How often should you clean your barrel during a hunting trip. I Know that every responsible gun owner cleans there rifle before packing them away, but what about on the field. Say 40 rounds have been fied from .257 Roberts and i am 3 days into a hunt, should i give it a clean. Or for that matter when you are at the local range doing some load testing how many rounds before a clean. Looking forward to feedback.
How many rounds?
- Thread starter butta9999
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ZEBRARANGER
New member
I have to agree, I clean mine after every use. When hunting, there are times thats unrealistic, and I cleaned them when I got home a few days later. But I always wipe them down with an oil rag after every use, hunting or not.
Sidetracked
New member
I check for bore obstructions and anything else that would cause a problem, but don't clean rifles during big game hunts. The only exception is muzzleloaders. After discharging the weapon every night, I scrub thoroughly, and pack it away for the night; waiting to be loaded in the morning.
Most of my rifles have a different POI out of a clean bore, so I prefer a fouling shot at the beginning of the hunt (or put it away dirty a week or so prior). That way, I don't have to remember "...Ok, clean bore means I will impact 3 inches high and 2 inches right, then the next shot is normal..."
The only time I have to clean for accuracy is when I use a dirty powder for P-dog shoots in my .220 Swift. After 80 rounds of filthy fouling, the bore looks like I have been shooting black powder. (Luckilly, it's all gone. Back to 4064 for me.)
Most of my rifles have a different POI out of a clean bore, so I prefer a fouling shot at the beginning of the hunt (or put it away dirty a week or so prior). That way, I don't have to remember "...Ok, clean bore means I will impact 3 inches high and 2 inches right, then the next shot is normal..."
The only time I have to clean for accuracy is when I use a dirty powder for P-dog shoots in my .220 Swift. After 80 rounds of filthy fouling, the bore looks like I have been shooting black powder. (Luckilly, it's all gone. Back to 4064 for me.)
Accuracy loss varies with the individual rifle
And may not amount to anything noticable. Or it may, depending on a lot of variables. Many benchrest shooters clean after 20 rnds. Big game hunters (who know that they are doing) don't clean during the hunt, unless the have to, or can fire a fouling shot before taking to the field, because of the change in POI between a clean barrel and a "fouled" one.
Varmint hunters may clean after a set number of rounds, or at the end of the days shooting, or they may wait until they actually see a drop in the accuracy. Everybody does it a little different. The only harm you can do by cleaning (as long as it is done properly) is to change the point of impact of the first shot. For some rifles it is a relatively small thing, for others it is bigger.
The only way to be sure for your rifle and load is to spend some time shooting it. Keep track of how many rounds you fire (without cleaning) before group sizes begin to open up (and make sure that barrel heat and shooter fatigue are not the causes) When groups open up to where you are not comfortable with them anymore, that it the max number of shots you ought to shoot before cleaning the barrel. It is time comsuming, and costs a bit in ammo, but if you really want to know how much your gun/ammo combination will go before losing accuracy due to fouling, that's the way to go about it. Anything else is just a guess.
Cleaning before you reach the point of losing accuracy hurts nothing (except for the clean bore/fouled bore issue) and every rifle/ammo combination is an individual, as some ammo fouls more than others.
One thing you should do is sight in your rifle carefully, then clean it. Then go back to the range and fire that first shot carefully, and then the second, noting any change in point of impact. Once you know how far off the "clean bore shot" is from the fouled bore group, you will have a good basis for knowing how your rifle will shoot in the field, clean or dirty.
And may not amount to anything noticable. Or it may, depending on a lot of variables. Many benchrest shooters clean after 20 rnds. Big game hunters (who know that they are doing) don't clean during the hunt, unless the have to, or can fire a fouling shot before taking to the field, because of the change in POI between a clean barrel and a "fouled" one.
Varmint hunters may clean after a set number of rounds, or at the end of the days shooting, or they may wait until they actually see a drop in the accuracy. Everybody does it a little different. The only harm you can do by cleaning (as long as it is done properly) is to change the point of impact of the first shot. For some rifles it is a relatively small thing, for others it is bigger.
The only way to be sure for your rifle and load is to spend some time shooting it. Keep track of how many rounds you fire (without cleaning) before group sizes begin to open up (and make sure that barrel heat and shooter fatigue are not the causes) When groups open up to where you are not comfortable with them anymore, that it the max number of shots you ought to shoot before cleaning the barrel. It is time comsuming, and costs a bit in ammo, but if you really want to know how much your gun/ammo combination will go before losing accuracy due to fouling, that's the way to go about it. Anything else is just a guess.
Cleaning before you reach the point of losing accuracy hurts nothing (except for the clean bore/fouled bore issue) and every rifle/ammo combination is an individual, as some ammo fouls more than others.
One thing you should do is sight in your rifle carefully, then clean it. Then go back to the range and fire that first shot carefully, and then the second, noting any change in point of impact. Once you know how far off the "clean bore shot" is from the fouled bore group, you will have a good basis for knowing how your rifle will shoot in the field, clean or dirty.
Ha ha. I can easily put out 30 shots on a single trip. Done it many times. Australia is a big country with a lot of backyard to play in. Currently there are 23 million pigs, 12 million foxes, 10-15 million ferrel cats, buffalo, millions of deer (6 species), rabbits, 65 million roos, wild brumby, wild donkeys, camels, dingos, and millions of wild goats, hares, crows. All within a full days travel from my doorstep in melbourne.
Plus putting a few on paper too making sure the sights are not knocked before going out on that hunt.
And the CZ .22 does get a workout. I shot 27 rabbits in two hours at my dads work 10 min up the road. But no mate not on the moose, we dont have them here. Would love to come to the states one day, you have some amazing game there too.
Happy hunting.
Plus putting a few on paper too making sure the sights are not knocked before going out on that hunt.
And the CZ .22 does get a workout. I shot 27 rabbits in two hours at my dads work 10 min up the road. But no mate not on the moose, we dont have them here. Would love to come to the states one day, you have some amazing game there too.
Happy hunting.
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The smart shooter wouldn't clean the bore of a rifle that is known to be shooting well DURING a hunt. Sometimes those prevalent OCD cleaning habits get right in the way of good common sense. Contrary to common perception, a dirty barrel won't rot off the action in a couple days. Even with blackpowder. 
Hell, last summer while getting ready for muzzleloader season I fired 30-40shots through it without cleaning, or loss of accuracy.
Hell, last summer while getting ready for muzzleloader season I fired 30-40shots through it without cleaning, or loss of accuracy.