Fouled barrel question

[harley]

Here's my situation: I have a custom 300 Win Mag capable of less than 1/2" groups, but it requires six fouling shots after a thorough cleaning before it will again group. I'm willing to do that (no choice), but that means I either have a fouled barrel throughout hunting season or I clean and re-foul it after, say, every two weeks.

My question is whether or not leaving the barrel dirty for an extended time will harm it. I'd appreciate opinions on how long you think I should limit powder residue remaining in the barrel.

Thanks.
Harley

[mike3132]

I foul the barrel on my 10 ML and dont clean it until the end of deer season which here is over two months. I would foul your centerfire, hunt with it and then clean after the season. mike

[jims]

In your case I would leave it fouled and clean later.

[ozark]

In most marksmanship units I competed in the rifles were usually fired in practice fifty rounds per day. Cleaning was not done as long as the rifle fired up to the shooters expectations.Sometime several hundred to a few thousand rounds were fired before any cleaning was done. When a rifle had to be cleaned If fell on the armorer and his helpers to do the job. While doing that we examined and tested all aspects of the rife and test fired it before returning it to the shooter.Rifles had to meet trigger weight standards of 4.5 lbs for National Match Rifles. M1 Garand and the M-14 were the service rifles that I worked on and fired. At the end of the day shooters would put their rifles in the trunk of their cars and leave them there until the next firing session. So I am with the group that believes an accurate weapon will likely become even more accurate if shot fouled.

[harley]

Thank you, everybody; I'll stop obsessing about the powder residue and look forward to thoroughly cleaning my rifle next January.