The newest miracle chemistries remove metal by chelation. That applies to both rust removers and bore cleaners. RB-17 may be one? That's new to me. Bore Tech's Eliminator is one for certain. At $10 for 4. oz, it sounds awfully expensive, but their reviews show they do in a few patches what the conventional cleaners require many to accomplish. Gunzilla may be another. Bore Tech's is the only one I've seen unpaid reviews of, so I intend to try it, but have some Gunzilla to try first.
Bore fouling's relationship to accuracy depends on the nature of the fouling. Some years ago Merrill Martin wrote a Precision Shooting article on what he termed "Carbon Tunnel Syndrome", suggesting that a carbon filler developed on the surface of a bore steel and helped accuracy and might be best left unmolested if possible. Any evenly distributed fouling may do this in theory.
On the other hand, metal jacket fouling has a nasty tendency to accumulate nearer the breech end of the barrel were pressures and temperatures are highest, narrowing the bore only at that location. This has a detrimental effect on accuracy because it squeezes the bullet down as it passes through. This tends to distort the bullet a little and to allow it to tip slightly and unpredictably when pressure bumps it back up after passing the constriction. Howe (Modern Gunsmithing, 1941) describes a build-up of this fouling as the first thing to look for when a customer complains his gun isn’t as accurate as it used to be. He suggests employing special solutions that remove it as a good money making activity for gunsmiths, since it is easy and seems to miraculously restore accuracy. There is some general agreement in the shooting community that a barrel which tightens at the muzzle can benefit accuracy, and a perfectly straight barrel may also shoot well, but one that is constricted at the breech is problematic and almost never shoots to the gun's potential.
So, without a bore scope you can't really tell what fouling you've got? I would go ahead and clean out what's there and shoot the gun back in, if need be. Up until now, you have not been using a bore cleaner that attacks copper fouling from bullet jackets. The commercial ones that do, except for the new chelating chemistries, will have ammonia or ammonium oleate in them. Check
Father Frog's web site for home cleaning solutions to remove metal fouling if you like. For a severe case, the old lead-removing peracetic acid formula, a 50:50 mix of white vinegar (5% acetic acid) and hydrogen peroxide (3%) will aggressively get whatever metal is in there. You plug the breech with a neoprene stopper or a bore plug and pour it in, but don't leave it in for more than 10 minutes because, given enough time, it will go after steel. Be prepared to follow it up with an acid neutralizer. Formula 409 on a patch works well. Follow the neutralizer with a dry patch, then chase it all down by pouring boiling water through the bore. That’s the way 03's used to be cleaned in the corrosive primer days. They’re used to it. And don't let the vinegar and peroxide overflow onto your finish. This stuff will froth up as it attacks the fouling, so pour gradually until you see bubbles breaking near the muzzle, and no further. It will turn turquoise as it acquires copper. It remains clear when attacking lead.
A gentler approach is to get some Shooters Choice and again plug the breech with a neoprene stopper or bore plug and fill the barrel and let it sit for 24 hours. Then pour it out and run your dry patches. Benchrest shooters have mixed Shooter's Choice with Kroil for years. Butch's Bore Shine is another good choice. The makers told me they have left steel blanks in it for up to six months and a microscope showed no sign of etching, despite its relative aggressiveness.
Nick