Clean barrel VS Fouling shots - To clean or not to clean...

[Nandy]

Here is my dilemma with my hunting gun.
The gun (as many guns I supposed) shoots groups better when fouled. Now, I dont want to leave the gun with powder residue and risk ruining the barrel. Since I am hunting I obviously dont have the liberty to shoot a fouling shot every morning. So what is the happy medium? Am I over thinking this? I shoot Combined Technology Silver tips that have a coating on the bullet which nosler claims is somehow parallel to molly... What do you guys think?

[keeki]

you should only clean your bore when copper residue has gotten so bad that its affecting accuracy. At least thats what I do.

[josebd]

ive never heard of powder residue ruining a barell?

[Grit #1]

I would run a patch wet with Kroil down the barrel after your fouling shot. Then shoot the rifle with the Kroiled bore to see if the point of impact has shifted. If not you have it made; if it moved then run another patch with Kroil down the barrel and repeat. If the rifle shoots to the same point of impact as the last shot fired from the Kroiled bore use that for your sight dope.
Best regards,
Grit

[keeki]

you are way over thinking this, just shoot it until accuracy suffers and then clean it, foul it, and shoot it some more. keep repeating this until cleaning does no good, (which is alot) then buy new barrel and repeat again.

[Grit #1]

I an assuming that we are talking about a chrome moly barrel. I have seen many a rifle barrel rust from one end to the other after being shot while hunting. 9 times out of 10 the rifle is shot several times and put back in the truck or 4-wheeler only to have moisture condensate in the barrel and ruin it. That is why I recommend the Kroil. Hell most of the time I squirt WD-40 down the barrel.
Best regards,
Grit

[Nandy]

I should have add that the barrel is a run of the mill A&B barrel. Nothing fancy...

[keeki]

if you just want to wipe the powder residue out you can run a wet patch through it followed by a dry patch to remove the oil. doing this shouldnt affect your POI. your POI is affected when you remove the fouling (bullet residue) from the grooves.

[Cserv]

I live and hunt in SW Florida, and shoot every week. The only cleaning my weapons get is a light oil wipe down and dry patches through the bore. I hunt and shoot in all but heavy rain, and haven't had any rust issues. If it is going to sit awhile, then lightly oil your bore and dry patch before shooting the next time.
Just my .02.
Eric

[Nandy]

Sounds like I have been overdoing it.... thank guys for the continuous help.

[squirrelsniper]

Unless you're hunting in some horrendous conditions and get water in the bore, a little fouling in the bore won't hurt anything for a week or two.

My method... Shoot a few rounds to confirm zero. Go hunting. Leave the rifle in an unheated garage while not hunting (to prevent condensation). When the season is over I clean the bore.

[romulus]

If you clean your barrel with KG-12 your first shots will be closer if not with with your fouled shots. I can only claim this out to 200 with my .308 and .300 WM as I've never taken a foul shot on paper further than that.

[Murphy]

I develop my loads on a spotless clean barrel and keep it that way and all of my rifles put their first shot into the same group as every other shot. If you have to fire a couple of foulers off a cold barrel to get it to group it is because the rifle was not properly cleaned in the first place,It just depends on how tight it needs to shoot. I think most varmint hunters would shoot clean barrels because hunting varmints is an accuracy game.