I will leave it alittle dirty, say if fire it a few times over a week and clean it, if I am leaving it for more then a week or two I clean it, I left my muzzleloader with 777 powder for nearly a year, shot it, thought it made it about 50 yards the gun was fine.
Originally Posted by
Jeff Ovington
Cleaning is important for long term storage. But every gun is different. Out of a clean barrel in my main hunting rifle, my first shot has a different point if impact than my second and third. In my Husky I can get away with lots of shots before groups open up. When hunting season winds down it get cleaned to a brilliant shine, When the season opens and right through to the end it has residue I leave it like that. It's a Husky Swedish Iron Ore is second to none in the World a little non corrosive primer powder and fouling residue in the barrel ain't gonna do damage to this steel. As a hunter first and foremost, not a target shooter, doing this is better suited for me.But yeah when cleaning for long term storage, I do use the wire brush lots when cleaning.