Why do so many people talk of getting a bore scope:
a. when you shoot a rifle until it looses accuracy, the first thing you learn is just how
difficult the barrel is to clean, and the effort that it does take is not worth letting
the bore get fouled to the extremes
b. along these same line above, you learn just how ineffective your cleaning methods
for years has been
c. you learn that cleanliness is a very good thing when it comes to accuracy
d. you learn just how many chemicals are not much better than using Kool Aid or
Kerosine in your barrel to clean with, good bronze brushes that are used no more
than 100 strokes do the hard work.
e. you learn immediately that while some guys speak with authority about their
cleaning method, chemicals, etc, this has no bearing on your application as they
never reference the caliber, number of grains being fired, cleaning frequency that
their method works. Cleaning a 223 shooting 24g of powder every 25 shots is a
lot different than shooting a 7 Rem mag where you are firing 25 rounds of 71g of
Retumbo every 25 rounds. Then you try and clean your 308 that has been fired
200 rounds of R#15, and your head wants to explode because you do not have
the know how or cleaning knowledge to get the super cooked on carbon out of
your barrel.
Accuracy is a relative thing, different for everyone. For me, 1 MOA means I need a new barrel, and 1/2 MOA is acceptable on the larger end, striving for 1/4-3/8 MOA.
I do make my own laps and lapping compounds out of various grades of AL Oxide and have two grades of Silicone Carbide that are used in severely abused barrels.
So, cleaning methods and frequency is relative to your accuracy goals. Each barrel will have a frequency that it likes to get cleaned for best accuracy. Custom barrels like Krieger, Brux, Bartline, Lilja, Hart, etc rarely ever take more than a Couple of shots to foul the bore, and pushing a couple of patches of lighter fluid through the bore prior to leaving home goes a long way in helping a clean cold bore shot go exactly where it should.
As Alex Wheeler said, a serious accuracy shooter should be constantly measuring his OAL to the lands where he has established a particular barrel likes a certain Jump or touch the lands for best accuracy. Two things go hand in hand, clean barrel and Cartridge Over all Length to the Lands, and I measure my COAL every 20 rounds.