Cleaning to maintain accuracy

[OregonPlinker]

How often do you clean your rifle when shooting competitively? Just curious... When do you start seeing groups open up? I know there are lots of variables but just in general. Whats your rule of thumb?

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[varminthunter1]

I shoot a 6ppc in benchrest competition. I clean after every other 5 shot group.
5 shots for record, usually 5 shots on sighter target. 20 rounds total. you can duplicate clean, can`t duplicate dirty!
Jeff

 

[speedtriple]

Depends on just about everything. There is no magic number. Different powders will cause carbon buildup at vastly different rates. Different barrels will tear away copper at different rates. Some powers will actually resist copper build up.

On my factory stock Remington barrel I shoot 600 yard competition with, I find I can go nearly 100 rounds. It takes about 5 fouling shots to settle back in.

 

[Creeper]

I shoot a 6ppc in benchrest competition. I clean after every other 5 shot group.
5 shots for record, usually 5 shots on sighter target. 20 rounds total. you can duplicate clean, can`t duplicate dirty!
Jeff

When I shot benchrest competition from the late 80s to 2006, I also shot 6PPC, using Shilen, H&S Precision and Krieger barrels. My cleaning methods were similar. 5 on record, 3 to as many as 10 on sighter... depending on conditions. When I was done with the group, Using two rods, I'd run a wet patch, a brush, and another wet patch.
After I'd reloaded my cases, I'd finish up with a brush, a few more wet patches and a few dry patches. Takes longer to type than it does to do. 1 shot on the sighter to foul and I was ready to go.
As speedtriple mentions... the quality of the barrel will ultimately determine what is required. A cut rifled and hand lapped 416 stainless certified barrel will tend to have far fewer inclusions, and is less likely to copper foul.

For a time, I used moly-coated Burger bullets. No one at the time knew that this could actually create more problems than it cured as regards cleaning.

C