Question for those that leave your bore dirty...

[buckslayer]

I knew it would happen sometime, I finally got a rifle that shoots best with a dirty bore.  My .270 has about 60 shots through it now, and is shooting the lights out, 3/4" at 100 yds is normal.  Thing is, it takes about 15 shots off a clean bore to get there.  So last time I shot, I left it dirty, didnt touch a thing.  Well I was just looking at it a little while ago, I shot is a few days back,  and checked the crown for no real reason, and saw some rust starting about an inch down the bore.  I live on the Eastern Shore of Va, its a humid, salt marsh area, and is hard on guns.  My question is, how do you deal with this?  I want to leave it dirty so its shooting good for deer season, but I dont want the bore to rust, and I sure dont want to clean it everytime and then have to shoot 10-15 shots before I hunt.  So what should I do?

[SteveHawaii]

If you remove the electrolyte (water), steel won't rust.  Try using a dehumidifier in your gun safe or locker.  Silica gel will also work if the safe is air tight.  If you have neither, an air tight bag or container with silica gel in it will work.  I also have a gun that shoots best when dirty, but I don't hunt with it.  Hope this helps.


Steve

[geezerbiker]

Instead of full cleaning, try just running a wet patch or 2 down the bore with Ed's Red and then a dry patch before shooting again.  This does it for all my rifles.

Tony

[bilmac]

I usually clean the powder fouling at the end of the season, but don't try to take any copper out. Sometimes I run a patch through the bore wet with silicone lube as the last patch. When I check zero's before the next hunting season, just a few shots condition the bore. But then I live in a desert environment, and you have to really screw up to hurt the bore here.

[petemi]

When, in a weak moment, I clean a rifle, I finish off with Strike Hold inside and out and never have a rust problem.  It also eliminates oil or grease buildup.

Pete

[gcrank1]

Wisconsin is weird.......hot, humid summers and bitter winters that we have to run a humidifier with the furnace (WHAT am I doing here???). At least in the winter the furnace dries things out, but gun storage was a problem until I got a Goldenrod and gunsafe. I must wipe my guns after handling (Balistol is my friend) and I dont have to run a patch, but sometimes do, especially if I doubt I will be using that rifle for some time. For storage I use the Ed's Red too. I am in the habit of 'checking -0-' anyway, so a dry wipe before, a few practice rounds, and they all seem to settle down (or is it me?) pretty quick. Oh, and I have no 'rusty residue' on those wipe out patches either, so Im satisfied.
I do know what you mean, years ago (before safe and G-Rod) the powder/fouling residue I left in one fine rifle slightly pitted a bore; that stuff will attract moisture! It didnt hurt the accuracy, that I could tell, but eventually the guilt became too much for me. Years of therapy have helped.........
Your question is a good one, do we 'sacrifice' a little accuracy or the barrel steel. Barrels are much more expensive than cartridges, so it is a no brainer for me; just like cleaning from a muzzle is better for me because recrowning is cheaper and easier that setting a barrel back (if you can) and re-chambering because of wrecking the all important throat. )yes, I know you can use a 'chamber guide'; please do if you must clean from the breech).
Off the 'soap box' now........

[dpe.ahoy]

What do you do???  Get the heck OUT of there!  After moving to Gods Country and not having to deal with high humidity, I went to my parents farm in Iowa where I grew up and the heat and humidity was over bearing.  I just refuse to live like that anymore.  The golden rod is an excellent product as is Bullfrog which sells sheets you hang in the safe and it releases vapor that protects metal.  DP

[je265]

I've never liked the idea of leaving a rifle dirty after shooting it. I think it has to do with my time in the Army (Infantry) and when we weren't in the field it seems all we did was clean weapons.
 
At any rate I've noticed change in point of impact as you described between a clean and "seasoned" bore. I decided to do a little experiment with a new 7.62x39 barrel I just had fitted from the factory. I thoroughly cleaned the bore and took one well aimed shot. I repeated this on two other days to shoot a 3 shot group on one target with each shot being from a clean bore on seperate days. I shot my group at 60 yards and it was well under one inch. I didn't bother trying to adjust the scope as I'll do so now that I know the rifle shoots well with a clean bore.
 
I wanted to see what would happen if I controlled as many variables as possible- clean vs dirty bore, cool vs barrel that has heated up. This rifle is for my son to use on deer next year and I'm only concerned with the first shot. This is a work in process and thus far has been a success for me. I know some people have had great success leaving their bores dirty but I wanted to share my experience thus far with a clean bore. I was shooting Winchester 123 Gr soft point ammo for those that were wondering.

 

[gcrank1]

A well described and executed process for a hunting gun!
If it was to be an 'all rounder' (hunting, plinking, etc.) you would want to know, and document, where follow-up shots go so you dont disturb your scope -0-, but hold off a bit. For most fun shooting, if it hits within a few inches, and you know where, you will do fine.