I have found that A) The wax from decent ammunition protects the bore from corrosion, B) Accuracy rarely or never deteriorates due to the bore not being cleaned, and C) Accuracy almost always deteriorates after the bore has been cleaned, and some amount of shooting is required in order to restore accuracy. So I don't clean rimfire bores without pretty good reason.
(Note, of course, that we are speaking of bores. Actions, chambers, etc. are all susceptible to the same sort of troubles as are centerfires, so receive the same sort of attention.)
Yep...that's my experience as well. Shooting on the USAFA small bore team for four years, we
never cleaned the bores...to do so required about a box of 50 to restore the accuracy. But we did keep the bolt faces clean, as well as the chambers of our Smith M-41's.
That said, I must clean the bolt face and chamber area of my .22 autos or risk multiple failures to feed, chamber or fire. Cleaning the chamber area is an easy twist or two with a bore brush. But rest assured, another shot or two is also required to restore the before cleaning zero.
With revolvers, I actively clean each chamber of the cylinder & it's face, as well as the barrel face & forcing cone as it extends beyond the frame. Like the autos, a cylinder full is usually required to restore the zero.
Lastly, if the bore is badly leaded, it'll need a severe cleaning with a chore boy ALL COPPER scrub wrapped around a well used .22 cal. bore brush or a "Lewis Lead Remover". This takes some work to get it thoroughly cleaned out. For accuracy, I use standard velocity rounds of the gun's choosing that'll run the auto actions & ejects well from the revolvers. Or....a quality plated round like the much appreciated CCI Mini-Mag. It's one or the other; waxed plain lead or plated....mixing them indiscriminately is a sure-fire prescription for leading and inaccuracy.
YMMv, but I clean the chambers, forcing cones, and breech faces only. Best regards, Rod