204tcAK
Active Member
i clean mine out after a shooting session every time. i have a scope on top and i usually pop a few rounds before the hunt to make sure still zeroed from the transport.
Should I clean my gun after it is ready to hunt?
- Thread starter Joelb58
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
I clean my hunting rifles twice a year, once when I put them up after the season and again when I take them out before the season. The pre season cleaning is just to remove the oil from the bore & chamber before I shoot them. After checking the zero or load work up I put a piece of tape over the muzzle to keep stuff out & that's how it gets hunted. I'll wipe down exterior surfaces as needed, but the bore gets left fouled.
For the OP, I wouldn't clean the barrel, there's no reason to. A fouled bore doesn't hurt anything, you could leave it for years & it'd be fine. Modern smokeless powder residue does a good job of protecting the barrel. By cleaning it you run the risk of altering POI. None of my rifles move significantly from clean to fouled barrels, but you should always hunt fouled as a rule. If I had a rifle like one poster that shifted 8" between clean and fouled then it would get a new barrel or a new home. That's far too much.
For the OP, I wouldn't clean the barrel, there's no reason to. A fouled bore doesn't hurt anything, you could leave it for years & it'd be fine. Modern smokeless powder residue does a good job of protecting the barrel. By cleaning it you run the risk of altering POI. None of my rifles move significantly from clean to fouled barrels, but you should always hunt fouled as a rule. If I had a rifle like one poster that shifted 8" between clean and fouled then it would get a new barrel or a new home. That's far too much.
It depends on how well you know your rifle. I have rifles that are very predicable when shooting clean, dirty, etc, and the requirement for bringing it to zero. If this is not the case, I would leave it dirty given it has not been exposed to rain. For the length of time you are talking about a fouled barrel will not hurt your bore and give you piece of mind for your hunt.
As mentioned, it doesn't make any difference with a shotgun.
As mentioned, it doesn't make any difference with a shotgun.
