR is my favorite rifle of all time though, so don't kick me out a here yet...sorry:=))

I didn't put it together about the ammonia used on stainless being a problem... thanks Sullivan.

Thanks everybody for the good info!

 

[sullivan]

Leadnut,
Ammoniacal solvents, if left in too long, will etch steel and that is with chrome-moly barrels. From memory, which is a bad thing for me to rely on, ammonia is prone to attacking the sulphur in SS but I would not like to swear to that.

If I may comment on your second paragraph, the green on the patch, In That Instance, is verdigris, a result of the copper jacket material corroding. IMO, if your (copper) fouling is corroding, then your barrel is doing likewise, Under It.

I have no idea why green patches do not come out of your stainless rifle. The copper fouling in it should corrode too.

 

[okc-jimbo]

I picked up a "Lead-Clean Gun Cloth" recently to clean my Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter. I wanted to removed the carbon and such from the cylinder and barrel. It worked beautifully. I cleaned up with the L-CGC and then went over everything with oil and clean patches. Looks cleaner then new. I haven't tried it on my stainless Marlins yet, but will.

As noted above, this is an end of season or once in awhile type cleaning. I wouldn't do this after every use. The cloths are made by Pro-Shot Products. Do not use thus on blued or case hardened surfaces.