Rifle cleaning insanity
01-06-2014, 01:46 PM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,781
I disagree. Barrels get ruined by incorrect cleaning not by cleaning frequency. Most benchrest barrels are cleaned frequently.
01-08-2014, 11:52 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Buffalo, WY
Posts: 992
Personally I do it infrequently and correctly. If it's shooting well I leave it alone. But then I'm not a bench rest competitor either.
01-08-2014, 05:39 PM
#13
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
I have a buddy who says; "cleaning your gun is way over rated ! " LOL
Clean all fouling including copper and use a bore guide when you do clean your guns.
Most would agree to take 3-5 "fouling" rounds before you take that gun hunting.
Clean all fouling including copper and use a bore guide when you do clean your guns.
Most would agree to take 3-5 "fouling" rounds before you take that gun hunting.
01-09-2014, 05:10 AM
#14
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,762
I guess I am a bit different. I clean my rifle after every shooting session. But in the original post it was stated that the intent was to leave the copper fouling in the bore to fill imperfections. Another poster stated each barrel is different and I agree. Some barrels are have less imperfections than others due to the different manufacturing steps. That is the main reason I like to break in a barrel when I get a new rifle. There are different schools of thought on this too. The reason I do a break in is to 'polish' the bore to remove as much of these imperfections as possible thereby eliminating areas for fouling to hang up in the bore. This results in less fouling buildup, easier cleaning and consistent accuracy. I have several hunting rifles that easily shoot sub MOA and one or two that shoot 1/2 that when I do my part.
On the flip side though, when I shot indoor 3 and 4 position smallbore competition, I had a Winchester 52 target rifle that I never cleaned. After many thousand rounds that rifle would put every shot (except for the occasional dud round) into the X ring - again if I did my part.
On the flip side though, when I shot indoor 3 and 4 position smallbore competition, I had a Winchester 52 target rifle that I never cleaned. After many thousand rounds that rifle would put every shot (except for the occasional dud round) into the X ring - again if I did my part.
01-09-2014, 07:50 AM
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Buffalo, WY
Posts: 992
"When I've shot my last group at the range and I'm happy with everything I just put it away. I want the next shot out of that barrel (in the field) to land right in that last group I shot from the bench."
That's how the old man put it and I've never heard it said any better.
That's how the old man put it and I've never heard it said any better.
