The Great cleaning debate.
 

Now, I know everyone will have their own personal opinion but here is the question
How often do YOU clean your guns?
My brother insists that you should only clean it once, then fire it about 20 times then LEAVE it untill after hunting season.
I clean all of my guns weekly, every saturday without missing a beat.
What are your opinions?

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I clean it after I shoot it. If it sits dormant for a long period of time (which is a rarity), I'll run a patch or two of denatured alcohol down the bore, re-oil it, and put it back.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I Also clean after everytime I shoot. There has been times after a trip
that leaves and dirt get into the action or barrel - then I clean the bore
and action. Oil the exterior and she's good to go. Works for me, I have
used the same rifle for 15 years.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I clean them after I shoot them and wipe them down everytime I handle them. That's it. They're all beautiful.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I also clean after every time I shoot them. Except for the Elk rifle. After the final days at the range before Elk season I will not clean my rifle untill I get home from the mountains.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I clean and lube my pistol after every shooting session with Hoppes and some Tetra. I'm a little more laid back about my (pump) shotgun and bolt-action rifles. If I shoot less than a box of ammo, I'll wipe it down and oil as needed, but I don't always clean the bore every time. Well, I will clean the shotgun bore to get the plastic fouling out after almost every session to prevent rust.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

i clean mine after every time i shoot it...
just something that stuck with me after the army,
and growing up i was always taught that

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

During normal use, I clean my guns after I get done shooting that day, and I'll occasionally feel the need to clean them WHILE I'm shooting if I've been putting a lot of rounds downrange.

As far as hunting season goes, I usually sight in and don't clean until the end of season, basically because of what rifle I prefer to hunt with, it's incredibly accurate after a few fouling shots...when "clean" it shoots 4-5" groups at 100yrds, 2nd group is usually about 2.5-3", third group gets down to 1" or better...other rifles I have don't shoot quite that well, but shoot consistently from start to finish (or they're target rifles that weigh a LOT more than I want to carry hunting). Plus, on the off chance I don't get a screw positioned correctly and introduce a new tension to the system, I don't want to be finding this out as I'm taking a shot on a 14pt buck.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

If I'm going to hunt with it, my rifles seem to shoot better fouled. Otherwise, I clean it right after a trip to the range and immediately after hunting season. I use a light coat of gun oil inside and out between seasons, clean it with Hoppe's, finish the job with a dry patch when I head to the range. Works for me.:eek:

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

after every time i hunt or shoot it.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I wait till hunting season is finished before I thoroughly clean my rifles, but i do pass a thin layer of oil every so often.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

I run a patch of hoppes #9 down the bore followed by 3 or 4 patches after shooting I don't clean rifles between the last time I shoot them and the time I take them hunting.

I never clean the bores on rimfires.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

During the offseason, I'll thoroughly clean my rifles after every trip to the range. I usually put about 20 to 25 rounds through each rifle when I'm at the range. After my last range session right before the hunting season gets underway, I generally leave them alone until after hunting season is over. I might oil the outside to prevent rust, but I generally leave the bore alone. I'll take a peek down the bore every now and then to make sure there's no debris in there and if there is, I get it out with a dry patch or some compressed air.

I friend of mine that I hunt with sometimes doesn't have the affection for rifles that I have. He doesn't reload and puts less than a box of factory cartridges through his rifle in any given year. I'll bet he hasn't cleaned his rifle bore in at least a decade. But guess what, he almost always gets his limit of deer each year. Just goes to show that a squeeky clean bore just isn't necessary.

RE: The Great cleaning debate.
 

Well if I shoot it I clean it that day.

If I'm hunting and I shoot it I clean it that day.

If I'm hunting and I dont shoot it and it rains I clean it that day.

If I'm hunting and I dont shoot it and it didn't rain then I just wipe it down that day.