kodiakhuntmaster

I've heard that cleaning a rifle screws up your zero. What happens if you hunt in the rain? I wasn't going to clean it but I had rust in the barrel. So I had to clean it. I sighted it in the other day and it was off almost two inches. That sucks. I hate sighting in my rifle, what do you all do when it gets wet? will the rust hurt it that bad?

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mauser06

rust in the bore will do more than cleaning it i bet!...cleaning it only changes your zero if you leave oil in the bore(easy leave it in until night before the hunt and run dry patches through until it comes out clean) or if you sight your gun in with a crudy bore and clean it after that..it might be off...them are the only ways i can think cleaning it can hurt...i clean mine if they are in the rain or if i shoot them...but during the season no oiul is left in the bore..only when it will be hanging for a while...

skeeter 7MM

Rifles have a personality for sure...sad but true. Most of my guns shoot the same POI cleaned or lightly fouled. I know many who believe a spoiler is required to keep POI. I guess i am saying you'll have to T&E. Mauser is dead on with the oil in the barrel, it shouldn't be done if your using it...keep her dry. Not only will it effect POI, it is very dangerous.

I would say clean her good, then head to the range. Go home and clean her the same way and see if your POI changes. Also fire a 3 shot group before touching the scope adj. knobs to see if she comes back to zero. That is the only way to know what your guns likes...sorry.

Oh and yes rust isn't a good idea. If you hunt the rain makes sure to clean it after each hunt. If your POI changes and needs readjustment, make a log to know what you'll need to do after cleaning it. (this is of course if the results are always typical with a cleaned bore) If no moisture then leave her be.

eldeguello

When I was in the Army, the marksmaship unit people didn't clean their match-grade M1's and M14's, because field stripping them did affect the epoxy-steel bedding and zero. But I have never noticed any change of zero when I clean bolt-action, double-barrel, or single-shot sporting rifles. I had a Mannlicher-Schoenauer .270 carbine that held its' zero without any change at all for 20 years, and it was cleaned thoroughly every time it was fired.

Keep yore powder dry!!

kodiakhuntmaster

Maybe It's just the cheap rifle I got, my old 30/30 used to hold a zero no matter what I did to it. Heck you could swich ammo on the thing and it wouldn't be off more than an inch.

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