Bore cleanliness and pattern

[JMalin]

How does a clean or dirty bore affect your gun/choke/shell combo?

[Deputy 14]

Differently in some guns.
A lot like clean barrels, but some like fouled, and some like flat out dirty.

[dirt road ninja]

As deputy 14 said, they are all different. I try and shoot mine clean to cleanish. Mainly because that is where I patterned them and I know mine are consistent there. I'll sacrifice a few pellets for consistency.

[Gen.27:3]

Have you guys really seen guns that pattern better dirty? I always thought that a clean bore produced the best pattern. BTW, I am seriously asking and not trying to be argumentative.

[deerpoo22]

My brothers 870 strictly likes a clean barrel. My SBE 2 shoots much better with a dirty barrel

[mbowyer51]

My 835 likes the barrel a little dirty. I get the best patterns after having shot it a couple times, too dirty and the pattern goes down hill quick. The rest of my guns all like clean barrels.

[dirt road ninja]

Yep, some do shoot better dirty.

[Fullfan]

Before TSS I kept my barrels super clean, shooting Federal heviweights, Hevi 13 Remington Hevi shot and old Active shells all did better. But the TSS does not seem to care clean or dirty it does very well.

[blake_08]

My 20" bbl 870 super mag definitely likes a clean barrel. From squeaky clean, with every shot after the first my pattern consistently drops 6-8 pellets in the 10 @ 40. I was sort of skeptical on the clean vs. dirty thing until i tested it a few years ago and now I 100% hunt with the barrel squeaky clean. I didn't shoot it past about 5 shots to see when the pattern stopped getting worse but i always wonder just how bad it would get with a filthy barrel.

[tha bugman]

If pattern testing I try to swab between loads, then once I have found the one I like, I give it a good deep cleaning and forget about it.

[albrubacker]

My Been SN likes to be squeaky clean and the 11-87 compact likes it dirty.

[Spurs Up]

I'm sure there are some guns that pattern more densely through dirty barrels. But, I've never owned one that did. I had and have a couple that tolerate fouling better than others. I also own an 870 that by the 4th shot w/o at least a brush and patch run through the barrel, its 10" patterns drop off >33%. And that's with TSS.

[bbcoach]

My 835 likes a clean barrel so I polish it (for about 5 minutes) right before each spring season and Go hunt!  Also the PG choke gets a dose of brake cleaner and toothbrush as well.

[Gooserbat]

I have one 870 that puts up it's best number with 5-10 shots down the pipe.

[mtns2hunt]

My barrel stays clean all season as I run a swab through the barrel at the conclusion of each days hunt. Patterns stay consistent but I seldom shoot more then one round through my turkey barrel before it gets cleaned. I do this with four different shotguns although my dedicated crow gun, and dove gun get many more rounds through them. Yes I do have a dedicated crow gun. A Remington 1100 with the plug removed.