? On cleaning guns or not

[luberhill]

So I’m getting ready , I know kinda early .

I took my .243, 20 gage slug gun and my muzzleloader today to check accuracy .

They were all dialed in just fine .

Question , I always bring them home and clean them after sight in especially the muzzleloader ..

But one of the guys at the club said he only wipes down the outside ..

He said he sights them in dirty so he shoots them dirty ..

[DoubleDose]

The benefits of cleaning far outweigh the potential impact on hunting accuracy.  I dirty barrel may affect accuracy but a deer has a 8-10" kill zone, and the effect will never be noticed.  A dirty barrel will attract moisture and hold moisture which can cause rusting and pitting which will ruin a barrel and accuracy.  Competitive shooters, especially long-distance (>200 yards), typically do not clean their barrels during a season because it is all about pinpoint accuracy for scoring.  

[sbuff]

Clean the muzzleloader unless your using bh209 or it will become a tomatoe stake 

[Daveboone]

Modern smokeless powder residue is in itself harmless to your modern rifle bores. I store them cleaned. That said when target shooting I (and most target shooters) will fire a fouling shot...mainly to dry the bore. For hunting distance accuracy, it is likely not to have any affect. But...I will always err on cleaning too often, than not often enough.  ML...Clean without delay. I used to shoot triple seven, and found I absolutely needed to clean the rifle very promptly also. I eventually returned to strictly good old black powder. It has to be cleaned promptly and thoroughly, but, well....dammit I just like it! But then I am strictly patch and ball now.

[Gobbler Chaser]

With smokeless once sighted in for the season I leave it dirty till the end of the season. Muzzleloaders are cleaned after sighting and when I head out I keep the barrel oil free nice and dry

[left field]

How often do you guys clean a shotgun? 

[phade]

I do it once or twice a year - I do try to hunt with a primed barrel to a degree. Not sure if it helps or hurts, but I usually will send 1-2 down after the fall cleaning and a prior sight in/practice session. It's likely more mental confidence than anything.

 

[left field]

How are you and your wife feeling?

[Bolt action]

I clean all my guns after each time I shoot them. Some cleanings are more thorough than others. If I've shot a lot, or if I see a need, I'll take out the wire brush and patches and scrub and lube them up pretty good. If I only shot a few rounds through, it might just be a bore snake with a little oil on the tail. I never really understood how dirty barrels could lead to improved accuracy. Also, each time I clean them, I give the outside a quick wipe. A dry cloth followed by an oiled cloth. 

[phade]

2 hours ago, left field said:

How are you and your wife feeling?

Better. Still congestion - like the last of it just wont go away. The real lingering thing is jus the fatigue. I get crazy tired doing normal things (like taking trash out for example). Doctors said it will take a few weeks to a month or two for it to really get better. Appreciate the ask.

[left field]

Damn. Good luck.

[TLR]

Clean it after every round 

[Larry]

On my 22 I never clean the barrel the last time I did it shot All over the place.

I just clean the action on it 

[Five Seasons]

the muzzleloader isn't a debate. clean and clean often.

I do intermediate cleaning all other long guns besides the .22 which rarely gets cleaned. 

[Moho81]

Hunting rifles (rifled barrel of shotgun) get cleaned after site in and after the season. Muzzleloader every few shots and before it gets put away. The 22 only gets cleaned when it happens to be out when the other guns are getting cleaned. 

Everything else is is sort of on the "Oh god that's filthy I better clean it" program.