To clean your gun or not to clean your gun-thats my question

[deerhunter64]

I clean after about every 20 rounds. I never let the barrel get hot. Warm yes. Hot never. I always clean after I am done shooting for the day. Cleaning too frequently? Maybe. My rifle is 19 years old HS Precision in 270 Winchester. Still shoots pretty darn well. I have always hunted with a clean bore and still have yet to miss.

 

[wildcat455]

I completely clean my hunting rifles carbon and copper every 10 rounds fired. I do this from day one owning them, through load development, etc. My Hunting rifles will never be dirtier than that. The first round out of my rifles always flies, but after that, they are on.

Now long range rifles of mine are a different story. I clean them powder and carbon only after every range trip. I shoot them at copper equilibrium, and do not clean copper until I notice accuracy falling off.

I'm not expecting to change anyone's opinions or methods, just talking about how I do it.

 

[birdiemc]

Another Marine here, not a grunt though so I just shot a rifle for annual qual...but I never cleaned a rifle a day in my life before boot camp. Then cleaned 27 hours a day at boot camp. Did lots of thinking and paying attention in the years after boot camp, day 1 on the range I didnt shoot as well as day 2 with a halfass cleaning, so day 3 didnt clean at all come qual day shot just fine. Next year didnt clean it at all shot just fine again. Decided then cleaning was over rated. Not unnecessary, but for sure over hyped.
Now, that I'm a bit older, shoot a lot more, and actually own the rifles I have reconsidered the "never clean" approach, but I certainly dont clean as often as some guys.

 

[Wolf76]

I don't clean until accuracy starts to go. I can show people the difference in a fouled barrel and clean barrel. Fouled barrels are more accurate and consistent because the fouling is there filling in the machining marks/etc.
Look away it this way. How much does the inside of the clean barrel change on your first 12-15 shots? Once it's fouled, it becomes consistent.
I'll add aftermarket barrels tend to be less affected.

 

[J E Custom]

There will never be a consensus on this subject because of the many beliefs and shooting conditions. I have tried the many methods and theories. and for my uses and desires I have settled on the method that gives me the best accuracy and barrel life.

Different barrels and shooting situations require different cleaning regiments so there is no "ONE" method that works for everything.

To clean, or not to clean is an individual preference based on very little actual facts. Only testing and repair will tell you if you should clean or not.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Greyfox]

I will test both my hunting and competition rifles for their ability to hold their cold bore accuracy and precision before cleaning, barring moisture has not been subjected to the bore..While results may indicate higher shot volumes are possible, I will clean my hunting rifles every 100 shots, and my competition rifles every 200 for convenience and to keep carbon/copper residues under control in not only the barrel, but action, brake, etc. I will generally season a clean barrel with 3-5 shots. Rimfires 20-30 shots. If my barrel/rifle wont achieve these levels, I will generally change it out to one that does...

 

[Varmint Hunter]

My club is a 3 hour drive from where I live. It's fairly easy for me to run a few wet patches through the bore(s) after a range session and to let the solvent sit in the barrel for the ride home. A quick clean up when I get home is fairly easy. I do not strip to "bare metal" as some shooters do. I typically use BoreTech Eliminator as a primary solvent which can be left in the bore if I don't get to the rifles right away.
I would agree that different regiments seem to work for different rifles/shooters. One of my buddies admitted that he hadn't cleaned his .308 Win model 70 in many, many years. It still shot acceptably for hunting. It took me two weeks of daily attention to get it completely clean. Accuracy did improve but he wasn't impressed. Different strokes ...............

 

[SidecarFlip]

I use BTE exclusively and I clean prior to but send a fouling shot before I go on a hunt. When I get back before I put the stick away, I clean it and oil it. I always bore scope any tube with my Hawkeye. Amazing how much fouling builds up in the rifling.

Do the same with handguns as well. Any tube that sends a gilded pill will accumulate fouling. Nice thing about a Hawkeye is you can inspect the lands for erosion, see the fouling and look at chambers for machining defects. It's a required tool for me.

I use an electronic bore scope when I'm looking at used firearms. Amazing what you can see and the price becomes much more negotiable when you point out issues.

Use borescopes for other non firearm related things too, like looking at combustion chambers in engines, and looking in blind recesses when machining parts. Also handy for looking in walls for electrical and plumbing hidden from view.

 

[Canhunter35]

If you get moisture in the barrel, I will swab it out lightly.
I've also started adjusting how I clean depending on amount of rounds and usage along with barrels temperament towards cleaning.
My 300wby takes 25-30 rounds to settle back in, it doesn't get cleaned often.
My 308 I try to run a patch through with a dab of wipeout on it followed by two more patches every 150 rounds to maintain a level of fouling within the bore
With 20 and 22 cal stuff I clean it much more thoroughly after a 100-200 rounds and try to use carbon cleaner occasionally.

 

[keithcandler]

If you don't clean on a regular basis, you are probably not expecting much from your rifle.

Also, carbon gets super heated and gets very difficult to get out. So, your cleaning, may not be cleaning as you may think. By the time a barrel quits shooting well, it may be a world class cleaning effort with the best of chemicals and equipment to get the carbon out. It is best to stay in front a super fouled barrel.

Lyman makes a super bore scope, and without a bore scope, you know nothing about your bore's condition.

Most barrels will shoot their best if cleaned every 20-50 shots, especially a caliber shooting 50g of powder or more.

 

[tomsd]

Great topic. I grew up in the 50's - and it was clean after ever use. With today's powders - not so much. for Hunting - I would be concerned with first shot accuracy - as sometimes - that's all ye get. !! L(

 

[tomsd]

Great topic. I grew up in the 50's - and it was clean after ever use. With today's powders - not so much. for Hunting - I would be concerned with first shot accuracy - as sometimes - that's all ye get. !! L(

 

[bigngreen]

I n very wait till accuracy falls of, by the time it's noticable and your convinced it's time to clean your a ways down the road from where it should have been done, guy complain about bullet cost all the time yet they shoot half a box to figure out if they need to clean or not, makes no sense. Cleaning is a maintenance thing like changing oils and filters in a machine, do you waiting till your engine is running like butt to service it?
I clean carbon fairly regularly, if I have a barrel that I have to clean because of copper I'm likely to rebarrel it. I don't know how often I clean its probably about 50 rounds tops, and only to bare metal when I change bullets. Every fee cleanings I use an abrasive cleaner and hit the throat to keep it smooth and then push the patch through which keeps the carbon broke down.
The amount of bad shooting rifles I see because of the little to no cleaning idea is of the charts, guys spend more time and money trying to not clean than they would if they just did regular maintenance!!

 

[Jim Lykke]

I clean after every trip to the range. When I'm reloading I set aside 4 or 5 rounds to warm my barrel. These maybe didn't get the head space I wanted or they might have another flaw. I'll mark these "cold/clean".