Super interesting posts in here that have some value. Amid the yelling of an idiot that clearly dont know shit....
All I do is rimfire well not really true but thats where my heart is. To clean or not clean? What is clean? What is a true test? How many people who test this test it in a scientific manner?
I test a little bit here and there. My conclusion is it depends....
I'm in Canada and mostly run IBI barrels. 1-16, 1-12 I like Eley ammo the best and I dont clean my bores only chambers and first 1-3 inches of the bore. Why? Not because they shoot better groups as such but rather consistency over a 200+ round match. I have found that I have lower velocity SD with this method which I can show in group vertical at 200 yards. Small bunny trail here I have 2 different actions that I can swap barrels between. That barrel shoots the same at 50yds in both actions but the one action consistently has a bigger SD and always has a bigger group at 200 equal to the difference in velocity spreads. That bunny trail is to explain the why I care about SD more then a very slight difference at 50yds. Now pure group size at 50? Cleaning BR style is going to be best. I'm not sure if I would for 22lr 200,300 yd F-class but thats another topic...
Back to the "it depends" running other brands of ammo they dont all have the same results and some require more cleaning to stay consistent even for velocities.
I have found with all of my IBIs that a 800-1000 rounds was required to reach optimal precision regardless of cleaning used. After the first 1000 rounds I can do a stripped shiny clean very little effort and very nice groups. But velocity will increase with rounds fired as it refouls obviously.
Another "it depends" I got Lothar walther 1-10 this year to test and like usual I recorded to much stuff. What I expected to happen did and didnt happen. I got the velocity increase but SDs? This picture is first 1-500 rounds and 1300-1600
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Hmm ok but look at the high ES on the 1-100 how about if we remove the first 10 shots as foulers because we started with a clean bore?
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Totally changes the picture rounds 10-170 so easy a 1 day match are acceptable. For this barrel I would clean everyday 100%. As far as groups are concerned it shot so poorly at 50 yards (over 0.5") theres no way to tell if groups changes from first 100 to 1500 rounds. It shot okish at 200 but not a winner. Still more work to be done on that..
So whats right? Both have their place in my opinion. BR would not be served well by not cleaning. Probably no match type that you have opportunity to foul either. But something like PRS where its hit or miss and longer ranges where we get no foulers cold bore poi and velocity spreads become a bigger deal then a 1/8" at 50 yds. Having said that just maybe your barrel likes to be clean. Dont go by what someone wrote in a book or posted online. Dont even listen to me go and test for yourself. Get some real data on your rifle with your ammo.
If the more you know the less you know maybe the reverse is also true too...
Hey
@Shayne Ward if you make it up to the nationals at MKM next year say Hi I normally got a yellow shirt on. We're you in squad 1 with Grant from up here? It was the first time us canadians could come down for the Nationals it was very interesting you got some "ok"
shooters down there.
I learnt alot!