How do you break in a new rifle?

[Lilly001]

I know all of the recommendations that are online, but with the high cost and more importantly the scarcity of some ammo have some of you modified your new rifle break in?
With the increase of quality of new rifle barrels (many) I have shortened my break in on $$$ per shot rifles to 5 shots and clean, another 5 shots and clean, and if not yet sighted in to my chosen hunting ammo just enough more to get sighted in comfortably.
Now I do shoot other, less $$$ per shot, rifles for practice. But I don’t see wisdom in blowing $$$ down the barrel unessesarily.
What do you all think?
And this is for a Ga hunting rifle with most shots under 200 (100 realistically) yards.

 

[specialk]

i've only owned 2 new guns in my life and both were shotguns....

 

[Railroader]

I just shoot em...Never have believed that all the break-in hype was any more than that.

I submit that rifle "break in" is mostly theoretical, and 999 out of 1000 shooters have no way to prove or disprove any of it.

If you do your part, so will the rifle...

If some guy who shoots groups that you need a micrometer to pick the best one for the day tells me he "breaks in" his barrels, fine. I ain't gonna argue with him.

He shoots better than I do.

You take a guy that can't hit a clay at 100 off a rolled up jacket on the truck hood, and no amount of barrel break in is gonna help him.

He needs shooting practice.

 

[Lilly001]

I just shoot em...Never have believed that all the break-in hype was any more than that.

I submit that rifle "break in" is mostly theoretical, and 999 out of 1000 shooters have no way to prove or disprove any of it.

If you do your part, so will the rifle...

If some guy who shoots groups that you need a micrometer to pick the best one for the day tells me he "breaks in" his barrels, fine. I ain't gonna argue with him.

He shoots better than I do.

You take a guy that can't hit a clay at 100 off a rolled up jacket on the truck hood, and no amount of barrel break in is gonna help him.

He needs shooting practice.

I never even thought of breaking in a barrel. But that was when all of my rifles were used pick ups because I was poor.
When I became able to buy a few new rifles, especially “target” style, I began to delve into the process. Sometimes a little to much.
But now I’m beginning to believe that a break in process doesn’t help most rifles enough to worry about.

 

[Railroader]

I never even thought of breaking in a barrel. But that was when all of my rifles were used pick ups because I was poor.
When I became able to buy a few new rifles, especially “target” style, I began to delve into the process. Sometimes a little to much.
But now I’m beginning to believe that a break in process doesn’t help most rifles enough to worry about.

It might, if you are "micrometer guy"...

"Three touching" once a pay period was as good as I ever needed to be...

 

[FlipKing]

I normally shorten it up to 5 shot groups for the first 4 groups then maybe a 10 shot or 2 cleaning in between. But I'm putting on the scope. Sighting in, trying different ammo during that time.

 

[Robert28]

I usually just shoot 3-5 shots and cool down, run a bore snake, shoot 5 more shots, run a bore snake. With my Bergara they were super specific about break in so I followed their procedure to the letter that was in the manual.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

I'm a believer in barrel break in/ seasoning.
I usually do it along with zeroing the scope on a new rifle.
I'll clean after.every shot with Hoppes on a bore brush 5 strokes each direction and then a lightly oiled patch for the first 10. Same procedure after every 3 for the next 9. After every 5 a couple of times and.call it good. Hoppes brushes and.patches dont cost much and I'm generating brass and zeroing the scope so its a win win win and part of getting my new stick ready.
Every year when I check zero on a hunting rifles, they dont get cleaned again till after the season.
I know the subject of break in is sure to throw sparks both ways but either I have unbelievable luck picking bughole rifles off the shelf or I'm doing something right. This is the way I've been doing it for decades and I aint about to change now. Doesn't cost anything but time a few patches and do it once and you're done. You dont get a chance to start from scratch ever again. So why not...

 

[ScLowCountry]

For hunting you definitely do not need to break a rifle in

 

[NCHillbilly]

I have never done anything special, just shoot it.

 

[Lilly001]

I'm a believer in barrel break in/ seasoning.
I usually do it along with zeroing the scope on a new rifle.
I'll clean after.every shot with Hoppes on a bore brush 5 strokes each direction and then a lightly oiled patch for the first 10. Same procedure after every 3 for the next 9. After every 5 a couple of times and.call it good. Hoppes brushes and.patches dont cost much and I'm generating brass and zeroing the scope so its a win win win and part of getting my new stick ready.
Every year when I check zero on a hunting rifles, they dont get cleaned again till after the season.
I know the subject of break in is sure to throw sparks both ways but either I have unbelievable luck picking bughole rifles off the shelf or I'm doing something right. This is the way I've been doing it for decades and I aint about to change now. Doesn't cost anything but time a few patches and do it once and you're done. You dont get a chance to start from scratch ever again. So why not...

You do what I used to do. For the same reasons.
But now I no longer reload so ammo cost is a real thing. If I have access to cheap ammo or if it’s a caliber my buddy reloads I will do more like you do.
But shooting any more store bought 300 WM than needed is counter productive. It cost lots of $$, and takes practice ammo from the cheaper shooters like the .223.

 

[Dub]

I usually just shoot 3-5 shots and cool down, run a bore snake, shoot 5 more shots, run a bore snake. With my Bergara they were super specific about break in so I followed their procedure to the letter that was in the manual.

I'll be doing the same moving forward.

One of the great features of Bergara rifles is their great barrels. I will follow their advisements on break-in.

As you said, I'll be dialing in the scope and checking pressure signs on incrementally heavier charges to evaluate my safe range before doing ladders then groups, etc.


I have more time to piddle at the range this season....so the time spent is no bother.

---------------------------------------------------------

In years past, with hunting rifles, I'd just start off with a clean barrel and run 12-20 rounds through and dial in the scope. End the session. Clean it at home.

Next session do the same with same ammo or different ammo to compare. Zero scope. End session. Clean at home.

Third session shoot a group with the favored ammo. If all was well, end the session and don't clean. Hunt with it and clean it after the season ended.

 

[Jester896]

I am more inclined to "breakin" a custom hand lapped barrel according to the manufactures guidelines...if there aren't any I will shoot a few and clean a couple of times. an off the shelf rifle I might do it a little differently. If it has chatter marks and such and wasn't hand lapped you just need to make sure it isn't stripping copper...you need to fire it until any sharp edges are down or you can shoot fire lapping bullets if you choose to and it should be OK. Really a to each their own type thing.

not much point in doing a used rifle

 

[Deerhead]

The few I have purchased new... I would just shoot to sight in, shoot at deer and once a year make sure its on. I just bought a new Christensen Arms and followed their break-in process. 3 shots and clean... Its been fun shooting during the off season.

 

[Robust Redhorse]

I clean a new rifle with copper solvent after every shot while I'm sighting it in.

After the final shot, I shoot it two more times to assess accuracy.

Then:

One fouling shot.

One cold barrel shot.

The cold barrel shot is the most important.

Keep shooting and cleaning, until the "cold barrel" shot is where you want it.

That shot is, by far, the most important.

Every rifle is different.

Some of mine are "dead-on" with every shot. Some move after the first shot, as the barrel warms.

 

[Liberty]

In my “opinion” fouling the barrel with a few light loads before sending max loads down the barrel is a good way to smooth out the machining and getting copper into the low spots. On an off the rack $500 or less rifle with factory ammo, I’d just sight it in and verify an acceptable group size with the chosen ammunition. Handloaders run lighter loads first anyway by “working up” a load for accuracy from low to higher charge weights. Some barrels will shoot just about anything well, and some fall short.

 

[bullethead]

For a production rifle that can be bought over the counter I have found that all of the various methods of break in have worked to reduce copper build up and make cleaning easier much more than making a noticeable increase in accuracy. You are basically smoothing out any rough tool marks and making the surface more even. Also with certain cleaners you are imbedding a layer of protection into the lands and grooves that reduce the amount of carbon and copper that will imbed into them.
If a production rifle calls for a break in procedure then do it. Many custom barrel makers suggest a certain procedure so doing one on any new barrel wouldn't hurt.

I have tried break-in on some and not on others. I have always been able to get a rifle to shoot well by using a variety of methods even if break-in was not one of them. My biggest thought is that after I shot a barrel that I broke in from the start, I have no baseline to go off of to know how it would have shot had I not broken it in first.

Edited to add:
Except for the addition of chemicals to reduce copper and carbon....I don't know what a nylon or brass brush will smooth out going 10 inches per second that a copper jacketed bullet going thousands of feet per second won't smooth out much more quickly.

 

[trial&error]

It can be very important depending on what you do with it after. For hunting purposes it does help, not sure it helps more than just shooting and sighting in. For target shooting it definitely helps shrink groups. I've heard many variations, but follow the manufacturers recommendation when provided.

 

[fauxferret]

I would say that the big thing is don't get the barrel hot and keep it hot and burn out the throat. Watched a guy do that on a B14 in 300WM which isn't hard to do. I would say for general production barrels on 99% of rifles just sight it in clean it throw 3 foulers through it and call it a day. For most shots around here for hunting 100 or less yards I think one would be good. If you were so inclined you could try using JB Bore paste to get some of those sharp edges lapped as well. For custom barrels like a Lilja I might be more inclined depending on what I was doing. But I remember talking to a guy at Krieger barrels his words were "just shoot it, but don't be an idiot let it cool down between groups". So I kinda take that mentality to most rifles. I mean if I had the money to do bench rest in any serious manner I might be more inclined but I am a collector so I do more of that than I do shooting due to my job.

 

[Long Cut]

No fancy gun or break in procedure.
Sight in and shoot.