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

[gohring3006]

I use bullet coatings so my regimen is different.
My 338 lapua has 500 rounds on it without cleaning with hex boron coated bullets. Shot a 1/2" minute group at 1000 yesterday.

My old 6.5 had over 1000 rounds and still holding 1/2" minute when I sold it. Hex coated as well.

I went thru several hours of cleaning after each range trip, now it's a boresnake, then a hex slurry is applied and I'm done. I'm much happier now that I don't scrub my barrels for hours. One thing I've noticed, barrels don't stay accurate longer, they don't last longer, it just cost me more time and money for the greatest copper solvent ever made.
Benchrest may scrub to bare metal, but hunting and steel out to a mile with a 1/2" minute gun, I don't notice where my groups are improved by bare metal barrels, it's a completely waste of time and money for me.

 

[WindSurgeon]

How often do you clean your barrels?

Competition or hunting? They differ a bit. I have to say that this applies to my competition rifles as well as my hunting rifles.

Competition: Most competitions go for many rounds of shooting. You want to clean your barrel in between competitions or flights if possible, then fowl the barrel before shooting another string for score. It usually only takes 5 shots or so to fowl the barrel on a good competition barrel.

Hunting: I always sight in my rifle before the season, then don't clean it again until I fill my tag. That way my rifle shoots the same on each cold barrel first shot in hunting conditions. I cover my rifle muzzle with a finger condom so water does not get down the barrel. If raining, I wipe down the outer barrel and internal action parts, but don't touch the inside of the barrel. After I fill the tags, I clean it well, lay on the oil and put it up until next season.

 

[WindSurgeon]

It made me wonder if I was maybe cleaning it too much and just maybe if I let it go a bit that first shot might be more of a part of the group.

You answered your own question. Always shoot a fowled barrel.

 

[OnTargetAdventure]

Like what others have said, I clean when accuracy starts to drop off, if I have been in harsh conditions or when changing loads. One thing I would suggest is good one piece rods and a guide. Also, if doing carbon and copper fouling make sure you are not mixing those solvents. Dry completely after one before using the other.

 

[eklarsen]

Not cleaning your gun is just laziness, in my opinion. How do you expect something to work everytime you need it, if it is dirty?

 

[memtb]

I think most stray first shots are the shooter is fowled not the barrel. I was made to record my first shot in a book. After many months it was me. Cheek weld was my issue. I didn't find a lot of variation in cold barrel vs warm. I used to oilomy barrel s before storage or if moving to a new project and not going to use the gun for the near term. did an experiment with my 270 and found if I oiled the barrel the first two rounds shoot right an inch or so. You can see the debris on the crown also

I'm going to respectfully disagree! My light recoil (probably should read zero recoil), small bore rifles show a higher propensity to requiring 1 to 3 fouling shots to start performing as they should. Our larger caliber, much higher recoiling rifles show little to no impact shift from clean to fowled bore first shots! This is shooting and experiencing the same results for 20+ years with the same firearms. memtb

 

[WindSurgeon]

Not cleaning your gun is just laziness, in my opinion. How do you expect something to work everytime you need it, if it is dirty?

Agree when it comes to everything but the inside of the barrel. Guns that are clean shoot differently than guns that are fowled. If you sight in your hunting rifle after several shots (lets say 6 or more shots) and start getting good groups and the right point of impact, then clean it, you will lose your point of aim and then perhaps miss that elk of a lifetime. That's not laziness, that's practical and the right thing to do.

 

[dragonfly]

I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK DOWN SOME OF YOUR BORES WITH A GOOD BORE SCOPE. I'LL BET YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED. I CAN'T BELIEVE SOME OF THESE STATEMENTS OF ADVISE. 500 TO 600 ROUNDS WITHOUT CLEANING. MAYBE JUST LAZY. THE BENCH SHOOTERS THAT I KNOW CLEAN AFTER EVERY RELAY. SOME WEAR OUT A BORE BRUSH IN A TOURNAMENT. DO WHAT YOU, BUT I CLEAN AFTER 10.

 

[memtb]

If I were shooting competition, or lots of shooting.....I'd clean more often. But, as I am primarily a hunter, it gets cleaned when the seasons are over....sometimes! Prior to last hunting season, for zero verification, I shot 2 rounds going under an inch @300 yards. I didn't clean it after last years hunting season, and shot it some during the off-season. Granted, it doesn't send a lot of rounds downrange....but time and rounds fired seem to have little effect upon it's accuracy! memtb

 

[Deleted member 103481]

I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK DOWN SOME OF YOUR BORES WITH A GOOD BORE SCOPE. I'LL BET YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED. I CAN'T BELIEVE SOME OF THESE STATEMENTS OF ADVISE. 500 TO 600 ROUNDS WITHOUT CLEANING. MAYBE JUST LAZY. THE BENCH SHOOTERS THAT I KNOW CLEAN AFTER EVERY RELAY. SOME WEAR OUT A BORE BRUSH IN A TOURNAMENT. DO WHAT YOU, BUT I CLEAN AFTER 10.

Grab that caps lock for us boss

 

[Danny Butler]

When younger I was always told one should clean their rifle. When I was in the Marines there was no question about it what-so-ever. Not so long ago I read an article by a prominent rifle shooting competitor that explained why it's important to keep one's rifle barrel cleaned on a reguler basis. But most recently I'm hearing just the opposite. Some serious shooters say they don't clean their barrel for 600 rounds or more unless of course they get water or dirt ect in the barrel. How often do you clean your barrels? Thanks in advance.

I think your competitors are running gas guns ( semi autos) hence the 600 rd statement. A bolt gun in my opinion needs a good cleaning every time you use it. Some say not till the accuracy suffers. What if that accuracy deteriorated on your once in a lifetime shot. Of course I am speaking of stainless match grade bbl.

 

[skipglo]

When younger I was always told one should clean their rifle. When I was in the Marines there was no question about it what-so-ever. Not so long ago I read an article by a prominent rifle shooting competitor that explained why it's important to keep one's rifle barrel cleaned on a reguler basis. But most recently I'm hearing just the opposite. Some serious shooters say they don't clean their barrel for 600 rounds or more unless of course they get water or dirt ect in the barrel. How often do you clean your barrels? Thanks in advance.

Another question with 100 possible answers! Lol. It's person choice. However the view on this has changed drastically. If you go on you tube and ask the same question....you once again get numerous answers yet it seems many noted professionals are saying 100- 300 rounds after breaking in your barrel. The break in also varies from fire one shot, clean repeat for 10 rounds...fire 5 shots clean repeat three times! Too fire 5 rounds clean repeat 4 times...then don't clean again till 100-300 rounds. Always something new to talk about...but at the end of the day.... what's right....the choice is yours since no one can agree...

 

[tnek13]

I clean and clean some more. Like many respondents I am a Marine have not been active for close to 50 years, but a Marine. I grew up shooting in the 50's I was taught that clean is good. Like many here I have hundreds for dollars in cleaning, reloading and inspection equipment. I am always trying a new rifle or barrel and the only ones that stay will put the first shot out of a clean barrel where the rifle is pointing. None stay that will not shot sub MOA groups including the first shot. I am a hunter not a competitive shooter, for me the first shot counts the most. I agree with the thought that the individual barrel will let you know the degree of clean that it requires to maintain the level of accuracy that you require. I need the first shot so I clean

 

[WWP2012]

I will clean after every 40-50 rounds with Boretech, then a patch with Rem oil, and then store it. Next time out I will fire a fouling round made up of the less than perfect or pulled bullets.

This solves a cold clean bore flyer. It keeps the gun at a steady 3/4 MOA.