Barrel cleaning - fouling shot

[charles p]

I thoroughly cleaned all my rifles last year and removed copper I never knew I was missing.  This year I fired my 7-08 once and a friend fired my 270 twice.  Having always found that most rifles shoot best after a fowling shot or two, would you clean these two rifles or just put them up for a year?

[diggler1833]

Shouldn't harm them.

[Swampman]

I don't clean until after hunting season.  I try to shoot at least 5-6 rounds through a gun before I'll hunt with it.  Once a year is enough for a barrel.

[anweis]

I don't clean until after hunting season.  I try to shoot at least 5-6 rounds through a gun before I'll hunt with it.  Once a year is enough for a barrel.

I have a 6mm Remington that shoots 1/2" groups, but only between shots 10 and 45 after cleaning and copper removal.  
That rifle does not get cleaned between October and December.

[R.W.Dale]

Unless me and my rifle gets thoroughly wet I make a point of NEVER hunting with a clean bbl.

I clean my guns when I get em and again accuracy starts to degrade. Most of my rifles this turns out to be a couple hundred round interval

[Graybeard]

All barrels have their own pattern of how many shots need to be fired before accuracy peaks and how many more before it wanes. Knowing that is key to getting best accuracy from your rifle such as anweis mentioned that his does well between shots 10 and 45. We should all learn that and keep up with it really. Me I'm too lazy. I learn what my rifles can do and whether they need a few or several shots to reach that level. I then shoot them until they get there and stop. I don't clean a hunting rifle again until accuracy drops or it gets soaked by rain which these days would be rare.

My varmint guns luckily seem to go really long strings before they need to be cleaned but then need several shots to get back to that level again as well. You just need to shoot your rifle enough to become familiar with what it wants and give it that level of care. Mine get cleaned only when necessary not just to feel some esoteric satisfaction that I cleaned them.

[MZ5]

I agree with GB on this.  I used to clean a LOT, and rarely let a rifle get more than ~50 shots down the tube (unless on a specific shooting outing) without cleaning.  Even at the range, I'd clean.  I don't now.  They don't need it.  In fact, in most cases one can prove to oneself that their rifle prefers to not be squeaky clean.  Not always, of course, which is why I agree with GB.