For this game the targets our big enough that not cleaning your rimfire barrels is probably not going to cause you to miss a target.

However, If you want to squeeze every bit of accuracy out of your gun, you should read up on the rimfire benchrest guys. Most of the top shooters will clean there guns every 40 to 100 rounds. Even between stages at a match. These guys wouldn't be so anal about cleaning their barrels if they didn't feel they where getting a benefit. These guys are also shooting at a target the size of an eraser at 50 yards.

The best piece of advise that I have received is to listen to what your barrel is telling you. Know at how many rounds accuracy falls off and clean your barrel before this happens.

After a match or practice day I'll run 2 dry patches through the barrel and nothing else. At the end of the year, I'll clean each barrel thoroughly for the winter. When I ran out of Eley Standard I started using Target and Club. Never missed any target with either of them.

I'm now somewere between the two extremes on this
And I dare say all my misses are because of ME more than weather my barrel is to dirty or to clean
And I think it more important on how you clean it compared to when you clean it
But I never go to a match with a unfired barrel after cleaning
Do what you think works for you and have fun doing
Sometime we just over tech shit

ole95 wrote:But I never go to a match with a unfired barrel after cleaning.

I do that all the time. First firings after the winter storage, have to start with a clean barrel. Even during the year, if I clean one, I will shoot it at the match. The 5 sighters are more than enough to get the barrel lubed up. Even without sighters, there is not enough difference to miss any targets.

I thought these were interesting

1. a barrel with over 100K rounds shot the best 4-target ARA Agg ever
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/201 ... ra-record/

2. How to Clean Your Rimfire Rifle Barrel the ELEY Way
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/201 ... -eley-way/

3. USAMU Talks about Pull-Though Bore Snakes
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/201 ... re-snakes/

I run two wet patches then a bore-snake after each match. When I get home 2 more dry patches and 2 with gun oil then it goes to the safe. I clean TC actions annually unless I see something growing. On the Ruger Chargers I clean the action after every outing because 22 ammo is just nasty.