What's Your Barrel Cleaning Routine?

[49Panhead]

After picking up a Storm XT at a gunshow recently [great $, like new] and cleaning the barrel, I got curious about how other folks clean their barrels. My PB experience with .17 and .22 has plenty of small caliber plenty of supplies and tools on the shelves for cleaning and plenty of practice cleaning. Searching didn't yield a consistent answer, so how do you guys clean a barrel and how often?

[RetatCDude]

I shoot field target with a world class shooter.
He cleans his barrel (s) just before the match begin.
He practices with everyone else then when the match director tells him the match is about to begin he cleans with a pull through and patch.
Then 10 more shots to season the barrel.

Me?

Never..

[Rezarf]

Pull a bore snake (no bristles) through when I think about it on the "daily shooters". Shoot lubricated wads after playing with guns that I know I'll put down for a while after I shoot them.

[JMJinNC]

I have a supply of fiber cleaning pellets.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/rws-177-cleaning-pellets-100ct?p=512

I will shoot them through dry, usually into a towel, so I can use them 2-3 times. If I feel the barrel is really fouled, I will place a cleaning pellet in, add a drop or 2 of goo-gone, then fire that through. Follow that with a dry cleaning pellet 2x.

I might do this every 50-75 shots.

Not recommended for spring guns.

JMJinNC

[Sweller]

Cut off Q-tips with a drop of pellgunoil. Usually the first one is black. The second doesn't even look like it went through the barrel.

[Brutuz]

I have a supply of fiber cleaning pellets.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/rws-177-cleaning-pellets-100ct?p=512

I will shoot them through dry, usually into a towel, so I can use them 2-3 times. If I feel the barrel is really fouled, I will place a cleaning pellet in, add a drop or 2 of goo-gone, then fire that through. Follow that with a dry cleaning pellet 2x.

I might do this every 50-75 shots.

Not recommended for spring guns.

JMJinNC

On new pistols/rifles I use this type of cleaning wads too, lubed with Balistol, I shoot them in a towel too, untill it comes through clean, then a dry one to finalize and some lead pellets next to coat the inside of the barrel.

Same method with new springers, but after pushing the lubed cleaning wad in I push in a pellet too, to prevent the spring from snapping.

[PaPa K]

Good to hear Brutus, I wondered if you could chase a felt with a pellet to protect the spring. Might be helpful on my RWS 48.

[Cables]

I use a rod and handle with with a tip I have to thread through the slot a piece of cleaning patch.

I use Hoppes #9 on the patch

I run it through and if dirty, New patch, repeat until clean.

When sighting in the scope to the rifle, I immediately noticed how just several shots caused group to deteriorate. So every six or eight shots, clean the bore.

After sighting in, I hardly ever clean the bore and my group is awful and lucky to hit the paper.

For any metal that is stored, I have found nothing better than Fluid Film. Shake the can, spray it directly on the surface or into cleaning rag, wipe it around so it isn't looking like snot, and it's done.

I bought Ballistol and it stinks as in smell, so anything it is used on can't come in the house. Compared to what I do now, I see it does no better.

[49Panhead]

Thanks guys. Thought I'd ask to see what others were doing / using.
I run a cleaning pellet with a smidge of Ballistsol through every 60 rounds or so. For more thorough cleaning, I like to use Ballistsol on a patch and patch 'til clean. On a new barrel, I'll use Hoppes Benchrest and give it a good cleaning before installation.
Like Brutuz' use of a pellet to push a cleaning pellet through on springers.