Can a Dirty Rifle be Accurate?
This guide details a technique for testing how barrel fouling affects rifle accuracy, based on an expert-led 100-round test. It demonstrates that for some rifles, accuracy can improve as the barrel breaks in and accumulates fouling, contrary to common assumptions. The test uses a Thompson/Center Encore Pro Hunter in .308 Winchester with Hornady ammunition and a Leupold scope, observing group sizes and point of impact shifts over 100 rounds without cleaning.











