BARREL CLEANING AFTER BREAK IN

[Methow Packer]

During load development how often do you clean your barrel. Referring to quality custom barrels. Every group fired or every twenty rounds etc. Depends on the cartridge and velocity? Let's use 30 Nosler as an example.

 

[orangediablo]

I oil regularly and clean as needed when groups start opening up. May not be the best practice, but if it ain't broke......

 

[hunternhunter]

I clean after an extended range session; but I don't clean with the main intention of preserving the barrel. Instead, I am trying to maintain a constant level of bore cleanliness, hence a constant level of accuracy. Going 1000 rounds without a cleaning will not harm the bore under normal conditions -- non-corrosive primers, smokeless powder, and jacketed bullets don't really have much in them that will do permanent harm, and unless the bore gets wet nothing much negative happens -- but it will get slowly but steadily dirtier, and this will eventually begin to affect accuracy. Some rifles begin to show the effect after 10 rounds; some may take hundreds of rounds.

 

[game4lunch]

I just use a bore snake at the same rest intervals when I cool the barrel. I'm hesitant to use any liquid or cleaner because it can throw your shots off. Otherwise they wouldn't allow "foulers" shot before a competition.
I also remember advice I got while competing in an NRA rimfire qualification, that a "dirty barrel is an accurate barrel". Never would have believed it if I hadn't seen the results. I only used a bore snake in the barrel, but did keep the chamber clean and dry.