# What happened to my .17 hmr



## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

what happened to my .17 hmr. It use to be a nail driver. All 10 shots from the clip in the red target area. Now, it is spraying all over the page.

The old adage : if it is not broke, don't fix it works.
I decided to push a brass brush thru the barrel. Had to hammer it thru.
cleaned it up with lots of patches.

Still the same results.

Help, any ideas as to how to fix it. All screws are tight, everywhere.
I wanted my grandson to shot it and prove to me that he could hold onto a target and hit it, then we would move up to my .223 then finally onto my wife's .243.

Well, I can't ever hit a target with it.

Help, what can I do.

B.D


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## Flapp'n Shad (Sep 29, 2015)

My boy's .17 did the same thing,but i found couple loose scope mount screws.


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## Jungle_Jim (Nov 16, 2007)

How many rounds through it approximately?

I am betting that it is copper fouled. I use Sweet's 7.62 solvent.

Directions:
1: Push patches soaked in Hoppes #9 through it. 3 to 5 should do it.
2: Scrub with phosphor bronze bore brush, 50 strokes. 
3: Push dry patches through it until one comes out clean.
4 *Repeat steps 1-3*
5: Push 3 patches soaked in Sweet's through the bore. If you start seeing you patches turn blue/green it is working properly.
6: Soak a patch in Sweet's and push/pull back and forth in the bore working towar the muzzle. When it comes out it will have a lot of blue/green color.
7: Let it sit for 5 minutes.
8: Dry patch it until all blue green stops coming.
9: *Repeat steps 1-3*
10: Run dry patches through it until you push through a clean patch.
11: Run a patch soaked in CLP through the bore.
12: Run a dry patch through it.

It should be noted that this method is only good when using a bore guide and jag to push patches. If you are cleaning the rifle with a bore snake or loop you are wasting your time.

Jim


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Rounds thru it: I am guessing now.
Probably not more than 300. Which would be 6 boxes of 50 rounds.
perhaps 8 boxes.
B.D


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## sixshootertexan (Nov 27, 2006)

Did you ding the crown with the cleaning rod?


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## sea sick (Feb 9, 2006)

Sounds like u had a tack driver. If you haven't changed the ammo, and the screws are tight...lugs,scope,rings..etc
Mount a different scope. If it does it some more,your barrel is the issue. I'd say scope if nothing has changed as mentioned before. And get it on some bags where u take the shooter error out,and the gun is on.


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## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

You hammered a brass brush through? That was a bad idea to do so but it sure sounds as if its copper fouled bad or even powder fouled. 300 rounds is way to many without a cleaning. Best to plug the muzzle and fill the bore with some solvent and let it soak for awhile before doing a thorough cleaning.


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## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

Jungle nailed it. Go buy a Dewey .17 rod and jag.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

When you said you hammered the rod through the barrel I cringe, that is not how you maintain accuracy, or get it back once it's gone. Use a smaller rod and a mop with copper solvent first and swab patches until they come out clean with no copper residue. Then do that again and again until no more copper comes out. If the bore is still tight, or tightness varies as you push a clean patch through the bore, you might have lead fouling. I don't shoot that caliber, so I don't know if the bullets are just plated, or have jacket gilding. If they are plated, lead fouling is a possibility. Best way to get that out is with a few strands from a Chore Boy Copper pot scrubber pad wrapped around a worn out bore brush.....lots of scrubbing with CLP for lube. Keep replacing the chore boy pieces on the brush until they come out clean with no lead residue (shiny silver on the copper). DON'T use a stainless chore boy, DON't use a copper plated chore boy pad, USE COPPER.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Flapp'n Shad said:


> My boy's .17 did the same thing,but i found couple loose scope mount screws.


^^^^^ this. Check all scope mount screws.

Then try a different scope on it.

I doubt it is rifling fouling with that few of shots.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*17 Cleaning*

Buy a one piece rod, the ones you screw together hang up on the joints and can ding the rifling. Gunslick Pro Foaming copper remover works good for cleaning a fowled barrel. Degrease the inside of the barrel first then set the gun up so the barrel tilts down and stick the tube into the chamber and spray it into the barrel until it exits the muzzle. Place a cloth under it so the cleaner doesn't damage your table. I let it sit and then repeat a couple of times and then do a brush/patch cleaning as described in the other posts. On a side note I have shot several hundred rounds through one particular .17 and never have had a fowling problem and I hate to admit I didn't clean it for three years. I did buy another Handi Rifle this year that didn't group too good so I lapped the crown and broke the sharp edges a bit but haven't shot it again. The next suspect is the scope, could have come loose, either the mechanism or the mount.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Thanks for your input so far:

Well, I did not actually use a hammer. As soon as the brush passed the chamber and entered the barrel, it just stuck and I could not push it forward, nor could I pull it back our. I have a nice one piece rod with a handle for a better word for it on the end. It is round similar is size to a toilet paper holder in the bath room. since, I could not pull the brush back out, I just started hitting the end of the rod with the heel of my hand. It would go about 6 to 10 inches and I did this until the brush came out the end of the barrel. I unscrewed the brush and never used it again.

Now another question: Hoppe's 9 was suggested. I have two kinds.

One says "Hoppe's No. 9 gun Bore Cleaner"
the other says " Hoppe's No. 9 Copper Remover gun bore cleaner"

Pictures below: Which Hoppe's No. 9 are you guys referring to?

I did check all screws for tightness. All are tight on the scope and the ones holding the stock to the barrel/rifle assembly are tight.


thanks,
B.D


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## Jungle_Jim (Nov 16, 2007)

Blue.dog said:


> Thanks for your input so far:
> 
> Well, I did not actually use a hammer. As soon as the brush passed the chamber and entered the barrel, it just stuck and I could not push it forward, nor could I pull it back our. I have a nice one piece rod with a handle for a better word for it on the end. It is round similar is size to a toilet paper holder in the bath room. since, I could not pull the brush back out, I just started hitting the end of the rod with the heel of my hand. It would go about 6 to 10 inches and I did this until the brush came out the end of the barrel. I unscrewed the brush and never used it again.
> 
> ...


First use the bore cleaner. If you follow my suggested steps on the previous page I think you'll be just fine. 
I have not used the Hoppes copper remover. But I wouldn't even worry about using it until after patching and brushing with the bore cleaner first.

After researching the use of Hoppes copper remover just follow the steps I listed before.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Try a different scope. Reticle adjustment hardware internal to scope may have failed.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

It is easy to say: try another scope. 
I don't have any good scopes laying around. 
I don't want to remove one on a rifle that works. 
When all else fails, I will consider it. 
Thanks fÃ´r your input. 
B.D


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## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

What makes the experts on here think 300 rounds is not to many for it to be cleaned? A copper jacketed bullet is a copper jacketed bullet. It will leave deposits in the bore just as a 30-06 will. It should be cleaned regularly like any centerfire rifle should and should be cleaned and lubed before storage.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Don't use a bronze wire brush with copper solvent, it will eat the brush and you will never get a clean patch because of the fouling the brush will leave. Use a mop or patch with the solvent and give it time to work.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Pocketfisherman said:


> Don't use a bronze wire brush with copper solvent, it will eat the brush and you will never get a clean patch because of the fouling the brush will leave. Use a mop or patch with the solvent and give it time to work.


X2

I ruined a 223 by waiting too long to clean after Barnes bullets. Had so much copper it would not come out. Dont blame Barnes it was my stupidity.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Thanks for all of your input.

Time for me to get to work.

One last question: Is the bore snake worth using?
and of course
when to use and how to use, i.e. do you put the hoppe's No.9 on it.

This is in reference to my other rifles.

B.D


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

IMO the bore snake won't hurt, will help a little. But nothing takes the place of a serious cleaning with a copper removal solvent (after the bore snake or regular powder removal solution). Some of the reloading manuals have recommendations for cleaning intervals for best accuracy as often as 10 rounds for the hot cartridges. Bore smoothness gets into the mix also.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

I think "Sweets' has the best copper solvent bore cleaner out there. But just an opinion.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

CHARLIE said:


> I think "Sweets' has the best copper solvent bore cleaner out there. But just an opinion.


Beat me to it. Just be sure to use in a well ventilated area


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## UnclePoPo (Jun 4, 2013)

Before switching out all the different suggested components try this. Clean it really well and go back to the range and shoot 20 to 30 rounds through it. Don't worry about the grouping with those. After the barrel starts getting fouled start with checking your grouping and see if they start tightening back up like they used to.

I had a 17 that would shoot very tight groups and then let loose once it became to dirty. Once I would clean it it still shot terrible groups until I would dirty the barrel back up. Sometimes it would be 50 rounds or so but once it hit its sweet spot it would tighten back down like before.

Give it a try, it doesn't cost you anything but some time and a little ammo.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Jungle Jim

Thanks for your input. I worked most of the afternoon cleaning the barrel.

It was very difficult getting the brass brush through the barrel at first. After using the hoppe's barrel cleaning and then using the hoppe's copper removal cleaning and letting it set for an hour or so, getting the brush thru the barrel became easier and easier. I noticed a small about of blue on the patches, no green. At first the patches came out black big time. So, I am guessing lead fouling.

After getting the brass brush to go through at first, I soaked the brush in the copper cleaning solution. I think this helped.

Any how, hopefully it is clean now. I will take it to my lease in Bandera and put it on my bench and see what happens.

It definitely needed cleaning. A lesson learned.
thanks for all your input.

Uncle Po Po, I will take your advice if the barrel is still spraying.

B.D (also known as Jim)


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## rundm (Dec 1, 2012)

.17 cal is a very small hole and does not take much to foul up the barrel. Sweets is a good cleaner but you don't want to let it sit for long in a barrel. Butch's is real good also and safe for the barrel. I don't usually use hoppe's any more because it normally takes to long to work. Like you found out, you have to run several patches through the barrel to get out the copper and the carbon fouling. Usually, once you shoot enough through a new barrel, it will clean up much easier and take longer to foul.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Where do you find Sweets. I looked at Academy today and did not see it.

B.D


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## sylvan (Dec 26, 2007)

Even with all the different available products, it's still difficult to choose sometimes. Here's what I do.

Sweets is a good copper solvent cleaner but I haven't had good luck with it as a carbon cleaner. Rim fire shells lay down a lot of carbon. The Hoppes' will clean carbon but not the copper. Therefore, I clean the carbon first followed by the Sweets. Don't leave Sweets in the barrel and Don't use bore paste on a 17.

*you have to have a .17 cal cleaning rod, brushes and jags..... and a lot of patience because .17 cal anything requires the most cleaning and is the hardest to clean of any cal I have ever shot......1 hr of shooting requires 2 hrs of cleaning.
Nevertheless, I still have a HMR and a 17 Bee however, I don't shoot them much because of the cleaning.... I've gotten lazy in my old age.

I'm not making fun of you when I say 'good luck' getting the copper out of a 300 round no-clean 17 barrel.... I mean it!


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Blue.dog said:


> Where do you find Sweets. I looked at Academy today and did not see it.
> 
> B.D


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/643582/sweets-762-bore-cleaning-solvent-200-ml-liquid


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## Jungle_Jim (Nov 16, 2007)

Blue.dog said:


> Thanks for all of your input.
> 
> Time for me to get to work.
> 
> ...


Bore snakes are for field cleaning. Use patches going from chamber to muzzle.


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## Jungle_Jim (Nov 16, 2007)

Blue.dog said:


> Jungle Jim
> 
> Thanks for your input. I worked most of the afternoon cleaning the barrel.
> 
> ...


You're welcome. I just hope you get it shooting right.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

Don't be too concerned about using a brass rod in a steel barrel...the steel wins every time.

TH


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 
Thank you. 
Don't know how to post a picture from my
Cell phone and I wish I could. 
After the long and rigorous cleaning 
of my HMR .17, I shot it today at my deer
Lease in Bandera. Put six shots in the red
Yes, my .17 is Back!

My wife's .243 was spraying also. I cleaned
It up with you directions. 
I put 2. In the red and one very close. 
I am a happy camper. 
Thanks all of you for your help. 
Never too old to learn something new and 
I am old. 
Jim


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## Jungle_Jim (Nov 16, 2007)

Blue.dog said:


> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
> Thank you.
> Don't know how to post a picture from my
> Cell phone and I wish I could.
> ...


This make me very happy.

Some one above posted that Sweet's is not a good carbon solvent. That is true. When I clean a dirty gun (I clean other people's guns to make a little extra $) I follow the directions I listed in my first post. Some guns are so dirty that I have to repeat the steps 3 or 4 times, but it works, every time.


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