Your barrel clean or dirty??? Your best pattern???

[ShootingABN!]

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So just a question.

Do you get your best pattern out of a super clean barrel or dirty?

I do a deep clean of my barrel. I have a shell and choke combo that I'm sticking with. Just curious as to if you clean your barrel or let her eat? I've seen some 870 that patterned better dirty.... If I'm not mistaken APEX did a YouTube video on this.

Thanks for your time and good luck this spring.

[Gobble!]

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My 870 does better clean though the difference is minimal.

[ChesterCopperpot]

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Every gun I own the difference is negligible between clean and dirty barrels, as is the difference when patterning in different temperatures. I typically still snake the barrel between shots but I’ve not noticed much difference.


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[RutnNStrutn]

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I'm not sure. I clean my barrel at the end of each season. Then I clean it with a bore snake after each shot at the range. Likewise if I shoot birds during the season. I'll be interested to hear what others do.

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

[Spurs Up]

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I have several dedicated turkey guns. And I shoot them often. Patterns from all of them deteriorate after 4-5 shots. Some sooner.

[USMC0331]

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My BPS 20 gauge gets its best group on a clean barrel my 8 70 20 gauge gets better as it gets dirty same goes for 8 70 12 gauge mossberg clean barrel.

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[guesswho]

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I’m in the don’t know crowd.   The first bird of the year is killed with a clean barrel, the last one of the year is with a dirty barrel.

[Greg Massey]

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I’m in the don’t know crowd.   The first bird of the year is killed with a clean barrel, the last one of the year is with a dirty barrel.

  X2 .. This is the best way to answer this question..  Good one guesswho

[Tom007]

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When patterning, I try to use all the control variables that I can in determining and patterning my guns. A clean barrel is controllable. You can be sure once cleaned, it will pattern almost the same way each shot.  One can’t determine the various degrees of a dirty barrel. That’s why I use a bore snake in between shots assuring me of that controllable condition. Just my thoughts...everyone does things a bit different. Whatever works is the right way.....

[rakkin6]

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After a deep clean at the beginning of the year I boresnake mine after every shot at the range also after every shot on a bird or bad weather. But I am super anal retentive about that stuff. Beat into my head after 23 years in the Army. Your gun is your life.

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[davisd9]

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I pattern clean and a few shots after, I clean the barrel at the start of my season after patterning and then again after I have tagged out or the season ends.

[Spurs Up]

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I pattern clean and a few shots after, I clean the barrel at the start of my season after patterning and then again after I have tagged out or the season ends.

Me too, only I will use several guns over the course of most seasons.

[Tail Feathers]

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I’m in the don’t know crowd.   The first bird of the year is killed with a clean barrel, the last one of the year is with a dirty barrel.

  I'm somewhere between you and RutN'.  I run a bore snake down after a couple of shots.  It's a good season If I get more than a couple tho.

[bbcoach]

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Cleaned and polished every spring before the season.  My 835 puts up 300 plus with Hevi 7's through a clean barrel and a .670 Pure Gold choke. 

[Ranger]

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Nobody's barrel has a better pattern dirty, no one. Only lazy to clean and superstitious folks say and believe that. William at Sumtoy and his experience with shooting long barrel shotguns at high stakes turkey shoots taught me more than I ever knew about cleaning and polishing.  Now I do it after every single shot in the woods.  You can keep polishing and continue to get better patterns after you think your barrel is clean....it can be a lot cleaner than what we think is what I learned