Break-in for a new rifle

[sledforever]

Been looking around and haven't found any real across the board answer on how to break in a new rifle. Any info you guys could give would be great. Thanks

[todbartell]

for a hunting rifle, don't bother since it wont make a lick of difference that you'll notice

for a 1000 yard competition rifle, where an extra 1/8" grouping per 100 yards may be the difference between 1st and 2nd place, it might be worth it

[sledforever]

ok thanks.

[M.Dean]

How or what can you do to a piece of steel to break it in? Some guys will clean after every shot, some after a group of 3 shots etc. All's I've done is clean the Firearm when it gets dirty, seems to work? I don't think cleaning it real good will cause any problems, it's a new gun, a big investment so why not keep it clean? Each to there Own!

[todbartell]

I think most important is to start its shooting life from a clean bore. Dont start running rounds down it with the packing oils and grime in the bore from sitting in a warehouse for xxx days. Take it home, clean it up well with some good solvent or Wipeout, and take it out shooting. I generally clean after the first 20 rounds then only when accuracy begins to degrade, and that will depend on each rifle

[sledforever]

thanks for your answers guys. as you can tell im really new. never owned my own rifle yet. so just trying to get some info from the guys who know what there taking about.

[Singleshotneeded]

Sledforever, a few rifle manufacturers like E.R. Shaw recommend cleaning the barrel after each of the first three shots, then after each of the first few 3-shot groups, then afterwards as needed. Doing this with a bore snake and cleaning solvent doesn't take much time, and it's only once!
Then again, some manufacturers are much more relaxed... I don't think that it hurts anything to follow E.R. Shaw's break-in advice, we're talking six pulls through the barrel with a bore snake, in total, during a break-in.

[Hank Hunter]

I would not recommend using a bore snake on any barrel

[416]

I've had Ted Gaillard make up barrels for me and when l asked him the same question, he said "take it out and shoot it, don't bother with special cleaning procedures" Another custom barrel maker out of the States (Elijah, l think) had a video on how to break in a rifle barrel with a very specific procedure......go figure!

[Singleshotneeded]

Alright, this is the first negative opinion of the bore snake I've heard, why not Hank?

[Hank Hunter]

Just my opinion but where does any dirt or grime go from the initial pass? Do you wash it before every pull through? Using a rod you change patches every pass or should. Also may not happen often but if one breaks try getting it out of the barrel and it does happen. Just my thoughts

[Singleshotneeded]

Yeah, I can see that patches would be better, but if you clean your bore-snake regularly it shouldn't be too bad...and faster...

[GOLDEN TOP SNIPER]

Ok. some are saying to take it out the box , and go shoot it . i had a new rifle bought from a friend who won it at a banquet. there wasnt a lick of grease on it anywhere .. so i suggest looking it over and maybe getting some tips on a good greasing to start ..i almost considered taking it to a gunsmith and asking excatly where i should be paying attetion too considering thats its new and will wear in on certain parts ..kinda like anything new .. or would you not worry about that ? i have barly used this rifle ,it sat in my locker for years , i took it out this year and greased in the bolt action places where i thought metal was rubbing on metal .then it slides and locks a lot nicer . As far as the barrel goes.. its bulletproof isnt it ? . lol.

[Deadeye]

Sled, I'm in the same boat as you. Last time I shot anything was in the Forces 20 years ago (break-in hadn't been an issue for a long time on the C1s !!)

I looked around and what little info I found seemed to be contradictory.
I settled on what Tod posted above: if I were buying a brand spanking new TRG44 or whatever and looking to reach out with it, it might be an issue worth considering.
For my $600 Savage 30-06 package gun that has to be accurate enough to put a deer into the freezer from under 100 yds it probably won't make much of a difference.

At this point, I figure 'operator error' will contribute to big groups much more than an 'improperly broken-in' barrel.

As to cleaning specifically...I don't know when I'll be shooting next so I clean it when I get home from the range and leave a light film of oil on it. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I also keep a couple of those dessicant packs in the case. At the range, I pull a couple patches through it before shooting.

[eaglesnester]

Shoot it and clean it as others have posted, insure you use a good copper remover such as WipeOut. I have found that carbon builds up in layers, Carbon is your enemy even more than copper. Carbon can be one tough substance to remove unless you are using WipeOut or Barnes CR10. Carbon litterly gets into the steel and can cause micro pitting which once started leads to rust. This is one of the reasons that all military forces in the U.S. require you to clean your weapon after every range session. A military rifle is never ever turned into the armory before it gets cleaned. Enough said.

[warnniklz]

The only problem I see with greasing is if you're in a dry climate the grease is going to hold whatever dirt gets kicked-up into it. However places like on the coast where it's quite often damp I can see oil and greasy being a good thing. I could be wrong though.

[Mikey Rafiki]

Some new barrels seem to be really sticky, where they grab a lot of fouling. My .325 Short Mag needed to be cleaned every shot for the first box as it would foul up really quick and start missing paper at 50 yards. A couple years later and it will stay real tight for a few rounds, but it still likes to be cleaned often. A buddy of mine has another Browning, and his shot well right out the box and didn't need any breaking in. Different barrel materials maybe? I would play it safe and clean it the first few times, but you will notice pretty quickly anyways if it's gumming up on ya.

[Big Pops]

just clean it before and after you shoot. grease everything up too.

[Enthusiast]

Hello, I am new to shooting as I don't even have a gun yet but I have been doing a lot of research. I also know how to maintain equipment in general. I have weapons (other than firearms) and have experience in several different industries. I wanted to research how to break in a new gun since I'm going to be buying one shortly here. I'm looking at a Remington 700 VTR. Well that being said I came across a few sites, as the OP had said, many different opinions. So if this newbie may graciously add his own opinion. I came across a good thread about breaking in a new barrel:
http://western-wisdom.blogspot.com/2006/09/how-to-break-in-new-rifle-barrel.html

So let me cut to the chase and share the knowledge I have acquired in doing my research on this subject.

Cheaper guns: Cheaper guns use less quality components. The steel is softer, the rifling is rougher, and the oil that the gun is packaged in is gunked up and sticky. If you have an economy gun, breaking it in the proper way is crucial to having a gun that will fire more accurately for longer.
Rifling: some barrels have more aggressive rifling which means they have spent more time being machined. The more aggressive the rifling the more unfinished edges there will be to shoot out. Definitely clean your barrel more frequently if you have an aggressive rifling
Barrel type: Apparently stainless barrels are easier to break in. The metal itself takes to the machining a lot better than blue'd steel. So if your barrel is blue'd steel, prepare for more time taken to break in.
Bullet type: Bullets used to break in the barrel should be copper coated FMJ. Don't use ANY other type as aluminum or other types of FMJ may actually damage your rifling. Also it's very difficult to clean out other metal types, since there are solvents specifically for running copper through your barrel and not many solvents for other metals.
Carbon: The purpose of cleaning after each shot for the first 10 rounds through your barrel is to prevent carbon buildup on the rough edges of the rifling. Carbon is your worst enemy and apparently after a layer builds up is not only nearly impossible to clean, but it can also damage the rifling in your barrel if you don't. Also, since the carbon will build up the most quickly along the rough edges of your rifling, you may never get the carbon out because of those edges, and because of that, you may end up spending a LOT more time trying to break in your gun.
General Cleaning: Like I said I have other weapons and I have worked in many industries where equipment must be spotless, and for a good reason. The weapons I have get regular cleanings before and after each use, and during the times when they are not in use. I frequently clean my weapons. Even in the industry I currently work in (laptop repairs), it's no wonder that customers who require service work more often than not have a filthy machine. Customers with really clean machines almost never have problems with them. So the rule of keeping your gear CLEAN should go without saying. Give your gun the love it deserves. The cleaner you keep your gun (or any equipment) the longer it will last, whether you are breaking it in or not. And honestly, is it really so bad to have to clean the gun after each shot for the first few rounds, I mean really, any chance to caress and learn your gun should be seen as exciting :)

So here is a summary of the best all-purpose break in method i have found through doing my research:
-Clean your gun thoroughly before firing your first shot through it. Clean the gun 3 times over and make SURE there is no oil from the packaging, and no loose grit from the rifling on it.
-Clean your gun after each shot for the first 10 rounds fired. Run a white cotton swab through the barrel to make sure there is no carbon buildup. If the swab is not white then clean the gun again
-After the first 10 rounds have been fired, shoot in groups of 3, then clean the gun. Run 3 - 4 sets like that. Give the gun a full cleaning after this series of sets has been run through (cleaning the barrel between each 3 shot set).
-Run 2 sets of 10 shots, cleaning between each set. After these 10 shot sets have been completed and the gun is clean as a whistle, you should be good to go.
-There are walkthroughs online for how to effectively clean your barrel during this whole process, but from what I understand you are supposed to wipe out the barrel as best as possible, then apply the solvent. Let the solvent sit for 4 minutes, then wipe it all out. Make sure the barrel is clean before you take your next shot. If you really want to do a good job then run the solvent twice through each time for the first 4 or 5 shots.
-From what I understand, they say that you will KNOW when your gun is dirty. You will go from 1 - 2'' shot patterns at 100 - 150 yards, and then all of a sudden your gun is so far off that you don't even hit the target. I have yet to experience all this since I'm a newb and have never owned a gun before but I can imagine exactly what the person on that review site was trying to say.
-Apparently a gun will last approximately 1500 rounds being fired through it before it needs re-barreling. From what I have read most hunters never shoot that many rounds through the entire life of the gun. Properly breaking in your gun will not only prevent the rifling from being damaged before you even get a real chance to use the gun, but will also prevent pitting (and eventually rust) from occuring from all the little bits and pieces that fly off the rough edges of the rifling.

Well I hope this has helped you all, especially the OP. Thanks for reading this and taking advice from a newb. Like I said I have yet to purchase my own gun and start shooting it, but that is coming soon. Good luck out there and happy shooting!

[fearnodeer]

Goggle it and you will find some intresting methods of breaking in a riffle, not for me, just clean and shoot.

[rugeer]

while the cleaning is very important my experience has been that it is not the rifle that needs to be broken in it is the shooter that has to broken in to the rifle it means a lot of trips to the range to get comfortable shooting the gun

[Weatherby Fan]

Just recieved my new Mark V Ultralight 300 wby in the mail so with all the ideas on breaking in a new rifle,I thought I would call Weatherby and see what they recommend,They have a 2 box break in procedure ?
for the first 10 shots clean in between each shot,then shoot 3 shot groups for the next 30 shots and clean between each 3 shot group and most importantly he said do not let the barrel heat up.
Im thinking I better pack a lunch this is going to take a while ! and maybe another bag of cleaning patches !
WF

[Weatherby Fan]

Sounds like they want you to spend more money on their bullets! I think the only thing that makes sence in their break-in procedure is to not let the barrel heat up. Did they explain what this magical break-in process does? And did they follow it for their test firings at the factory to see if your rifle meets their 1.5" 3 shot group at 100 yards guarantee?

LMAO that was the first thing that went through my mind was bullet sales $$$,no he just said it's Weatherby's recommended break in procedure for a hunting rifle and he didn't get into any specific reasoning for the process.
I have never done that process for any of the new rifles I've bought over the years and never had any problems,I just clean a new rifle b4 I go and when I get home from the range,maybe I'll try it for this one,I'm sure Ill sleep better at night.
WF

[Weatherby Fan]

Sounds like they want you to spend more money on their bullets! I think the only thing that makes sence in their break-in procedure is to not let the barrel heat up. Did they explain what this magical break-in process does? And did they follow it for their test firings at the factory to see if your rifle meets their 1.5" 3 shot group at 100 yards guarantee?

Ok I had to call back and pick their brain about the procedure recommended,

Because it's a new barrel and there's a chance there may be metal fragments from the rifling procedure that come loose with shots fired this will ensure that they are removed and don't cause any possible damage,also not to let the barrel heat up to help with the molecule and metal break in,no different than a new engine he said !
WF

[Foxton Gundogs]

Been looking around and haven't found any real across the board answer on how to break in a new rifle. Any info you guys could give would be great. Thanks

For a hunting rifle much more important to break YOU in to the new gunLOL.

[Slee]

Been looking around and haven't found any real across the board answer on how to break in a new rifle. Any info you guys could give would be great. Thanks

Out of all the break-in procedures I have read about, I think the Wipe-out method makes the most sense to me...

http://www.paulcousa.com/wipeout.htm

[eaglesnester]

you do not break in a rifle barrel. what you do is, is burnish the machining in the first part of the leads directly in front of the chamber. I have noticed that after 50 to 100 rounds of so, with routine cleaning after each range session to remove all copper powder and carbon fouling, my rifles all had groups that suddenly got dramatically tighter. X-2 on the WipeOut for sure. I also never, ever, leave a rifle fouled over night. I clean as soon as I get through the front door. All of my weapons will shoot to POI (one - two inches of center bull at 200meters) with a clean cold barrel. That is way better than the average shooter can do with a hunting rifle at 100 meters off hand,

[Enthusiast]

@Weatherby Fan:
Yes they are correct, the machining from new rifling leaves ridges inside the barrel. They recommend the copper FMJ's because there are solvents available that specifically melt copper out of your barrel, and since copper is softer, it gently erodes the ridges, as opposed to completely smushing them back into the rifling grooves. Copper FMJ's kindof come apart when fired through a new barrel. Eliminate the metal shards in your barrel and cleaning out the carbon buildup is a synch. All this talk about whether or not to break your barrel in.. think about it.. if there are products out there that are meant specifically for breaking in your barrel, where do you think that market comes from. I have read that any military sniper who cleans there own guns will tell you that it's ESSENTIAL to break in the barrel. It can make the difference between hitting 1.5'' shot patterns at 200 yards to completely missing the target alltogether. So why not, I mean how much more is the copper FMJ .. even at twice the price, you only need to run 2 boxes through it. It's worthit to having a really accurate gun. Spending the time to care for a brand new gun makes the difference between coming home with a kill time after time or coming home empty handed time after time. Personally, I would rather spend the extra few bucks and the extra few hours of cleaning to have my gun that accurate. That's just IMO.. but I have been researching like crazy the last while on this subject. Hope this helps

[eaglesnester]

X-2 on todbartels post. Go get yourself some WipeOut and keep your rifle clean.

[Gateholio]

If I am going to be shooting 40 rounds while "breaking in" I'm going to be using those rounds to zero the rifle and do some practicing, too.

All I ever do these days is clean out the factory grime and start shooting, cleaning after 5 rounds, then 10 rounds then 20 rounds and then onto regular cleanings after 40-50 rounds. I seem to be able to make pretty nice groups, so I think if whatever I am doing has an effect, it's working. But who knows if it is actually doing anything. :)

[BCBRAD]

Don't know if this is really breaking in the rifle but I shoot at least 100 rounds out of a new rifle before relying on it. Check for loads , accuracy , check all fasteners to see if they stay tight, check scope for holding zero ,does the rifle exhibit any bad habits in function, and where is cold bore zero . Also, most shooters tend to ere in one direction or another on an off hand shot under duress depending, the stock design can influence where. Anyway, as the round count increases so does your proficiency with that rifle. My best shooting rifles have/had round counts into the 1000's.