New Gun......Shot without cleaning!!

[SBruce]

Those are some nice groups SBruce. I was worried about the first cleaning/safety factor the most. Maybe there is too much emphasis put into break-in. I probably clean my barrel too much. I will use solvent-brush-patches every 30-40 rounds. Sometimes I will fire a couple of rounds and put it away then when I bring it out the next time, I pull a bore snake through it a few times if it hasn't been a total of 30-40 rounds. I remember when I picked up my barrel from Rock Creek I asked what they thought about break-in. He said just clean it once in a while and just shoot it. I looked at it as I spent good money on this barrel, I wanted the best from it and for it to last. Maybe I should slow down on the cleaning.

I agree with Rock Creek......It's been said before, time and time again; let the accuracy/precision/group size tell you how often to clean.

FWiW, I am with you; when we spend Buku$$ on a custom gun......custom action, custom barrel, custom stock with bedding and custom trigger.......it's in our best interest to follow the barrel maker/gunsmiths' recomendations, especially when they have an accuracy gaurantee. But still, that being said; the very best groups I've ever fired out of my personally owned guns (so far anyway) were with factory tubes after alot of load development and not alot of cleaning.

I've got a 1/2 dozen new custom builds that have been broken in according to recomendations, and a few are shooting really good so far with minimal load development, but are they shooting well enough to offset the time and effort involved for "break in"..........??..............that still remains to be seen.

The only benefits I've personally realized so far from broke in barrels; is less time involved to get them down to "bare metal clean" (easier cleaning) and stabilized velocities........in the LR game, consitent velocities are important. Can't honestly say I've seen an accuracy difference other than how quickly they sometimes foul and how easily they clean..........but hell, that simply might be the difference between Stainless custom barrels and factory CM barrels...??

Still, all that said; I firmly believe in an initial cleaning (at least a patch or two) to get the packing grease out of the tube. Not to mention the possible styrofoam or cardboard or mud off the UPS mans' boots.

 

[cfvickers]

I treat most of my rifles like the guy in the video. That is precisely why I buy quality optics along with quality mounts and bases. I don't do it on purpose, but I do not worry about banging them around. I carried my SBS all over the mountains in colorado rubber strapped to the rack on my four wheeler one year (not an independent suspension) the rack was destroyed when I got home but the rifle was still dead on. If a gun was meant to hunt it SHOULD be able to take a beating like that and keep shooting well. Just my opinion. I figure it is worth as much as anyone else's. I buy good stuff so it will stand up to a beating, if I wanted to baby it I would buy the cheapest thing out there. BUT, That video was priceless!

 

[steelshooter]

I have always followed a break in procedure, but am beginning to doubt its worth.
The barrel that I spent the most time on is made by one of Australias best barrel makers and it's the most INACCURATE barrel I have ever owned.

 

[Hairtrigger]

I believe more barrels are ruined by cleaning than shot out
A quality bore guide and cleaning rod are money well spent

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I have always followed a break in procedure, but am beginning to doubt its worth.
The barrel that I spent the most time on is made by one of Australias best barrel makers and it's the most INACCURATE barrel I have ever owned.

The reason for barrel break-in is to condition the throat and bore for less fouling... not to improve accuracy.

I believe more barrels are ruined by cleaning than shot out
A quality bore guide and cleaning rod are money well spent

If someone doesn't know how to properly cleaning their chamber and bore without causing damage, then it won't matter if they break-in their barrel or not... they will eventually ruin their bore anyway. A lot of guys have successfully broke-in a lot of barrels without ruining them. Most competition shooters break their barrels in and do so without ruing them. Breaking in a barrel does not ruin it. Improper cleaning techniques can.

You should have less overall cleaning to a properly broke-in barrel then one that's broke-in. Less fouling and longer shot strings between cleanings.

 

[MudRunner2005]

You wanna know how I break my rifles in? And FYI, I've NEVER had an issue.

I MIGHT run a brush through one occasionally before the first shot, but most likely not. I go to the range, and I shoot the hell out of it. Shoot it till it heats up. Then let it cool down. and repeat for about 2 boxes of ammo (40 rounds). Then take it home and do a thorough bore scrubbing.

 

[denny2]

MontanaRifleman, I have to agree with you. It is a misconception that break-in is for accuracy, that is what I thought. You can definitely tell its working when the patches go through easier and there is less fouling.
I bought a used gun a long time ago that was improperly cleaned. It was a bolt action but whoever owned it must have cleaned it from the muzzle with steel rods.
It was like a blunder buss, The muzzle had no rifling left and would not group shots at all.

 

[roninflag]

Denny- at rifleman's journal there are "Complete directions with no Omissions". follow those.