To clean or not to clean

[HighDesertSage]

Looking for a little help from some guys that understand rifles and cleaning way more than I do. Here is the situation. I have shot my rifle all summer (30-06 w/180 Nosler Accubonds factory ammo). I'm very happy with the accuracy. I went out this morning with a clean barrel to fine tune my dope at 500 and 550 yards. I fired a few to foul the barrel, a few to check zero, a few at 3 and 400 yards, and then moved on to what I went there to do. The changing wind directions and speed really played its voodoo BS on me and before I know it I had 36 rounds down the tube. Accuracy still seemed good even with 30+ rounds out the barrel, as my last 3 shots involved 2 rounds impacting appx. 6" apart at 550, and then my final shot was at 200 to confirm zero. The last shot at 200 impacted as such to still be part of the sub moa group I fired when I first got there. Today is really the last day that I have due to work conflicts for range time before I leave for CO. I may be able to squeeze some time in next weekend, but I got B-day party with the kiddos.

So my question is for you guys with alot of shooting experience, would you A) leave it alone and go hunt. Or B) clean the barrel since it's been shot 36 times, then make time to get back out to the range for a few foulers/zero recheck.

Only reason I am asking is I don't usally shoot that many rounds at one time, and usually clean after every range trip. Other thing I am factoring is sometimes messing with stuff just takes you down another rabbit hole.

Thanks for any comments/insight you may have.

 

[mtmuley]

Hunt it. mtmuley

 

[homers]

I'd leave it alone and hunt

 

[JLS]

A) leave it alone and go hunt.

This is your answer.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Hunt it. mtmuley

 

[JLS]

and usually clean after every range trip.

Stop this. Your rifle will thank you.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Stop this. Your rifle will thank you.

10 4, can you please elaborate? I guess never really thought about. You go to the range, come home and clean.

Thanks for who posted, appreciate the insight.

 

[elkhnter]

Only time I clean repeatedly is after shooting coppers.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I vote you should use what you got and give it a good cleaning after the season. Cleaning it again now would change your POI and put you pretty much back to square one. There could be a lot of things effecting your last handful of shots - little differences in the wind and temp, etc. but also, 40 or so rounds down a 30-06 is a lot of banging on the shoulder. You may not be a flincher, like I am, but that's enough to have some small anticipations creeping into your shooting form.

 

[midwesthunter]

Your gun will tell you when it needs cleaned, which in a hunting rifle isn't very often. Hunt with it

 

[Buckyranger42]

Only time I clean repeatedly is after shooting coppers.

Why is that, given lead ammo is copper-jacketed? I’m switching to all copper so I’m curious.

Sorry, don’t mean to hijack the thread but it seems like the powers-that-be have firmly established it’s best to hunt with a “seasoned” barrel.

 

[Boarmaster]

I clean mine after the season or if its been in the rain or dirty or dusty conditions. Otherwise I hunt it.

 

[elkhnter]

Why is that, given lead ammo is copper-jacketed? I’m switching to all copper so I’m curious.

Sorry, don’t mean to hijack the thread but it seems like the powers-that-be have firmly established it’s best to hunt with a “seasoned” barrel.

I’m afraid of copper buildup.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Clean the barrel. Fire a fouling round at a crow out back, and go hunt.

 

[badkarma6]

Go hunt. Personally, I get everything dialed in in August/September and I don't clean rifles until the season is over.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Why is that, given lead ammo is copper-jacketed? I’m switching to all copper so I’m curious.

Sorry, don’t mean to hijack the thread but it seems like the powers-that-be have firmly established it’s best to hunt with a “seasoned” barrel.

Copper vs Guilding metal. Copper is softer and fouls more easily. Guilding metal (5% ish zinc) is what is used for lead core jacketed and does not not foul as bad due to hardness

 

[EastTNHunter]

I sight in and hunt all season on a fouled barrel. All of my guns shoot better this way, and I don’t have to worry about flyers. Some guns take 8-10 shots before they “settle down” and shoot their best groups

 

[niceshot]

Hunt it. I was told by a very good gun maker to only clean my gun when accuracy is not what it used to be. Now that said, if your in a Wyoming wind storm and your dumping grit out of your gun you should probably run a patch or two

 

[SFC B]

Another for hunt it. I only clean due to environmentals (sand/dirt/wet) and MAYBE once a year. In my previous vocation our "skilled shooters" would shoot many times the amount of rounds that you have through that barrel before even considering cleaning the barrel (they would clean an action on the semi's if need be).

 

[HighDesertSage]

Thanks for the feedback all I’ll be leaving it alone and heading to Colorado in a few weeks.