I do not clean my .22 LR bolt, lever or pump rifles until the accuracy gets terrible. (Especially my 40X.) However, the .17HMR shoots jacketed bullets at higher velocity. I've been told that most need cleaned about every 500 rounds, What has been your experience? My CZ shoots about half-inch groups frequently at 100 yards - I won;t claim it does it all the time, but it is always under an inch with the 2 loads it likes.

Mine sees a 17 cal bore brush and a bore snake occasionally and that is about it...

I have a Ruger, a Marlin and a NEF...

A bore snake is all my Ruger 77/17 see's everyonce in awhile and I've never seen a decline in accuracy.

Hey Check out Schtick.. he leaves his rifles laying in the stream...even shows pictures of it he is so proud...that is how he cleans the bores of his rifles....

wonder if he has a 17 HMR... probably will verify if it works for him in that caliber also...

I clean mine after every shooting sessions. Better safe than sorry

As with all my rifles, I record all the shots, partly to see how many rounds are fired before accuracy goes downhill. My CZ.17 HMR can go 200 rounds between cleanings, and even then there's no copper fouling.

Have heard too many horror stories from people I trust about Bore-Snakes breaking off inside rifle bores to use them anymore--except in shotguns.

I would never dream of having the gopher shooting experience of Mule Deer, but I have shot a few.
I bore snake my HMR's and HM2's after a couple hundred rounds when I think of it.
Then at night they get a "real" cleaning.
I have had several 1200 round rimfire days and a slow day would be several hundred.

I have broke a snake in the .17 caliber. I believe it had been 400 to 500 rounds in.
After that I made sure to run it through sooner rather then later.

I really don't consider bore snakes a cleaning.....
I do consider .17's the dirtiest rimfire I've ever encountered.

Calif. Hunter: I bought one of the first 17 HMR Rifles back when they were brand new.
Back then I cleaned every 50 rounds as no one knew any better and I was guessing with that interval - based on some 17 caliber centerfires I owned.
I now clean my 17 HMR's every 250 rounds, or closely thereabouts.
I have friends that have run 1,000 rounds through their 17 HMR Rifles over the course of a couple of days and have not cleaned them - and they have not noticed declining accuracy afield.
Back in early 1993 I was testing some Remington 17 HMR ammo in my Ruger 77/17 V/T and I shot a group (5 shots at 100 yards) measuring .502".
This has been my best grouping to date there at 100 yards.
I only rarely shoot my 17 HMR's for group anymore though - just for sight-in verifications when needed.
Many of my friends use the 17 caliber bore snakes for cleaning their 17 HMR's and over the last 9 years I have run a snake through my 17 HMR bores just a couple of times.
I am dubious of the force it takes to pull the snake through the barrel though!
I have not noticed a diminshment of accuracy afield with my 250 shot cleaning interval regimen.
I won't claim my policy is the right answer to your question but it works for me and keeps my "gun-conscience" clean.
Interesting question you ask and I will keep tabs on this thread for more experiences/opinions.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy