I disagree. In F-class LR, where EVERYTHING is important, it is critical to have the rifle as clean as a whistle on the outside so as to make sure the heat transfer from the barrel and the action to the atmosphere is the same for every shot. The last thing you want is a piece of snot on the barrel that affects the heat radiation between shot 12 and shot 13. This is how you get unexplained flyers and you shot a 9 instead of a 10 or a 10 instead of an X.
I realize this is seldom discussed but it's an issue nonetheless.
That's my story and I am sticking to it.
