Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
Articles
Latest reviews
Author list
Classifieds
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Hunting
Long Range Hunting & Shooting
Breaking in a New Barrel
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Mike6158" data-source="post: 332670" data-attributes="member: 1039"><p>I can finally weigh in on this topic... for what little that's worth.</p><p></p><p>I have two new rifles. Santa Claus (that would be me) was kind this year. I... I mean Santa... brought me a Remington VTR in .308 and because the stock was horrific (his words not mine... I would have cussed) he also brought a nice HS Precision stock for it. A couple of weeks later he brought a Sendero SF II in 7mm Rem Mag. Remarkably it came with a good stock (HS Precision).</p><p></p><p>I happily loaded 50 rounds for the VTR and ran off to the range just as soon as I got the scope mounted and bore sighted (The Sendero didn't have eyes until yesterday so it stayed in it's crib). After 40 rounds the rifle had degraded to 3" - 4" groups (group is a term that I am using loosely) at 100 yards. Not exactly what I was hoping for. It would kill a deer but I had 0 confidence in the rifle at that point so it was looking like I was going to leave it home this season. I was cleaning between 5 but no copper remover. Just Shooters Choice and a couple of patches. I was there to shoot not clean <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /> </p><p></p><p>Needless to say when I got home I did a search for barrel break-in and found 5 or 6 disagreement sessions <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big Grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /> with tons of conflicting advice. </p><p></p><p>I finally picked the shoot 1 / dry bore snake / copper remove / nylon brush (more controversy) / dry patch until patches are clean / repeat method (on a side note- have barrels become so crappy that they can't take a brush? Jeez man... I brushed the hell out of all of my rifles, with a bronze brush and Hoppes #9 solvent no less, when I was a kid and they all shoot as good as they ever did... which was good enough to kill a deer out to 200 yards. I would gladly do away with the brush step. It's a bunch of extra work... I'm just curious). </p><p></p><p>I paid for factory ammo <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /> (very painful. I may be traumatized for life) and ran 20 rounds through it and my Sendero using the above "break-in" method. I was at the range all day "breaking in two rifles. It was awesome <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big Grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /> The Sendero settled down by about round 8. The VTR wasn't settled down until the last 6 rounds. It's consistently grouping inside an inch at a 100 yards now and that's with over priced, sloppy ammo. I'm hoping to begin the process of finding it's sweet spot on Friday and bring it in a little and playing on the 200 range. I've got a batch of .010, .050, .090. and .130 off the lands loaded (both calibers). Just for fun I'm going to reload the factory brass that I shot today and take it back too. Friday should be a good day.</p><p></p><p>So- does the break-in method work? I think that it helps. The rifles cleaned easier as I progressed through the steps. Towards the end I shot 3 rounds and then cleaned. First the dry bore snake and then I ran a wet (Montana Extreme Copper Killer) copper cleaner patch through it. Waited about 5 min. Dry patch. There was no telltale copper residue btw. Brushed with Shooters Choice (probably will stop this just to see if I can do as well with just patches but I find it hard to believe a nylon or even bronze brush would hurt a barrel). Then 3 dry patches. The first one was dirty... the second one was clean. The 3rd one was snow white. Compare that to 6 - 8 patches before I got a clean one and never snow white when I started the "break-in"</p><p></p><p>Caveat- These were both Remington factory rifles. No tricky stuff. I will follow the barrel / rifle builders recommendation if / when I buy a custom. JMHO</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mike6158, post: 332670, member: 1039"] I can finally weigh in on this topic... for what little that's worth. I have two new rifles. Santa Claus (that would be me) was kind this year. I... I mean Santa... brought me a Remington VTR in .308 and because the stock was horrific (his words not mine... I would have cussed) he also brought a nice HS Precision stock for it. A couple of weeks later he brought a Sendero SF II in 7mm Rem Mag. Remarkably it came with a good stock (HS Precision). I happily loaded 50 rounds for the VTR and ran off to the range just as soon as I got the scope mounted and bore sighted (The Sendero didn't have eyes until yesterday so it stayed in it's crib). After 40 rounds the rifle had degraded to 3" - 4" groups (group is a term that I am using loosely) at 100 yards. Not exactly what I was hoping for. It would kill a deer but I had 0 confidence in the rifle at that point so it was looking like I was going to leave it home this season. I was cleaning between 5 but no copper remover. Just Shooters Choice and a couple of patches. I was there to shoot not clean :cool: Needless to say when I got home I did a search for barrel break-in and found 5 or 6 disagreement sessions :D with tons of conflicting advice. I finally picked the shoot 1 / dry bore snake / copper remove / nylon brush (more controversy) / dry patch until patches are clean / repeat method (on a side note- have barrels become so crappy that they can't take a brush? Jeez man... I brushed the hell out of all of my rifles, with a bronze brush and Hoppes #9 solvent no less, when I was a kid and they all shoot as good as they ever did... which was good enough to kill a deer out to 200 yards. I would gladly do away with the brush step. It's a bunch of extra work... I'm just curious). I paid for factory ammo :cool: (very painful. I may be traumatized for life) and ran 20 rounds through it and my Sendero using the above "break-in" method. I was at the range all day "breaking in two rifles. It was awesome :D The Sendero settled down by about round 8. The VTR wasn't settled down until the last 6 rounds. It's consistently grouping inside an inch at a 100 yards now and that's with over priced, sloppy ammo. I'm hoping to begin the process of finding it's sweet spot on Friday and bring it in a little and playing on the 200 range. I've got a batch of .010, .050, .090. and .130 off the lands loaded (both calibers). Just for fun I'm going to reload the factory brass that I shot today and take it back too. Friday should be a good day. So- does the break-in method work? I think that it helps. The rifles cleaned easier as I progressed through the steps. Towards the end I shot 3 rounds and then cleaned. First the dry bore snake and then I ran a wet (Montana Extreme Copper Killer) copper cleaner patch through it. Waited about 5 min. Dry patch. There was no telltale copper residue btw. Brushed with Shooters Choice (probably will stop this just to see if I can do as well with just patches but I find it hard to believe a nylon or even bronze brush would hurt a barrel). Then 3 dry patches. The first one was dirty... the second one was clean. The 3rd one was snow white. Compare that to 6 - 8 patches before I got a clean one and never snow white when I started the "break-in" Caveat- These were both Remington factory rifles. No tricky stuff. I will follow the barrel / rifle builders recommendation if / when I buy a custom. JMHO [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Hunting
Long Range Hunting & Shooting
Breaking in a New Barrel
Top