JTB,
My barrels get the bare minimum cleaning and for bolt guns that often means going straight back into the safe without being touched. They only get cleaned if it will be a while between shoots or the group size is doing something strange. Group size may be related to a dirty barrel or it may just be me on that day. The MPI changes when the barrel is cleaned, so another reason not to clean.
Earlier in my shooting career there were all sorts of things being tried like carburetor cleaner and Autosol (the thick white liquid car polish). Autosol strips everything out but then needs to be stripped out itself, which takes time and effort. Autosol was recommended by some old timers so it was popular at the time. If you come from the military the dogma of cleaning every time is hard to unlearn but you get over it when you have time to compare. I also use a length of Zerust anti corrosion cord for each barrel. The working parts get cleaned every time but the barrel is left untouched with a length of corrosion cord in the safe.
The spirit of doing this is to leave the copper in the micro-pores and the zero untouched. The zero often changes fractionally but that's due to other things like ambient temp, wind, recoil settup etc. If I clean a barrel the zero gets noticeably thrown out however and takes a few rounds to shift and settle again (fouling shots). If you don't clean you won't need as many, if any fouling shots. If after a while of not cleaning something strange is happening or group sizes seem to be getting bigger, then sure, clean it and see if that helps.
I have also seen a match barrel destroyed by overcleaning. Apparently it was not due to the cleaning itself but the bias of how the shooter was working the rod through the barrel, favoring one side. I do have a few nylon bore guides and these come out when serious brushing is needed. Bore guides come in different sizes for different calibres and actions. Keeps cleaning oils from the chamber, although that's not an issue if you finish up with an oversized patch on a larger piece of wood for just the chamber and neck.
My advice is to let the barrel tell you when it is time to be cleaned, and not just because you think it is the responsible thing to do.
My barrels get the bare minimum cleaning and for bolt guns that often means going straight back into the safe without being touched. They only get cleaned if it will be a while between shoots or the group size is doing something strange. Group size may be related to a dirty barrel or it may just be me on that day. The MPI changes when the barrel is cleaned, so another reason not to clean.
Earlier in my shooting career there were all sorts of things being tried like carburetor cleaner and Autosol (the thick white liquid car polish). Autosol strips everything out but then needs to be stripped out itself, which takes time and effort. Autosol was recommended by some old timers so it was popular at the time. If you come from the military the dogma of cleaning every time is hard to unlearn but you get over it when you have time to compare. I also use a length of Zerust anti corrosion cord for each barrel. The working parts get cleaned every time but the barrel is left untouched with a length of corrosion cord in the safe.
The spirit of doing this is to leave the copper in the micro-pores and the zero untouched. The zero often changes fractionally but that's due to other things like ambient temp, wind, recoil settup etc. If I clean a barrel the zero gets noticeably thrown out however and takes a few rounds to shift and settle again (fouling shots). If you don't clean you won't need as many, if any fouling shots. If after a while of not cleaning something strange is happening or group sizes seem to be getting bigger, then sure, clean it and see if that helps.
I have also seen a match barrel destroyed by overcleaning. Apparently it was not due to the cleaning itself but the bias of how the shooter was working the rod through the barrel, favoring one side. I do have a few nylon bore guides and these come out when serious brushing is needed. Bore guides come in different sizes for different calibres and actions. Keeps cleaning oils from the chamber, although that's not an issue if you finish up with an oversized patch on a larger piece of wood for just the chamber and neck.
My advice is to let the barrel tell you when it is time to be cleaned, and not just because you think it is the responsible thing to do.