The kind of powder you use will make a big difference. If you know where the rifle shoots on a clean barrel, then adjust your sights and hunt from a clean barrel. If you only know where it hits consistantly from a fowled barrel, then fowl it, hunt with it, and clean it that night... And start all over the next day.

"What if you have a stainless gun barrel can you leave it fouled without rusting the barrel?"

Not for very long. Stainless steel also rusts.

Yep. The "stainless" steel that's used to make gun barrel (usually 416R but sometimes 410), is NOT the same alloy as the stainless steel in your silverware drawer. While the stainless your spoons are made out of is extremely corrosion resistant, you may have noticed that the SS isn't very hard and bends easily. Gun barrels aren't made out of this alloy, for obvious reasons. 416 SS is hard enough and strong enough to handle the repetitive pressures and stresses of a firearm, but it not nearly as corrosion resistant. Far more so than blued chrome-moly steel, but prolonged exposure to moisture and/or corrosives for any length of time and it can and will rust and pit.

Better to clean it thouroughly after every days use than to have it rust and pit and regret it later.

Mike

I think some are confused w/fouling a barrel and corrosion. You can foul your barrel w/ a #11 cap or 209 primer and in no WAY cause corrosion when you drop your powder load down thisprimer fouled barrel. Corrusion only happens when you explode the BP or substitute to cause the causticreaction or as already been pointed out, wet powder. With that being said I have always shot clean barrels and swabbed totally clean between shots. This season howeverI had some trouble w/my X-7 Omega and I ended up dirting the barrel w/a 209 to get my Sabertooth load where I wanted it. By the timeI figured out the clean shots were 11" high I was all sighted in and didn't wantto change anything for the season. I hunted in heavy snow and rain conditions of 17 degrees up to the low 30's. What I NEVER do is bring my firearm into a warm enviroment unless in a padded or foamed gun case and would let it warm up to room temp for 12 hrs unlessI were to clean it. I have followed this rule for 7 NY seasons and NEVER have had a misfire or delayed ignition. I have always covered my barrel ends when hunting by useing finger cots or the cut off ends of those harbor freight blue gloves. I originally started out w/ ballons but the were not very strong and split easy. I always keep a 5 on hand, hehe!

But to be sure if you do shoot a fouling shot w/a true powder load and don't clean it for a season, kiss that barrel goodby...

BTY, I didn't fire my BP rifle this season for the first time in 7 yrs.. None of the deer racks I saw were outside the ears and 8 point or better. I hunt BP through the regular firearms season whenall I hear is BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. It just blows my mind to hear so many shots day after day. Either they miss one heck of alot and need some range time or are mameing tons of game. I only found one dead doe that the crows were feasting on.
When I shoot everyone comes to see....KaBoom, dead deer....
I have numerous high power modern rifles that hold very tight groups that I don't shoot,JUST love BP.....
Thanks,
Steve

Seems to me if you can get 1st shot accuracy from a clean barrel than go with it! The question is...can you? I guess it may take quite a bit of work (shooting) to find that load. Yeah, sounds like fun!!!

Amen!

My Optima always shoots high on the first cold, clean barrel. Either sabotloader or cayugad suggested fouling before I shoot for groups. It eliminated the first high one. I load about 40g of 777 2FFg and a cleaning wad and fire it off. I only spit patch through out the entire session.

oldrookie

Basically that is the same thing I do, but I would also say I think T7 is the only powder we can do this with. Instead of the spit patch I do use a Windex patch, throughtout the season... + I do another no-no also, I do lightly, very lightly, oil the bore again for a little added bore protection in the fould Idaho weather.

This procedure has offered me the protection and the accuracy that I feel very comfortable with.