EVOL Question for all you slug shooters!

[Madeintheuk]

Do you find you have to clean your barrel more often shooting slugs?
I know my fx guns tend to lead up quicker when I started shooting slugs. Wondering if these beautifully polished TJ barrels are any better.
also, do you lube your slugs? If so, what do you use?

 

[Bladebum]

On my wildcat I shoot 23 grain NSA slugs and I never clean the barrel. It is very accurate well past 100. My EVOL i rarely clean, every once in awhile I will run a patchworm through it (500-1000 slugs or so?) . I shoot H&N 23 grains in that and it us even more accurate past 100 yards.

I guess for me, I have not actually ever seen a reason to clean, but also know it definitely doesn't hurt to run a patch through from time to time.

 

[MountainSportAirguns]

When accuracy falls off it's time to clean the barrel, nice thing about AAA barrels is they can be cleaned like a firearm.

 

[Madeintheuk]

When accuracy falls off it's time to clean the barrel, nice thing about AAA barrels is they can be cleaned like a firearm.

How often do you usually see it needs cleaning Dana? you seem to shoot slugs a lot more than most out of these guns. Also, do you lube them? Or shoot them straight out of the tin?

 

[MountainSportAirguns]

How often do you usually see it needs cleaning Dana? you seem to shoot slugs a lot more than most out of these guns. Also, do you lube them? Or shoot them straight out of the tin?

Honestly not that often in my .22 caliber, usually every few tins I clean it to keep things straight. I've not yet experienced any benefits to lubricant, some do swear by it though.

 

[Pumacarl]

The best shooting projectile out of my Paradigm is the FX Hybrids, and these things (not slugs in general) start losing their accuracy faster than anything that I have ever shot. I typically run a tight homemade patchworm through my barrel after every 3 magazines and everything stays accurate. It's not as inconvenient as it sounds for the accuracy that I'm getting. Pellets and regular slugs, like NSA, don't require any more cleaning than normal, as far as I can tell.

 

[Dairyboy]

On my wildcat I shoot 23 grain NSA slugs and I never clean the barrel. It is very accurate well past 100. My EVOL i rarely clean, every once in awhile I will run a patchworm through it (500-1000 slugs or so?) . I shoot H&N 23 grains in that and it us even more accurate past 100 yards.

I guess for me, I have not actually ever seen a reason to clean, but also know it definitely doesn't hurt to run a patch through from time to time.

Which Evol do you have? The Standard?

 

[Bladebum]

Which Evol do you have? The Standard?

Yep standard 15" .22.

 

[Soren Drost]

I usually clean when accuracy falls off

When testing different slugs or switching between different brands, I usually pull a couple of dry patches through the barrel

 

[American Air Arms]

Do you find you have to clean your barrel more often shooting slugs?
I know my fx guns tend to lead up quicker when I started shooting slugs. Wondering if these beautifully polished TJ barrels are any better.
also, do you lube your slugs? If so, what do you use?

Yes, you will need to clean more often. The primary reason is the increased surface area of a swaged slug compared to a pellet.

Leading with slugs in airguns is still an area that need lots of study and development. Lead hardness or lack of is the primary cause of leading. I shot Cowboy Action for years - hard lead in 45 Colt and never saw the level accuracy loss due to leading that we seen in airguns.

Soft lead with minimum nickel or antimony is required due to low pressures relative pressure of an airgun compared to a firearm. With 2k psi, it is impossible to reach any level of obduration with pure lead. Without the ability to form the slug to the bore we rely on perfect and precise sizing, too large by 0.001" and the slug may not even break away, too small leads to poor bore engagement and air bypass.

My recommendation is to clean on a schedule ahead of loss of accuracy. Once leading has reached the point of bad accuracy it is much harder to clean. Lead loves lead and once is starts to deposit, it will grab more and more with each shot.

The best cleaning solution is Shooters Choice Lead Remover.

 

[Madeintheuk]

do you recommend removing the barrel to clean? Or just pull through the transfer port with the gun upside down?

 

[American Air Arms]

A good bore snake is plenty for regular cleanings. If it's bad, removal makes it much easier to clamp barrel in a bench vise (wood jaws) and go to town.