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In general I swab my barrels evry 20-30 cycles (with patches mostly an occational use of a NYLON brush) but, I recently read an article stating that a 22-250 was cycled 100+ times (with no loss of accuracy) before cleaning. IT was stated that after cleaning it took longer to foul the barrel "IN" again. I should mention jacketed stingers were used. does anybody else shoot extended intervals ?
I clean my rifles for four reasons.
1. If I have been shooting jacketed bullets and want to run cast. Copper fouling kills cast accuracy.
2. If the groups start to open up or the cycling is affected.
3. If I am breaking in a new barrel.
4. When I am putting them away for storage after the season ends.
Some rifles shoot better clean, some don't. It really depends upon what you are shooting and how many rounds you are going through. As long as the accuracy doesn't deteriorate, the barrel isn't showing any signs of copper, lead, or powder fouling, and the action isn't building up any grunge, I don't bother cleaning most of them, except the semi autos. It is not unusual for me to put several thousand rounds through a rifle in the course of a year, especially if I am testing bullets. The only time I use nylon brushes is with copper solvents, bronze for everything else as it's so much faster and more effective. REALLY dirty bores (common with used guns, especially milsurps) sometimes require electronic cleaning alternating with specific solvents and brushing if different kinds of fouling are layered.