If you are experimenting with loads to find which one shoots the best group in a particular rifle is it best to clean your barrel after each 3 or 5 shot group of each of the different groups in order to establish a standard that's the same for each group? I would think so but I wanted some expert opinion on this. The only variable that I'm changing with the loads is the powder charge. Everything else is the same for each set of rounds that I'm loading. Thanks in advance for the advice.

RisR,

IMO the answer to this question depends on the rifle!

As some rifles are prone to 1st shot flyers. So.., Depends on whether your working on the 1st shot or subsequent groupings.

I always check a new (or new to me) rifle for 1st shot flyers. If its NOT there I will start with a clean barrel, but will not clean the barrel for an experiment of less than 30 shots. I also try to keep my experiments less to than 30 shots.

Hope this helps.

What Ray said; sometimes I have had them actually shoot better the dirtier the bore got; I think maybe the pores in the barrel get filled in by copper. Other theories say to clean after each shot for the first 5, then after each 5 for the next 20, then after each I forget from there.
It depends.

Well since my hunting rifle usually doesn't have a "clean" barrel. I only care about groups shot in it's "normal" condition.

Likewise for a target rifle shooting groups a 5 shot group matters. For me in a hunting rifle I need the first 1-2 bullets to matter. In 40+ years I can probably count on 2 fingers the number of times a 3rd-5th shot mattered.

So If the first 3 are submoa in a light hunting barrel I don't care if 4 & 5 open it up. I spend my time and $$ making sure I know where it will hit at various ranges and practice shooting from everything but a bench. Sure I would love 10 shots to touch but not going to spend hrs and $$$$ to try and find that magic load.

BR a whole different animal.

Today at the range using my CZ .223 varmint rifle I used the same load of DP 74 behind four different weight bullets from 52 grains to 73 grains. All shot sub MOA groups out to 300 yds. ( 50 shots total ). Never cleaned the rifle. roger

I don't clean. If I have several loads I want to test — say 3 bullet styles — I shoot at 3 targets (one for each variation), and shoot 3 shot groups like this: 1,2,3 (barrel cool) 3,2,1 (barrel cool) 1,2,3 (barrel cool) and so on.

Works for me.

quote:

Originally posted by RaySendero:
RisR,

IMO the answer to this question depends on the rifle!

As some rifles are prone to 1st shot flyers. So.., Depends on whether your working on the 1st shot or subsequent groupings.

I always check a new (or new to me) rifle for 1st shot flyers. If its NOT there I will start with a clean barrel, but will not clean the barrel for an experiment of less than 30 shots. I also try to keep my experiments less to than 30 shots.

Hope this helps.

This does help. This particular rifle has not shown a tendency for having fliers on the first shots. In fact I still remember the first three shots fired from this rifle straight out of the box were under an inch at 100 yds. Thanks to all who have responded with the advice.

I'd not clean in between. See what the loads "tell" you, then confirm afterward with a cleaning and retrial of the load you think you've found. It will take a few rounds of cleaning and shooting to see whether or not the particular weapon shoots better dirty anyway. If you already know the gun that well, if it shoots better clean then, yes, clean in between. However, if it shoots better dirty, Ray S said it well.