One thing I've noticed is that my rifle bore is always nice and shiny after shooting. Typically, 1 or 2 wet patches followed by a couple dry and I'm done. A wipe down of the outside of the rifle, and into the safe.

This last time I shot her, I decided not to clean the bore at all. Just a few flecks of 4227 in there, otherwise nice and shiny. I also notice that it shoots significantly better after a few fouling shots, so I reckon it is a little like a 22, which typically shoots better with a fouled bore.

As a kid my father drilled into me to never put away a dirty gun, so this is a departure from my habit, and has me a tad bit nervous.

I also don't put them away without running a patch through the bore. I made up a bunch of those pull through cleaning devices from parachute cord, and used bore swabs on the end of each. I put a piece of brass rod in the opposite end, and drop them through, and pull it out. Don't usually do more than one pass, unless I see something that needs real attention when I get home.

What kind of lube are you using?  What kind of barrel?

I have recently discovered that an uncleaned bore helps with cast bullets (never was much for bore cleaning after jacketed), but only for so long. After three or four outings it needs a little more than just dry patching. I'll just dampen a patch with Hoppe's and then a dry series until almost clean patches come out. Next time at the range a few foulers brings it back again. Once in a while I'll lead a barrel, and then all bets are off until it's cleaned and re-seasoned, of course.

My belief is that a plane based bullet barrel has more in common with a .22 rimfire barrel that a modern high-power bench barrel. I clean my barrel with a .30 caliber brush with a 2 1/4” wrapped around it two or three wet patches of Ed’s Red. When the carbon is gone and I see cooked lube on the patch I’m done.

40 Rod

Just curious if a Bore Snake would substitute for a dry patch?

You need to wipe the bore. Don't need to scrub a good barrel that's only seen lubed cast lead bullets .

Unless you want to start from scratch getting it to shoot well

Boats

When shooting 4759, be sure not to leave any unburnt powder granules in the barrel. Back in the late 80's, when I was doing development work on my Douglas barreled 45/70, I was in a hurry to leave the range and didn't clean it. I didn't think to much about it, because I was going to use it again the next week.

The next Saturday, when setting it on the bags, I looked down the barrel and found those unburnt particles, stuck to the barrel (at least I couldn't blow them out) and after cleaning, that area was discolored and stayed that way for a while. It was very worrisome at the time but, it eventually disapeared. I never shot 4759 after that w/o cleaning at the range.

Frank