I will be shooting my first High Power Silhouette match at the nationals in raton. I have one rifle . How often do you clean your rifle ? At the end of each day ?

The little bit I shot high power I would clean after the morning match and make sure I shot 5 rounds when they opened the range befor the afternoon match. I saw a lot of shooters doing this same thing at last years nationals. Mike

I didn't notice most top shooters cleaning rifles at all during or after the match. Maybe this is because they don't want to change the barrels "seasoning". I don't shoot enough or well enough to tell you.

I might just not be noticing this.

One thing for sure, keep your bolt clean and lubed to prevent galling, between matches.

Dennis

I usually clean the rifle after two matches have been shot. In your case clean it at the end of each day. This is assuming that you are shooting a hunter in the morning and the afternoon. It will be fine that way and you will be able to foul it in each morning's practice session. Mark

I'd have to say if you're shooting standard bullets (non molly) that Mark (Varn) is spot on.

If you're shooting molly then that changes the equation. Since you have to build up molly in front of the chamber it takes more shots to get the barrel re-seasoned. I'd be inclined to not clean as often in that case. But having said that this is one of the reason's I stopped using Molly back in the 90's.

The barrel makers we have access to today do such a dang good job at lapping barrels before shipping them that it really makes cleaning a breeze until you turn the things into the grand canyon of micro cracks after thousands of rounds of shooting. What ever you do. If someone offers you the look see through a hawekeye bore scope at your rifles barrel, walk swiftly away. Nothing good comes from seeing what a chamber looks like after thousands of shots down range. It aint pretty!

I found my rifles will fire up to 200+ rounds before cleaning is needed, so I arrive to any big 2 or 3 day match with a clean rifle and don't worry about cleaning the barrel. I do make sure the bolt and action are clean, then properly lubed after every 40 round match.

Of course you don't forget to bring the clean bolt.

I can't help it, it had to be said.

A person once told me when their 7MM gets to 6.5MM that's when they clean