How to properly break in my new rifle.

[sbchunter]

Just wondering if there is a proper break in the rifle. Been told shot once the clean and repeat. Any other tips out there would be wonderful. Don't want to screw up my dream gun.

[huntinstuff]

Everyone has an opinion on this. First, I buy a new rifle. Then...

I clean the rifle. I take it to the range and shoot it. Lots.

I clean it when I get home.

Thats all I do. Ive never screwed up a rifle.

[SkytopBrewster]

Everyone has an opinion on this. First, I buy a new rifle. Then...

I clean the rifle. I take it to the range and shoot it. Lots.

I clean it when I get home.

Thats all I do. Ive never screwed up a rifle.

x2

:party0052::party0052:

[whitetailhntr]

Everyone has an opinion on this. First, I buy a new rifle. Then...

I clean the rifle. I take it to the range and shoot it. Lots.

I clean it when I get home.

Thats all I do. Ive never screwed up a rifle.

You won't ever screw one up like that. Barrel break in is a load of hoey... I've done what Huntinstuff does with everyone of my rifles and all of them have shot very well and were no harder to clean than the next one.Easy peasy.

[catnthehat]

My system is somewhere in between what Huntinstuff does and what Bigstick does.:)
Cat

[waterhaulerhunter]

You will notice that after lots of shooting and lots of cleaning a rifle might clean a little faster but thats it. The important one is the initial cleaning before any shooting to get rid of the packing oils and dust. After that shoot until accuracy falls off and then clean. And don't let the barrel get to hot.

[260 Rem]

I recommend you google Krieger Barrels and read what they have to say about break-in...before deciding upon which "expert" advice to follow. I do (up to) a ten shot clean and shoot routine on all my new barrels.

[New Hunter Okotoks]

There's a great video on YouTube showing the Importance of barrel break in and listening for "Harmonic Oscillations"

[insurgus]

I really doubt it matters. A lot of precision long range shooters really dont bother with break in.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Everyone has an opinion on this. First, I buy a new rifle. Then...

I clean the rifle. I take it to the range and shoot it. Lots.

I clean it when I get home.

Thats all I do. Ive never screwed up a rifle.


x2

Seems to work well for about 99.99% of guys.

[Alberta Bigbore]

I do a clean for 10 , clean for 3, clean for 3, clean for 5. Routine.

[ACKLEY ABE]

Everyone has an opinion on this. First, I buy a new rifle. Then...

I clean the rifle. I take it to the range and shoot it. Lots.

I clean it when I get home.

Thats all I do. Ive never screwed up a rifle.

Same, Same...done it with a whack of rifles. Usually 3 shots let it cool...3 shots let it cool, etc...etc. I never heat any rifle up. Some of my featheweights are only good for a cpl of shots before I let em cool.

[catnthehat]

There's a great video on YouTube showing the Importance of barrel break in and listening for "Harmonic Oscillations"

You man this one?:sHa_sarcasticlol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRRahHX9Zkg
Cat

[catnthehat]

I recommend you google Krieger Barrels and read what they have to say about break-in...before deciding upon which "expert" advice to follow. I do (up to) a ten shot clean and shoot routine on all my new barrels.

The best barrel makers and natch champions in the worlds cannot agree on this, same as the proper barrel material - just ask singleshot Tom to show you his new match winning barrel on his shuetzen rifle!:sHa_sarcasticlol:
Cat

[Jamie Black R/T]

Everyone has an opinion on this. First, I buy a new rifle. Then...

I clean the rifle. I take it to the range and shoot it. Lots.

I clean it when I get home.

Thats all I do. Ive never screwed up a rifle.

:happy0180:

[209x50]

I do believe in breaking in a rifle barrel. I look at it this way; its not like I'm hurting anything by doing it, it only take a little time.

[Alberta Bigbore]

I do believe in breaking in a rifle barrel. I look at it this way; its not like I'm hurting anything by doing it, it only take a little time.

exactly.... And I have fun doing it too.

[260 Rem]

I think the comfort test in this is to ask yourself...Given the opportunity to choose between two identical rifles, would I choose the one that had been through a ten (clean/shoot) shot break-in, or the one that had just been shot ten times?
Tough to evaluate the positions of different barrel makers because many of them use different techniques in the manufacture process....and if, Krieger is right, it is the chambering reamer marks that you are conditioning up front...not the bore. My ear is cocked towards an outfit that has a Research and Development budget...as I am less convinced by anecdotal "evidence".

[heretohunt]

Ya gotta think that if it was a big deal to have a proper break in procedure then there would be a section in the owners manual about it. That being said I shoot a couple, clean and repeat. I will do this for the life of the rifle if I can. Isn't cleaner always better?
What do you have to do to clean it properly? I just pull the bore snake through it a time or two.

[Jamie Black R/T]

What do you have to do to clean it properly? I just pull the bore snake through it a time or two.

:party0052:

[elkhunter11]

What do you have to do to clean it properly? I just pull the bore snake through it a time or two.


The result of which is that you keep dragging the same crud through your barrel over and over, while doing nothing to remove copper fouling.

[heretohunt]

The result of which is that you keep dragging the same crud through your barrel over and over, while doing nothing to remove copper fouling.
Is that right? What is the correct thing to do then?

[elkhunter11]

Is that right? What is the correct thing to do then?


Use a solid one piece cleaning rod,a bore guide, and a clean patch for every pass.
Use a good powder/copper solvent to clean the barrel, then follow up with G-96 or something similar to prevent corrosion.
Before shooting the gun, dry swab the barrel to remove oil residue.

[Dick284]

Barrel break in can never be quantified, so all the mixed process comments insue.

The harm in not cleaning the rifle straight out of the box is a no brainer.

Shooting and cleaning for the first few or even 10 shots is a bit mired in controvesry, but even at 3 shots, shoot and clean the results cant hurt things one bit.

Using things like bore snakes, 3 piece aluminum rods, and Hoppes #9 as cleaning supplies, is totally going backwards.

Then there is not knowing what a bore guide is..well to those....enjoy your time making noise.:thinking-006:

[heretohunt]

Use a solid one piece cleaning rod,a bore guide, and a clean patch for every pass.
Use a good powder/copper solvent to clean the barrel, then follow up with G-96 or something similar to prevent corrosion.
Before shooting the gun, dry swab the barrel to remove oil residue.

I am not discounting your advise, however I have heard opinions regarding cleaning rods down the barrell are not the best option. Also I failed to mention that my go to gun has a stainless barrell. Does that change my procedure for that particular rifle?

[heretohunt]

Using things like bore snakes, 3 piece aluminum rods, and Hoppes #9 as cleaning supplies, is totally going backwards.
:

If none of these are suitable means, what do you use?

[tchardy1972]

I shoot then clean till the copper fouling drops off. It might be 5 10 or15 shots. There might be nothing after the first shot. Then I shoot it lots.

[Dick284]

If none of these are suitable means, what do you use?

Look at Elkhunter11's reply to your question.

[elkhunter11]

I am not discounting your advise, however I have heard opinions regarding cleaning rods down the barrell are not the best option. Also I failed to mention that my go to gun has a stainless barrell. Does that change my procedure for that particular rifle?


Nobody is as demanding of their rifles as bench rest shooters, so perhaps it is no coincidence that they don't use boresnakes, or three piece aluminum cleaning rods. The standard equipment used by these people are one piece rods, bore guides, and clean patches, along with effective powder/copper solvents. This doesn't change if the barrel is carbon steel or stainless.


If none of these are suitable means, what do you use?


Look at Elkhunter11's reply to your question.


It's not just a coincidence that so many of the more serious shooters rely on the same basic equipment.

[260 Rem]

I think the first cleaning on a new barrel is likely the most important...and since many rifles have been test fired before leaving the factory, without subsequent attention to removing any copper...it is a good idea to give it a good going over before your first shot.
Using techniques favored by benchrest shooters is a good idea as they are doing everything they can to improve their performance, and are generally good enough to notice the difference. Kind of like getting advice from Gretsky about puck handling... he really does have better insight than Don Cherry.

[257Shooter]

Lots of good advice here if you listen to it. The question of what procedure is best, or lack of is debatable. After reading about break in for the first time a couple years ago, I bought a new rifle and my thoughts were - I just paid a lot of money for this gun, and for the little bit of extra time and work, doing a break in made sense.
If you apply the same debate to auto engines, you will get the same division
:argue2: