Cleaning question

[cohunt]

I was taught at a young age to clean my forearm after each time I use it....yet I see guys saying they don't clean for hundreds to possibly thousands of rounds down the barrel.

It's a mental thing for me, I can't not clean a firearm after I shoot it....I try to convince myself but can't seem to get over it.

Is there a quick "patch through" technique you all use to mentally trick yourself into believing you are at least cleaning soot out of the barrel?

Maybe one shot cleaner then a dry patch?

What is the most common point at which to clean so accuracy doesn't suffer?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I clean after every shooting/testing session. Fouling is accumulative and often builds in layers. Baked on carbon that has been sitting in the bore during repeated shooting session is very difficult to remove. I know some guys claim to shoot hundreds of rounds with magnum cartridges and see no ill effect. I just don't buy that. I sure wouldn't want to be the guy who finally cleans those rifles back to a clean bore.

I will say that after a good cleaning it normally takes 3-6 rounds to stabilize my groups again.

I sent a Weatherby Mark V back to Weatherby for accuracy issues. The tech told me on the phone that 95% of the rifles that are returned for accuracy issues had badly fouled bores despite the owners swearing that they clean them. After a thorough cleaning at Weatherby, the rifles accuracy usually returns.

 

[Koda_]

What is the most common point at which to clean so accuracy doesn't suffer?

I dont think the science is settled on this but my theory is if you keep a new barrel clean it wont get to a condition it needs to run fouled.

 

[tribb]

I dont think the science is settled on this but my theory is if you keep a new barrel clean it wont get to a condition it needs to run fouled.

Makes sense if the barrel has the correct internal finish