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View Full Version : Proper way to break in a rifle.


bowhunter9841
03-02-2011, 03:42 PM
So this is a dumb question I'm sure! I didn't grow up around a lot of guns, and I was just curious what the proper way to break in a rifle is? And why? I don't recall seeing anything in the owners manuals, but I have failed to read them cover to cover! Was also wondering if the same process should be used on a shotgun as well? Thanks!

wwbirds
03-02-2011, 03:44 PM
will revel many threads with many opinions

Stinky Coyote
03-02-2011, 04:01 PM
you will read endlessly on the subject, from don't worry about it much with factory barrels to oodles of ways to do it for custom barrels

i just did a new factory barrel, shot 2, cleaned, shot 3 cleaned, shot 5 cleaned, shot 8 cleaned, shot 12 cleaned....or there abouts, i cleaned it before i shot it too and pretty sure i had minimum 5 cleanings in its first 30 rounds of heavy for caliber bullets...i might have gone a little tighter in the first few and got six cleanings in the first 30 rounds, felt like it....anyhow, its sizing up to be about 1/2 minute gun

on this tikka .204 i found using the wipe out foaming bore cleaner until reasonably clean then going at it back and forth with sweets/wipe out until white white patches.....no brushes used....

pain in arse setting up new gun imo, but thats what made me feel good about it....could be more than required for factory....one thing i notice is the first clean seems to take longest, next clean 2nd longest, 3rd clean 3rd longest and about cleaning number four and beyond they seem to take about the same, i had 35 rounds on it before i cleaned it again, and wasn't any worse

last custom barrel i did was one shot one clean for a few and then moved up to 2-3 then up to 5 and 6 that was interesting, same thing with longest time to clean on first shot etc. but it settled down after 3-4 cleanings and it really cleaned up fast after that and didn't seem to matter how many i put through it just cleaned up fast no matter what, didn't copper foul much at all, neat to see the difference between custom barrel and factory, after the initial all said and done on both the custom cleans up way quicker/easier than the factory, but the factory isn't bad really its just super slick with the custom

hope that helps, come up with your own system, don't think you can do much wrong, have no idea if my system is the shizzo but its workin for me good luck

catnthehat
03-02-2011, 04:07 PM
Here is how a worl famo8s Alaskan hunter breaks in a barrel, but this is for
a " cow barrel", NOT a " bull barrel".:3yfm7ut:
Cat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRRahHX9Zkg

Twisted Canuck
03-02-2011, 04:22 PM
Everybody has their own 'system' of cleaning and breaking in, from 'just shoot it' to cleaning every 3, or 5, or progressively....

I think it is a good idea to do, and have my own 'clean after every five' system. I run a couple of wet patches of Hoppes Gold, and then an undersized bore snake a couple passes, then dry patch till clean. By undersized, I mean I will be running my 7mm snake through my .300 win mag when I take it out to break it in.

Eveyone swears by their method, I've tried a few different system on the 5 rifles I've boken in. I can't tell that any method was better than any other, but knowing why to do it seems to be the most important thing. My understanding is as follows, and having worked in a machine shop it made sense to me. I'm sure others will weigh in and call BS on this explanation, but that is the nature of shooting discussions in general, & it won't phase me or offend me. I don't clain this as gospel, just how an old timer explained it to me and it made sense.

A brand new rifle barrel, no matter how finely the rifling is machined by whatever method, will have some burring on the edge of the rifling/lands. It may vary from microscopic to quite bad. But it will be there, it is the nature of machining any metal. When you put your first few rounds down that barrel, those micro groves of steel are going to peel some copper/lead off the bullet as it passes, depending on the burring itself. If you don't clean this up, you will accumalate copper or lead fouling, which will have a couple of effects. It will prevent the wearing off of the burring, and it will decrease the effectiveness of the rifling to impart spin on the bullet as it passes, thereby decreasing shot to shot accuracy. I suppose you could always go back and foam clean the fouling out, and start from scratch again on break in if you don't do it initially, but might as well do it right off the get go. I have found that after 40-50 rounds my rifles have all settled down nicely, some more noticably than others. I had one that never changed from the first sighted in rounds to the 50th, but there you go.

Having said that, unless burring is very bad, the results you get aren't going to be 5" groups to 1/2" groups I would guess. It should make a small difference though. This is how it was explained to me many moons ago, it could be out and out 'Shooting Witchcraft Juju BS' but hey, everybody has to believe in something...I believe somebody else will have another explanation shortly, and it will probably be a good one too! Cheers!:love0025:

Twisted Canuck
03-02-2011, 04:28 PM
Cat, that video was awesome, I had no idea how wrong I've been doing it all these years....gotta get a bull barrel, indeed!:sHa_sarcasticlol:

Wrongside
03-02-2011, 05:12 PM
That video never gets old and pretty much covers how I feel about the whole barrel 'break-in' thing...:)

catnthehat
03-02-2011, 05:22 PM
this is so revolutionary that some think it is the reason that "Bigstick"
is once again allowed back on the the 'fire!!:medium-smiley-035:
Cat

Pathfinder76
03-02-2011, 05:57 PM
It's about the only thing I can like about the guy.:)

catnthehat
03-02-2011, 07:34 PM
It's about the only thing I can like about the guy.:)

He does tend to get on one's nerves , and everyone's nerves occasionally !!:scared0018:
Cat

Wrongside
03-02-2011, 08:01 PM
It's about the only thing I can like about the guy.:)

Lotsa knowledge. Very poor delivery. :)

Traps
03-02-2011, 08:15 PM
Shoot your rifle and clean it.