QUESTION ON GUN CLEANING?

GOBBLER TRACKS · 11-20-2003, 11:15 AM

HI GUYS , I HAVE A QUESTION ON GUN CLEANING, I SHOT MY 300 REM ULTRA MAG TO SIGHT IT IN FOR BEAR SEASON, I SHOT ABOUT A HALF OF A BOX OF SHELLS THROUGH IT, AND I SHOT MY REM 270 TO SIGHT IT IN I SHOT ABOUT A HALF A BOX THROUGH IT ALSO ( about 10-12 shells out of both) MY QUESTION IS NOW THAT I HAVE THEM BOTH SIGHTED IN, SHOULD I CLEAN THEM NOW AND BLOW A COUPLE OF SHOTS OUT OF THEM TO GET OUT ALL THE OIL,OR WOULD IT BE OK TO WAIT TILL HUNTING SEASON IS OVER, I WOULD PREFERABLY WAIT CAUSE THEY ARE SIGHTED IT, BUT ONLY IF IT WILL NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE TO MY GUNS. ANY INPUT WOULD SURE BE HELPFUL THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL IN BUCK SEASON.

Danny45 · 11-20-2003, 11:34 AM

How was your last three shots out of both?

If your groups were okay, and hitting where you wanted them to, leave it alone until after the season, then really clean them good to get the copper fouling out.

If your groups weren' t that good compared to earlier groups, I' d clean them and fire one shot thru them before hunting.

I usually clean my rifle after every trip to the range. At most, I see a 1/2" difference between my first shot, and subsequent shots on my next trip. On the last trip to the range before hunting season, I take my cleaning stuff with me. I practice for awhile, clean the rifle thoroughly to get the copper out, then fire a 3 shot group to make sure they are hitting where I want. Then I leave it alone until after the season.

LouisianaHunter · 11-20-2003, 11:50 AM

I clean my guns after every outing that shots were fired at. I have not have any accuracy problems related to this but I also don' t bench shoot and try to measure my groups. I just hunt with my guns and they do fine.

Briman · 11-20-2003, 11:58 AM

If it was shooting good at the range, I wouldn' t clean it. The popular opinion is that fouling from shooting it will harm the barrel- it will not. AS long as you keep your rifle dry, the barrel will not deteriorate.

Ruger-Redhawk · 11-20-2003, 04:58 PM

With modern ammunition the need to clean ASAP is not necessary.If you' ve been shooting Old Corrosive ammo clean it ASAP.I clean mine after the season ends. I clean it good then. I may only shoot a few times during hunting season.A few shots won' t hurt anything.If I' ve been hunting in rain I run a few patches through the bore to make sure it' s dry.I do wipe the gun down after every days hunting.My guns shoot as well as the day I bought them and been doing it this way for a long time.
Ruger Redhawk

Vapodog · 11-20-2003, 05:11 PM

Don' t clean the barrel, take it hunting and clean it after the end of the hunting season.

There' s no reason to clean more often than 20-30 rounds and I personally think that number can go to 100 rounds with some guns.

Years ago I shot a .22-250 over 300 rounds without cleaning it and the prairie dogs was still flying at the end of the shoot.