Thanks for the info!

even my Kentucky .45 can shoot 2maybe3 times with out cleaning, but thats about it. Awhin I put er up for the night I spoil er with a good cleaning &rub down.

This is a great post, hope it stays near the top a while.

I've got a good buddy, he is ex-military and a good guy. He cleans his rifles religiously, after every trip like they taught him. This includes lubing up the barrel.

Nearly every year he misses or makes some sorry shots at real short yardage (<70 yards). And every time I tell him to quit lubing that barrel and hunting with an un-fouled rifle barrel. Now I can pass on somebody else telling him the same thing. Our modern non-corrosive ammo won't hurt that barrel one bit.

ya need ta tell that ta the drill sargents, they tend ta drill that inta ya. while I didnt clean my weapon after every round, m60, did clean it an light oil before putting up. never had a problem with it.

I've used silicone for years.

Good info I'll have to try it both ways and see the difference my rifles shoots with and without oil.

I don't want the barrel dry per se, but I don't want it wet, oily, or fouled/dirty.

I want to know for dead certain where the first clean, cold bore shot is going. I am way more interested in hunting rifles than target rifles too.

I don't shoot as much as a few of you, but more than most would be my guess. I clean them thoroughly about twice a year, clean the exterior every time they are touched/used, and regularly inspect and lube actions as needed in the field. I am probably rougher on some of my guns than most. I think the way you use them, handle them, and your purpose, can vary the "best" answer to this age old dilemma as well.

Also, for the military/LE background, cleaned, oiled, etc. is for reliability reasons, not accuracy. Looser/wetter guns are virtually always more reliable than tighter drier guns, which are almost always more accurate than the former.

And yes before RM says it, I do abuse the Remington 750 that will spend the rest of its life on the front of the four wheeler, but that's what I have it for too.

very light oil if it gonna set up a while keep rust & pitting, can always take clean drry rag patch & run threw before shooting again. if ya ever sell it some people actualy look down barrell, spit shin is what like ta see. Tip for bolt legeraction, kake SURE gun not loaded, can take piece of white paper put so light will shin threw breach it will reflect off paper.

Bump for deer season!

I'll stop cleaning my barrels after each use when gunpowder residue is no longer corrosive to metal.

As for avoiding a dreaded miss, I'll treat that with a good practice regime.

Knowing how your rifle performs with a clean, cold barrel will tell you if an initial fouling before heading to the woods is a must. My Remington 700 will drive a tack on the first shot with a spotless barrel.

On a dare, it once shot the nail out of a board that was holding a paper target at 100 yards.

It's not corrosive

Ive never seen rust in any of my barrels and I have a few rifles that have sat with a dirty bore for 2 or more years in the safe without being fired.

Because rust is caused by humidity not modern gun powder residue

Smokeless powder is not corrosive. Black powder is. 2 different type of powders.

While the powder used in modern ammo and primers is not as corrosive as it was in years past, it still holds moisture which has the same effect on anything made of metal.

I use a dry lubricant, such as Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner and Lube, as a final step in cleaning my barrels. It removes any oil residue, while leaving a lasting protectant against moisture and rust.

Most of the newer blk powder isn't corrosive either

Is it moisture/humidity or oxygen reacting with iron that causes rust?

Its a combination of moisture and oxygen that causes corrosion.

Great advice. I've actually been doing this for awhile. Sighted in both guns this weekend after not cleaning after last 2 seasons. All is good

This^^

I'm glad Chad bumped this.

Had a couple of firemen come out last week in preparation for an elk trip. One fouled rifle shot like a champ. One clean rifle was horrific. It had been cleaned spotless two days before...

I get phone calls from customers each season with this issue from missing a deer or bad shot placement. They over clean them, or clean them right before they go out into the field.

I never clean a barrel to spotless - that is pointless and only adds to the fouling shot count to get the barrel shooting good again.

I don't leave the bore dirty with any of my hunting rifles after the season is over though. While I know that powder is not corrosive, it does trap moisture, I live on the coast, and I just don't like the idea of my .243 sitting in the safe for 9 months dirty. I don't clean the bore during the season at all, and after my yearly sighting trip I run a couple of patches down the bore to knock any powder residue out.

Never had any problems, and the gun shoots sub MOA at every range I've shot at (out to 400).

I wipe my rifles down but seldom mess with the bore. Maybe once every few years.

I will add, when cleaning the bore, clean from the breach and not the muzzle. Some of the metal, brass, aluminum rods can mess up the crown and affect accuracy.