cleaning a rifle-load workups?

[Axis II]

deer gun week is a week away and ive still got some combos to check with 3 rifles. if I'm doing 3-5 shot combos do you swab after each 3-5 shot group? is so is it a dry patch or solvent, brush, etc? I noticed that one rifle shot really well from start load-medium and then it opened up so I ran a patch through it and seemed to help a little but then the concern of hunting came to mind.

Say I hit an accuracy node after shooting 20-30 rounds without cleaning or swabbing what's the odds its shooting well due to being severely fouled or vice versa? I have about 50rds through each rifle with just a dry patch swab but have a couple loads I want to check again and afraid if I clean the rifles accuracy might go down the drain and now I don't have a good load.

 

[hdwhit]

I only clean the bore of my rifle after each outing to the range or the deer camp.

But, I'm not trying to reach out farther than about 200 yards, so that might impact your decision.

 

[Walkalong]

I took my dirty .308 out of the safe early this AM, mounted the new scope, and sighted it in this morning. (Took off a 30+ year old 2.5-8x36 Vari-X III) Found a very nice 2-10x50 Lieca on sale at half price)It will stay dirty for deer season.

I used some 147 gr FMJ to make sure it was close at 50 yards. I adjusted it up a few clicks and left a hair. Then I used some handloads (150 Gr Hot Core) to check it at 100, made a small adjustment both up and left, then stapled a new target and shot two factory rounds (150 Gr PSP CoreLokt) at 2 power.

I cleaned it last year at the end of deer season. Never took a shot at a deer. Well, that's not entirely correct, I finished off a 9 point for someone else. Doesn't really count. Shot it at the range a few times.

I think this will work.

 

[someguy2800]

I always hunt with my guns dirty. I do my final sight in a week or two before deer season and leave it alone. Most guns don't really settle down until the 2nd or 3rd shot down a clean bore.

I'm not big on cleaning bores. I wipe the outside of my guns down with rem oil on a towel after each use but I leave the bores alone for the most part. Some of my guns are almost never cleaned and others I know from experience I need to copper clean every 50 rounds to maintain accuracy. For that I just use a foaming bore cleaner and a tight fitting patch on a jag to push it out. Anything shooting cast bullets needs to be cleaned frequently in my experience to maintain accuracy but some guns can be shot for a long time with no cleaning with jacketed bullets.

 

[Dwb1957]

I clean my bore after hunting season and if I do any load work ups I just leave it dirty thur hunting season but I always shoot it before the season.Now if if shoot more then forty or fifty rds thur it I would probably clean it. I would probably shoot four or five rds thur it before starting load development to make sure it is fouled. Some of my rifles will shoot close with the frist shot from a clean barrel it seems every gun has its on quirks. When I do load development I also allow a shot or two when switching from ball powders to stick powders or vice versa.