Seasoning Barrel and Cleaning Rifle

killerv

Senior Member
I've never "seasoned" or broke in a barrel. I clean it well first go around, shoot, clean again after about every 20 rounds or so. End of season, I clean again, finish up with one patch of rem oil down the barrel and it goes into the safe.

I use all pro-shot rods/jags/brushes.
 

lonewolf247

Senior Member
Before I start, I clean the barrel with bore cleaner, as usually they are preserved with chemicals from the Factory.

I do a barrel break-in using windex, as Howa used to recommend. Seems they are saying use a bore cleaner, containing ammonia now. (similiar)

I clean the barrel each shot, for 5 shots. Then every 5 shots, for the next 10-15 shots. The theory is to seal in the pores, as you take the first few shots thru a new barrel. Many may consider this unnecessary, but I will say, when I do this, I notice the patches will come out absolutely filthy for the first 5 shots or so.

As I'm doing this I'm doing a very rough ballpark sigh-in with a newly mounted scope, as I go. After 15-20 shots, I consider the barrel to be seasoned, and my scope on paper.

At this point, I thoroughly clean the bore, then run a dry patch thru it. I go to the range, at that point, and fire a couple of "conditioning shots" to rid the barrel of any oil, or bore cleaner residue. Then I complete the sight-in procedure for the riflescope. At that point, I will not clean the bore again, until after hunting season.

I use Dewey coated 1-piece rods, jags, patches, and bore brushes to thoroughly clean the bore.
 

Darkhorse

Senior Member
I've only "Broke in" and taken notes on one rifle, my Browning Abolt II Stainless Stalker LH in 300 Win Mag. and while it shoots really accurate there's not really that much difference than any of my others.
And while that maybe acceptable in most rifles, if your goal is .5 MOA then breaking one in correctly may well be worth the trouble. This rifle ended up shooting a number of groups at .250 and one under that.
Some observations I recorded may be helpful, this rifle has the BOSS, "Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System" or something like that, and regardless of what ANYBODY says it works. Some shooters just can't seem to figure out how to make it work, but for those who do it's really an asset.
For the first 15 shots I cleaned the rifle using one of Remington's bore cleaners and repeated this for 50 or so shots. Then I cleaned it after every shooting session. During this phase it became clear the rifle spread the bullets some on a clean barrel. Further testing would show after 5 shots it would settle down and shoot to POI again. So my process is to squeaky clean after the season, then shoot at least 5 shots to settle the barrel before hunting with the rifle. I don't know the upper round count before accuracy is lost but it's a lot of shots.
Due to my notes I learned this rifle suddenly began shooting much tighter after 100 rounds went down the barrel. I've also noticed this when breaking in premium barrels in my flintlocks.
Now I've gone back to my old reliable Hoppe's number nine bore cleaner and Rem Oil. It's been over 10 years since the change and I'm happy with my results.
All the outside metal is protected with Johnson's paste wax.
Each barrel is a little different but if you take good notes you can apply any changes the barrel requires for it's accuracy.
I don't say all this will work for your barrel. These are just the steps that make mine shoot it's best.

I don't believe in the seasoning theory's out there. I want to start with a bore free of copper or anything that might effect the performance of the barrel.
 

bullethead

Of the hard cast variety
What I have found with breaking in factory barrels is that if there is an accuracy difference it is virtually unnoticeable but the barrels that I have broken in by a few various routines are easier to clean and have less copper build up.
In my limited experience with it the break in seems to take out the microscopic roughness so carbon, copper and residue has less nooks to stick to and build up in.

Guys who use custom barrels swear by breaking them in adds to accuracy and the various methods range from shoot clean shoot clean 20x to JB Bore Paste, to Tooth Paste to Sacrificial chicken blood, simple green and Voodoo. Well maybe the Simple Green and some sort of cleaning regiment minus the hen parts....
 
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bullethead

Of the hard cast variety
and then there is always gray Scotch Brite
I've polished many a shotgun barrel with Kroil and a Green scrubby wrapped around a bronze brush a gauge or to smaller which were screwed on the end of an Outers Aluminum 3 pice rod chucked into a cordless drill!!! Keep it moving, well oiled, stay out of the chamber and do it until the battery dies. Scrubbies for sure work.
 

JR924

Senior Member
What about Balistol? (balistol link on Pyramid airgun website) Airgunners use it but spray can wording says it works for firearms. Per manufacturer, sounds like you can put it on everything including stock. Suppose to dissolve copper. High ratings on Amazon. May be similar to Breakfree CLP. Any thoughts.
 

Dub

Senior Member
What about Balistol? (balistol link on Pyramid airgun website) Airgunners use it but spray can wording says it works for firearms. Per manufacturer, sounds like you can put it on everything including stock. Suppose to dissolve copper. High ratings on Amazon. May be similar to Breakfree CLP. Any thoughts.

Ballistol has been around for eons.

I've done whole gun wipe downs with it after being out in the rain and etc.

It does have a unique smell. I'd not want to have it freshly applied to a deer rifle while I was hunting.

It's yet another gun lubricant, preservative, etc. I've never thought of it as something I'd use on copper. There are better products for that job and they've been well covered already in the thread.

Ballistol is worth having on hand. You'll always find a need for it. I prefer the non-aerosol version.
 

Wifeshusband

Senior Member
Since I discovered Wipeout, it's my go to cleaning solvent when a barrel is really dirty. After cleaning a barrel the old fashioned way with Hoppes (which I still like for regular cleaning) I can still get fouling and residue out with Wipeout. I also have heard good things about Birchwood Casey 2 in 1 gun scrubber-- supposed to be good for copper and lead. It was rumored, according to an article in Rifle, that Hitler drank Ballistol.

As far as breaking in a rifle: I have two Remington Model 700s. The first one I bought I did not break in the barrel. In fact I shot a box of ammo right away, without cleaning, something that would cause many to be horrified. The other, I painstakingly did the long and tedious job of cleaning after every shot for a few, then after a few another cleaning, (repeated) then after 5 rounds another cleaning and so on. Both shoot accurately, but the one I painstakingly broke in is decidedly more accurately--holes touching at 100 yards. Now I wonder, and regret not breaking in the first Remington.
 
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