Maybe he should learn a little more because there is no such thing as "breaking in a barrel" that barrel is going to shoot how it shoots no matter if you polish it amd clean it prior to shooting or shoot it and clean it every 5 rounds or if you dont clean it after shooting 300 rounds. I have never done anything but shoot my rifles from day one and they all shoot perfectly fine. Barrel break in is a myth. A unicorn. A figment of your imagination. Shoot and keep it clean.
@@ngirardo86 well you’re a bloody genius. Any advice on how to get as smart as you? Keep it simple so everyone in this thread can follow. Thanks in advance.
When Ron states "Don't take my word for it, do your own research..", he truly means it. This is why I so enjoy his channel, straight to the point, no bloviating, hype, or BS.
I've used most American rifles, used and new, in various calibers over the years. I've found the biggest difference in accuracy to be different bullet weights more than any particular type of cleaning regimen. I was always taught to clean my firearms when returning from the range or from a hunting trip; dad was military! I got friends, however, that have never cleaned their rifles... Never! Their deer wind up just as dead as mine, LOL! All kidding aside, breaking in of a barrel might be a science to a BR shooter but hitting a deer at 150yds with a 30-06, well, a 1/4" miss still doesn't matter because the deer is down!
Eric Cortina says “I can consistently keep my barrel clean. I can’t keep it consistently dirty”. If minute of pie plate on steel is all you need. Fine. Only cleaning when accuracy falls off just sounds stupid.
Barrels aren't engines. They don't require breaking in. Facts don't care about feelings. Here's a long range shooter showing it. ua-cam.com/video/7iLTxMBf8Aw/v-deo.htmlsi=JAS5UFRBs_G1h-xv
Ron, thank you for saying what others won’t. There’s no right answer for break in. I’ve never broke a barrel in myself but I don’t shoot match much. My Dad shoots match but I’ve never seen him break one in either.
I appreciate your article, Ron. I know and I don't pretend to know it all. I have been shooting for close to 60 + years. I have broken in barrels and not broken in barrels. Like you, I can't say I have noticed a difference either way. But I will say this if you use proper cleaning technique it can't hurt. One thing I do is clean the barrel when I get it home and before I fire it. Love your common sense approach!
Superior rifles like yours have already been made and inspected so well, not to mention cleaned and assembled so carefully, that you get the quality that you paid for. Lower quality rifles are still relatively very good yet usually need more setup attention to detail that some factories do not give.
@Center Masster So did mine, and every Wby I've ever bought said the same thing. My .340 Wby which I bought nearly thirty years ago, and followed a break-in regimen, still prints one inch groups @ 200 yards, after hundreds of rounds.
Most barrel makers say break-in is unnecessary as the barrel is lapped and ready to shoot when it leaves the factory. Regular cleaning is the key point! Some guys shoot a totally clean barrel while other guys say the barrel shoots better seasoned. I lean toward the clean after every use camp but I don’t use bronze brushes and only clean with non-abrasive solvents. I cleaned with Hoppes #9 for 6 decades (and still do) but I completely changed my cleaning methods after I bought my first cheap borescope and could actually see the results.
Excellent perspective like always Ron. I have a Remington Sportsman 78 .30-06 that I bought brand new back in the '90s. I cleaned the barrel before I shot it. I always do. Then shot it like I was going to war. It was the only rifle I owned for a while. I reload so it saw hard use. I always clean the rifle after I come back from the range. I have never cleaned it by a specific round count and it still shoots great today. Also, some rifles shoot way more accurately (smaller groups) with some rounds run through them. Some rifles shoot better clean. I have never noticed a level of degradation in accuracy over time from round count cleaning over after range cleaning. The important procedure I think is to clean the barrel initially before shooting, then every ten rounds for fifty rounds, then every twenty rounds for a hundred rounds, then after that, after you come home from the range. That is what I do now. Keep an index card that records the round count and cleaning with the rifle. Also for hunters, five rounds fired to verify zero and not cleaned before hunting. Cleaning and warm barrels change zero.
I've only broken in one barrel and I did per the barrel manufacturer's instructions. I don't know if it made the barrel more accurate (and it's VERY accurate) but this barrel is easier to clean than any of the other barrels I own. Almost zero copper build up.
Nice video thank you. I jb bore bright lap my barrels 1000 passes then go 1 shot cleans for 10 rounds 3 shot cleans after that 5 shots then just keep it cleaned after that that’s how my grandpa taught me and it seems to work fine. Clean Barrels when put it away barrels facing down in the gun safe so no crap comes back into the chamber.
I just found your channel and really love the content and the way you talk to us, giving us information without telling us there's only one way to do it. Watched the 6.5 creedmoor downfall video, and the same thing, didn't trash the cartridge but left it up to the viewers to make their own decision based on all the info you gave us. Keep it up!
Thanks for that, looking forward to your barrel cleaning follow up. As you say it's a matter of opinion, with different perspectives. I don't believe in putting anything to aggressive down the bore, such as copper solvent. If it attacks copper it's bound to attack steel to some extent. A barrel will build up a coating, as long as it doesn't affect accuracy there's no problem. Just a few patches of a basic solvent, followed by a dry patch, then a lightly oiled patch to finish.
Ammonia solvent on stainless is a bad thing....on 4150 it doesn't matter. What you are looking for is the wet patch turning blue from the reaction. Finally after enough bullets have "burnished" the bore you should have clean patches coming out indicating the barrel is broken in.
A brooch is a cutting tool that cuts the rifling. A button is a round shape that is forced through a rifle barrel to swage the rifling into the barrel. And then there's a way in which you put a shape into the rifle barrel and Hammer Forge it around it, forcing the barrel down onto the shape of the rifling.
Dave petzel ask the top shooter at Remington about barrel breaking and he said that back in the 1960s a gun writer hard up for a subject to write on wrote an article about it and it was all fabricated. Then someone else repeated it and since then it has been considered the gospel. It is true that some new barrels come from the factory with a few burrs or spots that could benefit from a little polishing and that is exactly what is called for. Take a little chrome polish on a cloth patch and polish out the burrs or rough spots. These people that claim you have to go by some magic procedure such as shoot one round and then clean it then repeat for x number of times is pulling this out of thin air. I have been dealing with accurate rifles for more than fifty years and some of the most accurate never had anything done to them except shooting after they left the factory. I have seen other rifles that needed help and after a good polishing shoot much better. I'm glad to see mr. Spoomer be honest in his assessment of this subject. This subject of barrel breakin has taken on a near religious or mystical tone and good gun writers need to put it to rest.
For the last 20 years my procedure (on new rifles) has been; clean out of the box, shoot enough to get sighted in, clean again. Check zero and see how much POI shifts clean vs dirty. Put in safe and use as needed :) Used rifles are different, those you need to scrub down to bare metal then spend several days and 20-100 rounds getting them dirty enough to shoot well, then leave alone ;) when doing load development, I clean (Hoppes and patches) occasionally, mostly between different powders or after 100 or so rounds.
First off, I would borescope any barrel I was thinking about buying. Barrel break-in is called hand lapping. A very fine grit lap will polish the steel and remove any burrs that might be there. Some manufacturers lap barrels and some don't. I have seen some beauties and some real copper files. A bore scope and pushing a slug will tell you if it needs it.
Good info, Isaac. I would clarify that barrel break-in can be hand lapping, but there are other methods such as fire-lapping and the deep cleaning programs described in this video.
I bought a bergara 308 shot it 10 times cleaned 15 shot cleaned then 30 shots cleaned then about 40 50 and love how it shoots. I have a inch and a half grouping maybe 2 in. at 100 yards, being a Joe blow shooter I'm completely thrilled with my groupings. Not my first rifle and have been shooting for 40 years.
I believe this is a bad grouping for this rifle at 100 yards. This should be a tack driver at only 100 yards. Like less than an inch groups. Whether it's the break in or your scope and skill is something that would be difficult to determine.
I have a remington 700 22-250 and I did minimum break in and loaded up a round and put 6 through the same hole at 100yds first with factory then with my load
Just brought home a new Ruger Amurican in 308. ;-) Barrel was sooty inside from proof firing. Bolt face had a tiny bit of brass residue that needed wiped. I ran an oiled bore snake thru it a few times and the inside now looks like a mirror. So, I don't think they clean after proofing. I'll put 20 thru it next week at the range to sight it in. Then a good cleaning and call it good.
I got a Styer hunting rifle with a hammer forged barrel. It fired all three first shots into a single tiny hole. Honestly I thought something was wrong so I fired it three more shots. All into a tiny triangle just a smidgen bigger than the caliber, .243. I highly recommend them.
I agree completely. I bought my first rifle in 1960 & have tried many strategies over the years. This year I bought a new .223 & a .22-250 & broke in each but used different methods. As you said, the method probably makes little or no difference.
Little birdie told me Santa is bringing me a Bergara B-14 in 6.5 creedmoor! Randy Selby and Gunblue 490 are great guys to watch here on UA-cam on gun advice as well
Bolt actions, I have a Ruger m77 that I bought new in 1986, it was many years before I bought another bolt action, but now I have a Savage model 112 heavy stainless fluted barrel that I bought the year before the Accutrigger came out, I put a stock and timney trigger on that one, I also have a Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm-08 with a stainless barrel, and last year I bought a Savage High Country in .308. I did a break-in procedure on each one except for the old m77, I can't remember if I did it on that one, but I doubt it. I don't know for sure if it helped, but I do know one thing, that Hawkeye in 7mm-08 groups way better with a dirty barrel than it does with a clean one.
It would be interesting to see an in depth study on barrel break in with a variety of barrels, methods and a bore scope. I find ironic that the best barrels that money can buy are probably the ones that need break in the least, but get it the most. And vice versa. Personally I dont spend much time with barrel break in. Todays barrels are made pretty well.
Here's a break in process. Shoot the gun, clean it when those groups start to open up. In 20 odd rifles in the last 7 years, I have NEVER had a rifle lose accuracy due to barrel break in procedure.
You likely have owned a few rifles that wouldn't benefit from a break in. They were ok because the factory did their job and polished out all the burrs.
@@clintkamerzell1041 you understand shooting is what breaks in a barrel right? You smooth out the imperfections by shooting…. Once there is an issue with accuracy. Then you clean.. if there is nothing wrong with accuracy. Then you don’t clean. It’s super simple
@@robertgordon9132 across rugers, savages, Remingtons, bergaras, Howas, and custom guns, none of them needed a specific and thorough barrel break in procedure. I run solvent through each new gun before it is shot, then patch out with oil, the dry patch until clean. Then you clean again when the accuracy falls off or when you’re done for the day. Whatever comes first.
..I like that Ron, a LEAST YOU’RE HONEST. Most would have, and generally do..HAVE the only answer ha ha ha. It’s been the ‘age-old’ question, “How to break it in”. Another question that falls right in line with this same principle..? How to break-in a NEW vevicle!? Some say very carefully , not going but only certain speeds for a set amount of time..varying this of that; others say “Drive it like you STOLE IT”! Ha ha. Great vid Ron, thanks..
I have never had a set “barrel break in” myself for several new rifles through the years. But I would like to add that I purchased a Bergara 243 couple days ago.....decided to read the manual. Got to the break in section and they do recommend a shoot clean specific process. Got to figure that folks that make a lot of barrels......good ones at that...should be on to something. Just a thought. Thanks for your videos!
Hi Ron, love your videos. Wish I could find one for beginners to select the right ammo for a 22LR. It seems to me everyone wants to talk about centrefire guns and forgets about us beginners with their first 22!
Last time I was at shot show I asked several rifle companies about break in. Overall response was why would they create a barrel that could be so easily screwed up by not following these crazy break in procedures? Not heating them up to quickly seemed to be the most common thing to avoid. I myself just heat them up slow while I am adjusting scopes. Boresnake before I shoot it, boresnake after it's sighted in. Never had an issue. Hoppes 9, boresnake, shoot. Keep it simple stupid.
I use the same method as you, and it works. Back in the 70's, 80's and 90's, very few people had heard of breaking in a barrel. I had never until the late 1990's.
Really good job ron! I appreciate you looking at every break-in method, and even saying that a hunting rifle very well may not need it. Keep up the good work!
Most rifles shoot better than the shooter right out of the box. Try as I may I have never been good enough to shoot half inch groups twenty feet up a tree or propped on my knees shooting at a moving deer. If a hunter can shoot three inch groups under real life hunting conditions he will be very effective. Without a bench and sand bags it's tough to to shoot to the rifles potential.
I wish this video would have been out two weeks ago, i bought a new .25-06 Winchester and shot 12 rounds out of it, still don't have it sighted in yet. This information is good knowledge
Don't worry about accuracy just yet. You will need to find the right ammo first. You will need to try at least 3 or 4 different brands and different weights. It gets expensive quickly if you keep playing around. Pick the one that gives you the best results and adjust your scope for that brand and weight, , unless you are a hand loader then you can play until you get the results you want, primer , powder, case and bullet head. The sky is the limit. I bought 3 boxes of ammo expensive and cheap. The cheapest worked the best in my case. Bullets touching at 100 yards. Good enough for deer hunting
If a bullet traveling down the barrel doesn’t smooth out tiny burrs, I don’t see how a cleaning rod brush will do it. Anyway, the hot gasses and powder will polish it more than the bullet. It is the gasses that burn out barrels and end their useful life, not bullets.
I've heard that steel cased ammo is good to break-in barrels because it copper clad steel rather than copper jackets. And those harder jackets will do a better job of burnishing the cut rifling. Hammer forged barrels should be a lot smoother and harder.
About a year ago I had a barrel put on a Ruger 77 action. I wanted to know how to break it in or if I really needed to. I have many firearms and have never actually broken a barrel in other than just shooting the firearm. I received information from two well known barrel manufacturers about the subject. I was told if the barrel was cold forged or button rifled then the only thing needing to be broken in are the milling marks in the throat of the barrel because they are across the throat and not in line with the travel of the bullet. If a barrel is cut rifling then some break in might be considered. I even say magnified video of the rifling of each type and the cut rifling which is cut from breech to bore left minute shavings still attached. Even those will discharge and leave the barrel over time. I don't see anything wrong with doing whatever you may think you need to do for the barrel but some of these videos go a long way to reach a point I have reached by simply shooting the firearm however I like and cleaning it when I'm done.
You could of said about cut rifled barrels that each groove was progressively cut one at a time until it was cut to the proper depth before continuing on to the next one. I enjoy your videos very much and await the next one.
I appreciate the breakdown. Some people seem to think you're an moron if you don't break in your rifle, yet every owner's manual I've looked at doesn't mention anything about it. If it were that crucial I think it'd have something in there to protect their brand.
My first rifle was a 7mm, I got jeweler's rouge and polished the inside of the barrel. It shot around .5-.75 of an inch at 100 yards with the 160gr Nosler partition. My current rifle has had a few boxes shot through it and cleaned a few times and it's still as accurate as I need for a 375 to hit a target.
Curious, a barrel is a lot harder metal than lead, copper, etc. Just exactly how does shooting it break it in? It wears the barrel down how? And how many more rounds does it falls apart? Cleaning solvent takes out lead and copper. Does it take out barrel metal also? Seems like an urban myth to me. Just my thoughts.
Excellent advice Ron. Thank you!!! Perfect timing for me. Recently purchased a Ruger American Ranch and have been researching this very subject. Haven’t shot it yet as I wanted to break in the barrel properly. I’m waiting for the next video on cleaning!!!
I make medical implants. Even with super hard material like cobalt chromium, those microscopic fibers bend & break with your finger. Heat & pressure will cause everything to cake into your barrel. Clean it with a bore snake before you shoot it. My .308 has a melanite finish, so i didnt have to worry about it.
The Howa 1500 comes with a very detailed barrel break in process. Howa’s break in procedure focuses not only on conditioning the bore but also tempering the barrel to mitigate what they call “barrel memory” from getting the barrel to hot.
Ron, my wife says your lying- I’m not getting a new rifle for Christmas. 🥺😔 lol All joking aside, thanks for being our generation’s Jack O’Connor. Keep up the good work! 😁🤣
You missed one more way to make a barrel, it's rare but the method is being used more and more, and that's electrochemical etching. what you do is simply etch the lands and grooves, into the bore. It works and I've it done, McMillian has talked about it, maybe it's something for you to look at Mr. Spomer.
You are right, Tibbs. I forgot to mention the new EDM (Electric Discharge Machining) method. Steel is removed to make the rifling grooves by a computer control tool that uses "spark eroding" to create the grooves. No cutting. A computer controls everything, so it's precise, but slow and costly because of high electricity (power) drain. AllTerra Arms uses EDM to "ream" chambers. I don't know if they're rifling barrels with it, but their barrels/rifles are guaranteed to shoot 1/4 MOA, so maybe. Brave new world! Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors your very welcome Mr. Spomer, and thank you for all the advice and information. I've learned a lot from you. Merry Christmas Mr. Spomer and a happy new year.
Electrochemical etching may not be a good idea, depending on the process used. You could possibly get Hydrogen Embritlement from the acids. Hope my spelling is correct.electrical discharge machining is different method as well
FWIW, for the last two new rifles I bought, at sorta both ends of the spectrum (Ruger and Sako), I called both manufacturers and asked about barrel "break-in" and both said it's 100% useless. I'll run with that, since they're the engineers, metallurgists, etc., and are responsible if the rifles don't perform.
1) Most recommended using patches only.....no coarse copper brushes. 2) No ammonia base solvents on stainless. 3) 4150 barrels using ammonia, you're looking for the blue reaction with copper which should eventually disappear after the barrel is burnished. 4) AK-47 owners....no need to clean rifle, rifle is fine.
Shoot it, let it cool down, shoot it some more, let it cool. Keep shooting it til you are done and clean the barrel. Simple as that. It's like this, do you change the oil in your vehicle after the engine is broken in? Probably not.
I normally take 25-40 shots of the cheapest ammo i can find in the grain I plan to hunt with, letting the barrel cool off and cleaning after every 3 shots. Does it help? I have no idea, but it definitely helps me become more comfortable with my new rifle.
Out of all my guns i have I only done a barrel break-in on 2 of them and those 2 are by far the most accurate guns i have. Granted one of them was a match grade limited edition kimber 1911 so it was probably already super accurate from the day it was made. But the other was a cheap grade Remington 700 ADL in 30-06 and i could shoot ¾" groups at 100 yards using Hornady ammo. I just picked up a AR15 with 20" stainless barrel for a 6.5 Grendel. It's a precision round so I want to get what i can out of the barrel so that will be my 3rd. When i shoot i like to do precision shooting but i might use this one for hunting too.
Cut rifle barrel will normally provide the best accuracy, button barrels can be quite good. Cost of manufacturing is more for a cut barrel that's why you don't see many of the major gun companies doing it.
What I've learned all types works because all of them breaks in the barrel and I do long range shooting here in South Africa and done 3 different types of break ins and al 3 works just get the right solvent for cleaning
Basically, It kinda kills me that everyone scoffs at a rifle that won't shoot sub moa nowadays. 90% of the time the rifle will far outshoot the shooter. Just like he states in the video 1.5" is perfectly acceptable for a hunting rifle at 100 yards.
All excellent observations and I defer to your superior experience, not to mention very pleasant way, however why not start by asking the manufacturer of your specific rifle?
Any bullet always needs to be a lot softer than the steel of the barrel. Otherwise, it could become a very dangerous situation for the shooter. So passing 20 or 50 bullets down the barrel in order to wear down any imperfections in the steel does not make sense. It just aint gonna happen. Whatever imperfections there are in the barrel are going to stay there. CSI analysts can tell from which gun a bullet was fired because of the marks left by the barrel imperfections. Firing 50 bullets down the barrel doesnt smooth it out. CSI can still say from which gun the bullet was fired.
The rifles I own that I did barrel break in seems to not require a fouling shot or two after cleaning.Rifles I have owned that were not broke in usually always require fouling shots.I still go to the range and confirm my rifle is on target and leave the barrel dirty for the hunt.
I have never been able to compare the same rifle side by side but I’ve broken a rifle in to the manufacturers specs and it shoots under a half minute, I’ve also got a cheap ruger American, didn’t break it in, and it shot under a half minute both with hand loads 🤷♂️ I do clean barrels when they are brand new just to get the anti rust grease out of it
I can agree with you, who knows? I play it safe and clean per the manual. What I really want to comment on is the barrel heating. One of my manuals said to clean after a series of shots slow enough to allow the barrel to cool for the first 100 shots. The objective was to not allow the steel to develop a 'memory' , huh? I did that too just to be safe. Crazy, rifles from my childhood without barrel break in shoots just as accurate as new rifles with barrel break in. Who knows?
I just bought a Bergara HMR...the owners manual recommends a 1 shot-clean 5X then a 10 shot clean 5X process as a break-in. If the manufacturer recommends it...I'll do it, esp. if I'm looking for maximum accuracy. For an ordinary hunting rifle, I probably wouldn't worry about it, tho'...
I think Ron would agree with this. His channel is primarily about hunting and hunting rifles. Shooting match grade rifles off of a bench and shooting hunting rifles in hunting scenarios at normal hunting ranges are two entirely different games. To repeatedly shoot and clean a rifle in order to "break it in" may make sense to a competition shooter that needs every last bit of accuracy to win matches may make sense. To do the same to a rifle that will be used to shoot deer with an off hand shot or shooting off of day pack is probably just a waste of expensive ammo and barrel life.
I have a Remington 700 30-06 . At a hundred yards it shots less than 1/8 moa . When I clean it group opens up to 3/4 . I need to shoot about of shells to regain its accuracy.
If you're shooting a factory barrel rifle, it's not going to make a difference. If you're shooting a custom barrel target rifle, the barrel manufacturer has already done everything to make sure the barrel is as accurate as possible. Barrel break-in is like lucky socks, it only helps if you think it helps. If you have a factory barrel that is having accuracy problems, consider lapping the barrel.
I must be blessed. I clean my new rifle then use it, if it's going to sit for a while I run an oil patch through it. Every gun I have will do 1 inch or better (mostly better) I traded a monster heavy 24 inch bull barrel 223 for a 16" and it's a one tattered hole shooter with hand loads. 26gn blc2 55gn varmegeddon to 2.26" that's my magic load.
I've never done more than run a boresnake through it after I'm done at the range. On a new rifle I give it a quick cleaning and leave it at that. I found that simplicity is the key but that may not work for everyone.
Most Barrels have been lapped before its fitted and then fired to test that it extracts etc different with a custom barrel that you are chambering and fitting
The advice I received from my gunsmith, who's been a master gunsmith or a number of decades. He's also been a competitive shooter for longer than that, as well as being competitive and winning that competition in the Wilds of Vietnam. When I picked up my M1A I asked him if I needed to break in the barrel. This particular M1A has a 416 stainless Barrel. I couldn't stand the looks that I actually had a military flash hider put on it and had it cerakoted black. He told me to run 20 rounds through it and give it a good cleaning. And that should work quite nicely. The minor little bit of shirt that gets in the boar is a very fine abrasive which will polish that Barrel just fine. And it give it a good cleaning and you're set and ready to go. He said the same thing works for blue steel barrels it says there's no big deal he says you will never be able to tell the difference. I've seen people who would spend 200 rounds firing one cleaning firing 2 cleaning firing 3 cleaning firing 4 cleaning until they get to 20 rounds. A colossal waste of time. The best rifle I ever owned was my first Centerfire rifle. It was a 7 mil mag Ruger Model 77 from 1979. I set the trigger, I fired nine rounds to sight it in oh, and I made Italy fire 20 rounds, about 15 to 20 seconds apart each round. And put 20 rounds into a hole that had a center to Center spread of .049 inches. The entire whole was .33 in edge to edge. That rifle spoil the hell out of me. But it also beat the hell out of me at the bench. But did it shoot good. Broaching is cutting the lands and grooves. Button rifling is forcing it with a rounded button which will not leave any Burrs in the Barrel. There is Hammer forged which actually forces the barrel down and around a form which also does not leave metal shards in the barrel.
I’ve noticed most of my rifles seem to tighten up their groups after shooting about 40 or 50 rounds without any specific method of clearing while I’m shooting.
Hey... That's my method :) After sixty rounds you'll know just how accurate your rifle is. The most important thing to do is take care of your firearm. Lubricate when you should and clean it when needed. Never bring a freezing cold rifle into the house and leave it in a case. Stand them up action open by a heat source and wipe then down before storing.
You are most accurate in your observations . About two years ago I bought a savage axis in 6.5 creedmoor at Walmart . It shoot one and a quarter inch groups right out of the box. After about a hundred rounds it is now a legitimate one half inch shooter at one hundred yards. So much for the complex barrel breakin. All any of this stuff does is smooth out the rough spots in a new barrel. If the factory does its job there won't be any rough spots to get rid of. The gun will shoot to its potential right out of the box.
I had a rifle that wasn’t grouping very well after about 200 rounds so I got some Final Finish fire lapping rounds and shot them through. After about 50% of those it was grouping great and has been great ever since. I figure the Final Finish ammo was probably equivalent to firing a few hundred rounds or so and it probably would have probably been better eventually. I have no way to tell but it worked.
Start using HBN and that will fix the "to get accuracy fouling". First shot is on the money. I often go many boxes without cleaning. Of course, you have to hand load to do HBN.
Definitely late on this but I just found the channel love it, I've never broke in a barrel just curious does it actually make a huge difference or is it just something people do.
I always break in mine,my Armorlite said to shoot one and clean 20 times and then go two 10 times I don’t remember Al but I can put Al my shots where my finger nail covers it is the AR 10 stainless steel heavy barrel love it
I can't say I have ever felt the need or intentionally try breaking in a barrel, but I always do a complete disassembly and cleaning after the first range day. That way I can get familiarized with every detail of my rifle.
My first rifle is on its way! Whats the process for cleaning (cleaner ?)and re oiling (oil?) the parts/gun cause i wanna keep it nice right from the beginning
@@Kmecha84 You won't have to worry about cleaning when you first get it, and the disassembly process is going to differ slightly with every rifle type. If your gun is new, read the owner's manual completely, especially if you have not owned a gun before. It will give you important information about maintenance and care. Part numbers, takedown info, parts identification, etc. Other processes are a matter of preference and opinion like the break in process, and best ways to sight in. If your rifle has iron sights, you should be dialed in from the factory, and probably won't have to do anything further to sight it in. Just point and shoot, if it hits the mark your sights are good. If you have a scope mounted, or need to mount one, the process is a bit different. Most rifles w/scope from the factory are already bore sighted, but will need to be sighted in with the ammo you intend to use at the range. I recommend having someone help you with this if you have never sighted in a rifle before. You can find a lot of good videos on UA-cam about sighting in for the first time, and proper cleaning procedures. GunBlue490 has great video for how to clean your bolt action rifle, and another one for cleaning and takedown of AR platform rifles as well. His videos are very detailed and can run an hour or so, but he knows his stuff, and makes great sense for those who might be novices. He will go into details about what you will need tool wise, and what he prefers as far as solvents and oils. I actually took some advice from him for cleaning my AR-15, and the process is far better than what I was doing previously. As far as what types of oils and solvents, everyone has an opinion on that, and usually it does not make a difference, as long as there is nothing specified in your owner's manual. Always go by the manufacturer's recommendations. They may have a specific need for certain types of lubes. If you bought a used gun, and do not own an owners manual for it, I recommend searching the internet or contacting the manufacturer for a copy. Just look for the serial number which is usually embossed on the barrel. Something else I strongly suggest, if this is your first weapon, get a gun lock if it doesn't come with one. Even if you don't have kids, it saves you from any liability, and is almost always required when entering a gun range. And a rifle case will also be a requirement when entering a gun range. This is something my brother, who is a seasoned gun owner, neglected to do when he bought his AR-15, and took it to the range for the first time in November. They made him buy a case before entering the range. I know it sounds like a lot of stuff, and certain rifles can be very involved as far as parts takedown, and tools, but once you do it for the first time the process will become much easier. Good luck to you.
My understanding is one box, clean and brush it well before shooting, than clean well after each of the first five shots, than do 3 five shot strings and clean well after each and your good to go.
Will 93, the object here is to remove the crosscut shaving from the cutting of the chamber of the barrel. But since the chamber is of the same metal of the crown at the muzzle it’s the same. Bullet moves metal from the chamber cut out the muzzle. The key is to shoot a few then reclean. Then shoot some more. Then clean some more. But you do as you feel fit to do since your more of an metallic engineer then most of us.
I like Ron. He doesn't try to be a know-it-all like a lot of people.
Thanks. I tried being a know-it-all for years, but it didn't work because I didn't know enough.
There’s plenty of know it all’s in the comments, Ron doesn’t need to worry lol
..EXACTLY. That’s what we notice immediately listening to him. A lot of experience and willing to ‘share..NOT shove’
Maybe he should learn a little more because there is no such thing as "breaking in a barrel" that barrel is going to shoot how it shoots no matter if you polish it amd clean it prior to shooting or shoot it and clean it every 5 rounds or if you dont clean it after shooting 300 rounds. I have never done anything but shoot my rifles from day one and they all shoot perfectly fine. Barrel break in is a myth. A unicorn. A figment of your imagination. Shoot and keep it clean.
@@ngirardo86 well you’re a bloody genius. Any advice on how to get as smart as you? Keep it simple so everyone in this thread can follow. Thanks in advance.
When Ron states "Don't take my word for it, do your own research..", he truly means it.
This is why I so enjoy his channel, straight to the point, no bloviating, hype, or BS.
I've used most American rifles, used and new, in various calibers over the years. I've found the biggest difference in accuracy to be different bullet weights more than any particular type of cleaning regimen. I was always taught to clean my firearms when returning from the range or from a hunting trip; dad was military! I got friends, however, that have never cleaned their rifles... Never! Their deer wind up just as dead as mine, LOL!
All kidding aside, breaking in of a barrel might be a science to a BR shooter but hitting a deer at 150yds with a 30-06, well, a 1/4" miss still doesn't matter because the deer is down!
You could not be more right.
I am so glad I saw what you wrote , so I am doing some research on it now . I Thank you so much .
Never broke in a barrel in my 40 plus years and never had a bad rifle, only clean them when accuracy falls off.
Yep. Also only get maintenance on your vehicle when it breaks down.
Same 😂 when it looks dirty, it gets cleaned.
Eric Cortina says “I can consistently keep my barrel clean. I can’t keep it consistently dirty”. If minute of pie plate on steel is all you need. Fine. Only cleaning when accuracy falls off just sounds stupid.
@@chrisgunsandguitars1403 . I don't care how it sounds, I know how it works
Barrels aren't engines. They don't require breaking in. Facts don't care about feelings. Here's a long range shooter showing it.
ua-cam.com/video/7iLTxMBf8Aw/v-deo.htmlsi=JAS5UFRBs_G1h-xv
Ron, thank you for saying what others won’t. There’s no right answer for break in. I’ve never broke a barrel in myself but I don’t shoot match much. My Dad shoots match but I’ve never seen him break one in either.
If it shoots good out of the box any attempt at breakin is a waste of time.
I appreciate your article, Ron. I know and I don't pretend to know it all. I have been shooting for close to 60 + years. I have broken in barrels and not broken in barrels. Like you, I can't say I have noticed a difference either way. But I will say this if you use proper cleaning technique it can't hurt. One thing I do is clean the barrel when I get it home and before I fire it. Love your common sense approach!
Thanks Ron 👍🏻 Interestingly, the manual for my Bergara HMR suggested that a barrel break in wasn't necessary so I didn't bother!
Superior rifles like yours have already been made and inspected so well, not to mention cleaned and assembled so carefully, that you get the quality that you paid for. Lower quality rifles are still relatively very good yet usually need more setup attention to detail that some factories do not give.
@Center Masster
So did mine, and every Wby I've ever bought said the same thing. My .340 Wby which I bought nearly thirty years ago, and followed a break-in regimen, still prints one inch groups @ 200 yards, after hundreds of rounds.
Most barrel makers say break-in is unnecessary as the barrel is lapped and ready to shoot when it leaves the factory. Regular cleaning is the key point! Some guys shoot a totally clean barrel while other guys say the barrel shoots better seasoned. I lean toward the clean after every use camp but I don’t use bronze brushes and only clean with non-abrasive solvents. I cleaned with Hoppes #9 for 6 decades (and still do) but I completely changed my cleaning methods after I bought my first cheap borescope and could actually see the results.
Excellent perspective like always Ron. I have a Remington Sportsman 78 .30-06 that I bought brand new back in the '90s. I cleaned the barrel before I shot it. I always do. Then shot it like I was going to war. It was the only rifle I owned for a while. I reload so it saw hard use. I always clean the rifle after I come back from the range. I have never cleaned it by a specific round count and it still shoots great today. Also, some rifles shoot way more accurately (smaller groups) with some rounds run through them. Some rifles shoot better clean. I have never noticed a level of degradation in accuracy over time from round count cleaning over after range cleaning. The important procedure I think is to clean the barrel initially before shooting, then every ten rounds for fifty rounds, then every twenty rounds for a hundred rounds, then after that, after you come home from the range. That is what I do now. Keep an index card that records the round count and cleaning with the rifle. Also for hunters, five rounds fired to verify zero and not cleaned before hunting. Cleaning and warm barrels change zero.
I like Ron point of view and understand.
Thanks Jedi
I've only broken in one barrel and I did per the barrel manufacturer's instructions. I don't know if it made the barrel more accurate (and it's VERY accurate) but this barrel is easier to clean than any of the other barrels I own. Almost zero copper build up.
Nice video thank you.
I jb bore bright lap my barrels 1000 passes then go 1 shot cleans for 10 rounds 3 shot cleans after that 5 shots then just keep it cleaned after that that’s how my grandpa taught me and it seems to work fine. Clean Barrels when put it away barrels facing down in the gun safe so no crap comes back into the chamber.
And I have it on good authority that a lot of nice boys and girls would be getting new rifles for Christmas, if rifles weren't sold out everywhere :)
I do a half ass break-in process of my own, if it makes a difference who knows? But it's very little trouble and it does make me feel better ...👍
I just found your channel and really love the content and the way you talk to us, giving us information without telling us there's only one way to do it. Watched the 6.5 creedmoor downfall video, and the same thing, didn't trash the cartridge but left it up to the viewers to make their own decision based on all the info you gave us. Keep it up!
Thanks for that, looking forward to your barrel cleaning follow up. As you say it's a matter of opinion, with different perspectives. I don't believe in putting anything to aggressive down the bore, such as copper solvent. If it attacks copper it's bound to attack steel to some extent. A barrel will build up a coating, as long as it doesn't affect accuracy there's no problem. Just a few patches of a basic solvent, followed by a dry patch, then a lightly oiled patch to finish.
Ammonia solvent on stainless is a bad thing....on 4150 it doesn't matter.
What you are looking for is the wet patch turning blue from the reaction. Finally after enough bullets have "burnished" the bore you should have clean patches coming out indicating the barrel is broken in.
A brooch is a cutting tool that cuts the rifling. A button is a round shape that is forced through a rifle barrel to swage the rifling into the barrel. And then there's a way in which you put a shape into the rifle barrel and Hammer Forge it around it, forcing the barrel down onto the shape of the rifling.
Love this guy
I am breaking in a New one now . Having some fun.
Dave petzel ask the top shooter at Remington about barrel breaking and he said that back in the 1960s a gun writer hard up for a subject to write on wrote an article about it and it was all fabricated. Then someone else repeated it and since then it has been considered the gospel. It is true that some new barrels come from the factory with a few burrs or spots that could benefit from a little polishing and that is exactly what is called for. Take a little chrome polish on a cloth patch and polish out the burrs or rough spots. These people that claim you have to go by some magic procedure such as shoot one round and then clean it then repeat for x number of times is pulling this out of thin air. I have been dealing with accurate rifles for more than fifty years and some of the most accurate never had anything done to them except shooting after they left the factory. I have seen other rifles that needed help and after a good polishing shoot much better. I'm glad to see mr. Spoomer be honest in his assessment of this subject. This subject of barrel breakin has taken on a near religious or mystical tone and good gun writers need to put it to rest.
For the last 20 years my procedure (on new rifles) has been; clean out of the box, shoot enough to get sighted in, clean again. Check zero and see how much POI shifts clean vs dirty. Put in safe and use as needed :) Used rifles are different, those you need to scrub down to bare metal then spend several days and 20-100 rounds getting them dirty enough to shoot well, then leave alone ;) when doing load development, I clean (Hoppes and patches) occasionally, mostly between different powders or after 100 or so rounds.
Sure appreciate your honesty!!!!
Merry Christmas Ron and all the best take care stay safe ciao see you
First off, I would borescope any barrel I was thinking about buying.
Barrel break-in is called hand lapping. A very fine grit lap will polish the steel and remove any burrs that might be there.
Some manufacturers lap barrels and some don't. I have seen some beauties and some real copper files.
A bore scope and pushing a slug will tell you if it needs it.
Good info, Isaac. I would clarify that barrel break-in can be hand lapping, but there are other methods such as fire-lapping and the deep cleaning programs described in this video.
I bought a bergara 308 shot it 10 times cleaned 15 shot cleaned then 30 shots cleaned then about 40 50 and love how it shoots. I have a inch and a half grouping maybe 2 in. at 100 yards, being a Joe blow shooter I'm completely thrilled with my groupings. Not my first rifle and have been shooting for 40 years.
I believe this is a bad grouping for this rifle at 100 yards. This should be a tack driver at only 100 yards. Like less than an inch groups. Whether it's the break in or your scope and skill is something that would be difficult to determine.
Love your vids Mr Spomer.... U R a great teacher.
Thank you kindly
Always great videos thank you
Thanks Ron! Keep your very good works!
Thank you so much Ron. Great job.
I have a remington 700 22-250 and I did minimum break in and loaded up a round and put 6 through the same hole at 100yds first with factory then with my load
This man is a true sportsman and rifle man
All barrels are test fired before you ever shoot them so I hope they cleaned them up nice and oiled it before shooting.
Just brought home a new Ruger Amurican in 308. ;-) Barrel was sooty inside from proof firing. Bolt face had a tiny bit of brass residue that needed wiped. I ran an oiled bore snake thru it a few times and the inside now looks like a mirror. So, I don't think they clean after proofing. I'll put 20 thru it next week at the range to sight it in. Then a good cleaning and call it good.
I got a Styer hunting rifle with a hammer forged barrel. It fired all three first shots into a single tiny hole. Honestly I thought something was wrong so I fired it three more shots. All into a tiny triangle just a smidgen bigger than the caliber, .243. I highly recommend them.
I agree completely. I bought my first rifle in 1960 & have tried many strategies over the years. This year I bought a new .223 & a .22-250 & broke in each but used different methods. As you said, the method probably makes little or no difference.
In most rifles breaking in will make no difference. If the factory does its job and polished out all the burrs you won't need to.
Little birdie told me Santa is bringing me a Bergara B-14 in 6.5 creedmoor!
Randy Selby and Gunblue 490 are great guys to watch here on UA-cam on gun advice as well
Thanks for this video. I enjoy watching your stuff.
That really is a wonderful rifle. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas
Bolt actions, I have a Ruger m77 that I bought new in 1986, it was many years before I bought another bolt action, but now I have a Savage model 112 heavy stainless fluted barrel that I bought the year before the Accutrigger came out, I put a stock and timney trigger on that one, I also have a Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm-08 with a stainless barrel, and last year I bought a Savage High Country in .308. I did a break-in procedure on each one except for the old m77, I can't remember if I did it on that one, but I doubt it. I don't know for sure if it helped, but I do know one thing, that Hawkeye in 7mm-08 groups way better with a dirty barrel than it does with a clean one.
It would be interesting to see an in depth study on barrel break in with a variety of barrels, methods and a bore scope. I find ironic that the best barrels that money can buy are probably the ones that need break in the least, but get it the most. And vice versa. Personally I dont spend much time with barrel break in. Todays barrels are made pretty well.
Here's a break in process. Shoot the gun, clean it when those groups start to open up. In 20 odd rifles in the last 7 years, I have NEVER had a rifle lose accuracy due to barrel break in procedure.
Well you wouldn’t know if it loses accuracy because you FIRST break in the barrel. I.E. nothing to compare it too.....
You likely have owned a few rifles that wouldn't benefit from a break in. They were ok because the factory did their job and polished out all the burrs.
@@clintkamerzell1041 you understand shooting is what breaks in a barrel right? You smooth out the imperfections by shooting…. Once there is an issue with accuracy. Then you clean.. if there is nothing wrong with accuracy. Then you don’t clean. It’s super simple
@@robertgordon9132 across rugers, savages, Remingtons, bergaras, Howas, and custom guns, none of them needed a specific and thorough barrel break in procedure. I run solvent through each new gun before it is shot, then patch out with oil, the dry patch until clean. Then you clean again when the accuracy falls off or when you’re done for the day. Whatever comes first.
..I like that Ron, a LEAST YOU’RE HONEST. Most would have, and generally do..HAVE the only answer ha ha ha. It’s been the ‘age-old’ question, “How to break it in”. Another question that falls right in line with this same principle..? How to break-in a NEW vevicle!? Some say very carefully , not going but only certain speeds for a set amount of time..varying this of that; others say “Drive it like you STOLE IT”! Ha ha. Great vid Ron, thanks..
I have never had a set “barrel break in” myself for several new rifles through the years. But I would like to add that I purchased a Bergara 243 couple days ago.....decided to read the manual. Got to the break in section and they do recommend a shoot clean specific process. Got to figure that folks that make a lot of barrels......good ones at that...should be on to something. Just a thought. Thanks for your videos!
Hi Ron, love your videos. Wish I could find one for beginners to select the right ammo for a 22LR. It seems to me everyone wants to talk about centrefire guns and forgets about us beginners with their first 22!
Thanks. That's an idea I've been thinking about for some time. Hope to get to it soon.
Last time I was at shot show I asked several rifle companies about break in. Overall response was why would they create a barrel that could be so easily screwed up by not following these crazy break in procedures? Not heating them up to quickly seemed to be the most common thing to avoid.
I myself just heat them up slow while I am adjusting scopes. Boresnake before I shoot it, boresnake after it's sighted in. Never had an issue. Hoppes 9, boresnake, shoot. Keep it simple stupid.
I use the same method as you, and it works. Back in the 70's, 80's and 90's, very few people had heard of breaking in a barrel. I had never until the late 1990's.
Really good job ron! I appreciate you looking at every break-in method, and even saying that a hunting rifle very well may not need it. Keep up the good work!
Most rifles shoot better than the shooter right out of the box. Try as I may I have never been good enough to shoot half inch groups twenty feet up a tree or propped on my knees shooting at a moving deer. If a hunter can shoot three inch groups under real life hunting conditions he will be very effective. Without a bench and sand bags it's tough to to shoot to the rifles potential.
@@robertgordon9132 very good point robert!
I wish this video would have been out two weeks ago, i bought a new .25-06 Winchester and shot 12 rounds out of it, still don't have it sighted in yet. This information is good knowledge
Don't worry about accuracy just yet. You will need to find the right ammo first. You will need to try at least 3 or 4 different brands and different weights. It gets expensive quickly if you keep playing around. Pick the one that gives you the best results and adjust your scope for that brand and weight, , unless you are a hand loader then you can play until you get the results you want, primer , powder, case and bullet head. The sky is the limit. I bought 3 boxes of ammo expensive and cheap. The cheapest worked the best in my case. Bullets touching at 100 yards. Good enough for deer hunting
If a bullet traveling down the barrel doesn’t smooth out tiny burrs, I don’t see how a cleaning rod brush will do it. Anyway, the hot gasses and powder will polish it more than the bullet. It is the gasses that burn out barrels and end their useful life, not bullets.
Very informative, thanks.
I've heard that steel cased ammo is good to break-in barrels because it copper clad steel rather than copper jackets. And those harder jackets will do a better job of burnishing the cut rifling. Hammer forged barrels should be a lot smoother and harder.
About a year ago I had a barrel put on a Ruger 77 action. I wanted to know how to break it in or if I really needed to. I have many firearms and have never actually broken a barrel in other than just shooting the firearm. I received information from two well known barrel manufacturers about the subject. I was told if the barrel was cold forged or button rifled then the only thing needing to be broken in are the milling marks in the throat of the barrel because they are across the throat and not in line with the travel of the bullet. If a barrel is cut rifling then some break in might be considered. I even say magnified video of the rifling of each type and the cut rifling which is cut from breech to bore left minute shavings still attached. Even those will discharge and leave the barrel over time. I don't see anything wrong with doing whatever you may think you need to do for the barrel but some of these videos go a long way to reach a point I have reached by simply shooting the firearm however I like and cleaning it when I'm done.
You could of said about cut rifled barrels that each groove was progressively cut one at a time until it was cut to the proper depth before continuing on to the next one. I enjoy your videos very much and await the next one.
I'm looking forward to Hunting Dove in Florida because season just opened
I appreciate the breakdown. Some people seem to think you're an moron if you don't break in your rifle, yet every owner's manual I've looked at doesn't mention anything about it. If it were that crucial I think it'd have something in there to protect their brand.
My first rifle was a 7mm, I got jeweler's rouge and polished the inside of the barrel. It shot around .5-.75 of an inch at 100 yards with the 160gr Nosler partition. My current rifle has had a few boxes shot through it and cleaned a few times and it's still as accurate as I need for a 375 to hit a target.
Big respect for you sir .I fell for the click bate expecting to be upset . Spot on .
Curious, a barrel is a lot harder metal than lead, copper, etc. Just exactly how does shooting it break it in? It wears the barrel down how? And how many more rounds does it falls apart? Cleaning solvent takes out lead and copper. Does it take out barrel metal also? Seems like an urban myth to me. Just my thoughts.
Howa has a full break in procedure with every rifle sold. Glad I did it.
Excellent advice Ron. Thank you!!! Perfect timing for me. Recently purchased a Ruger American Ranch and have been researching this very subject. Haven’t shot it yet as I wanted to break in the barrel properly. I’m waiting for the next video on cleaning!!!
That cleaning video could be out in a couple of days.
I make medical implants. Even with super hard material like cobalt chromium, those microscopic fibers bend & break with your finger. Heat & pressure will cause everything to cake into your barrel. Clean it with a bore snake before you shoot it. My .308 has a melanite finish, so i didnt have to worry about it.
The Howa 1500 comes with a very detailed barrel break in process. Howa’s break in procedure focuses not only on conditioning the bore but also tempering the barrel to mitigate what they call “barrel memory” from getting the barrel to hot.
Interesting.
myth
Ron, my wife says your lying- I’m not getting a new rifle for Christmas. 🥺😔 lol All joking aside, thanks for being our generation’s Jack O’Connor. Keep up the good work! 😁🤣
Ha ha. Your wife may be deflecting so as to get the surprised look of delight she knows you'll have when you open that package! Merry Christmas, Ben.
Vortex podcast did an amazing job explaining this
You missed one more way to make a barrel, it's rare but the method is being used more and more, and that's electrochemical etching. what you do is simply etch the lands and grooves, into the bore.
It works and I've it done, McMillian has talked about it, maybe it's something for you to look at Mr. Spomer.
You are right, Tibbs. I forgot to mention the new EDM (Electric Discharge Machining) method. Steel is removed to make the rifling grooves by a computer control tool that uses "spark eroding" to create the grooves. No cutting. A computer controls everything, so it's precise, but slow and costly because of high electricity (power) drain. AllTerra Arms uses EDM to "ream" chambers. I don't know if they're rifling barrels with it, but their barrels/rifles are guaranteed to shoot 1/4 MOA, so maybe. Brave new world! Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors your very welcome Mr. Spomer, and thank you for all the advice and information. I've learned a lot from you.
Merry Christmas Mr. Spomer and a happy new year.
Electrochemical etching may not be a good idea, depending on the process used. You could possibly get Hydrogen Embritlement from the acids. Hope my spelling is correct.electrical discharge machining is different method as well
FWIW, for the last two new rifles I bought, at sorta both ends of the spectrum (Ruger and Sako), I called both manufacturers and asked about barrel "break-in" and both said it's 100% useless. I'll run with that, since they're the engineers, metallurgists, etc., and are responsible if the rifles don't perform.
1) Most recommended using patches only.....no coarse copper brushes.
2) No ammonia base solvents on stainless.
3) 4150 barrels using ammonia, you're looking for the blue reaction with copper which should eventually disappear after the barrel is burnished.
4) AK-47 owners....no need to clean rifle, rifle is fine.
Shoot it, let it cool down, shoot it some more, let it cool. Keep shooting it til you are done and clean the barrel. Simple as that. It's like this, do you change the oil in your vehicle after the engine is broken in? Probably not.
Love the sound effects at 4:33.
I normally take 25-40 shots of the cheapest ammo i can find in the grain I plan to hunt with, letting the barrel cool off and cleaning after every 3 shots. Does it help? I have no idea, but it definitely helps me become more comfortable with my new rifle.
That is one beautiful gun stock on your video.
Out of all my guns i have I only done a barrel break-in on 2 of them and those 2 are by far the most accurate guns i have. Granted one of them was a match grade limited edition kimber 1911 so it was probably already super accurate from the day it was made. But the other was a cheap grade Remington 700 ADL in 30-06 and i could shoot ¾" groups at 100 yards using Hornady ammo. I just picked up a AR15 with 20" stainless barrel for a 6.5 Grendel. It's a precision round so I want to get what i can out of the barrel so that will be my 3rd. When i shoot i like to do precision shooting but i might use this one for hunting too.
Cut rifle barrel will normally provide the best accuracy, button barrels can be quite good. Cost of manufacturing is more for a cut barrel that's why you don't see many of the major gun companies doing it.
What I've learned all types works because all of them breaks in the barrel and I do long range shooting here in South Africa and done 3 different types of break ins and al 3 works just get the right solvent for cleaning
Ive never owned a rifle that wasnt more capable than I am as a shooter. If it aint accurate enough before a break-in, it wont be after one either.
Basically, It kinda kills me that everyone scoffs at a rifle that won't shoot sub moa nowadays. 90% of the time the rifle will far outshoot the shooter. Just like he states in the video 1.5" is perfectly acceptable for a hunting rifle at 100 yards.
All excellent observations and I defer to your superior experience, not to mention very pleasant way, however why not start by asking the manufacturer of your specific rifle?
I've never broken one in. I have cast a lead lap and lapped a new barrel. Good results either way.
Any bullet always needs to be a lot softer than the steel of the barrel. Otherwise, it could become a very dangerous situation for the shooter.
So passing 20 or 50 bullets down the barrel in order to wear down any imperfections in the steel does not make sense. It just aint gonna happen.
Whatever imperfections there are in the barrel are going to stay there.
CSI analysts can tell from which gun a bullet was fired because of the marks left by the barrel imperfections. Firing 50 bullets down the barrel doesnt smooth it out. CSI can still say from which gun the bullet was fired.
The rifles I own that I did barrel break in seems to not require a fouling shot or two after cleaning.Rifles I have owned that were not broke in usually always require fouling shots.I still go to the range and confirm my rifle is on target and leave the barrel dirty for the hunt.
Dirty is best.
I have never been able to compare the same rifle side by side but I’ve broken a rifle in to the manufacturers specs and it shoots under a half minute, I’ve also got a cheap ruger American, didn’t break it in, and it shot under a half minute both with hand loads 🤷♂️ I do clean barrels when they are brand new just to get the anti rust grease out of it
I can agree with you, who knows? I play it safe and clean per the manual. What I really want to comment on is the barrel heating. One of my manuals said to clean after a series of shots slow enough to allow the barrel to cool for the first 100 shots. The objective was to not allow the steel to develop a 'memory' , huh? I did that too just to be safe. Crazy, rifles from my childhood without barrel break in shoots just as accurate as new rifles with barrel break in. Who knows?
Right on
I just bought a Bergara HMR...the owners manual recommends a 1 shot-clean 5X then a 10 shot clean 5X process as a break-in. If the manufacturer recommends it...I'll do it, esp. if I'm looking for maximum accuracy. For an ordinary hunting rifle, I probably wouldn't worry about it, tho'...
I think Ron would agree with this. His channel is primarily about hunting and hunting rifles. Shooting match grade rifles off of a bench and shooting hunting rifles in hunting scenarios at normal hunting ranges are two entirely different games. To repeatedly shoot and clean a rifle in order to "break it in" may make sense to a competition shooter that needs every last bit of accuracy to win matches may make sense. To do the same to a rifle that will be used to shoot deer with an off hand shot or shooting off of day pack is probably just a waste of expensive ammo and barrel life.
I have a Remington 700 30-06 . At a hundred yards it shots less than 1/8 moa . When I clean it group opens up to 3/4 . I need to shoot about of shells to regain its accuracy.
If you're shooting a factory barrel rifle, it's not going to make a difference. If you're shooting a custom barrel target rifle, the barrel manufacturer has already done everything to make sure the barrel is as accurate as possible. Barrel break-in is like lucky socks, it only helps if you think it helps.
If you have a factory barrel that is having accuracy problems, consider lapping the barrel.
Ron, you could be a voice actor, or someone who reads for audio books.
Thanks Joe.
Run a brush through it, then run through a patch with clp, then clean patches until clean. That’s it, shoot away!
I must be blessed. I clean my new rifle then use it, if it's going to sit for a while I run an oil patch through it. Every gun I have will do 1 inch or better (mostly better) I traded a monster heavy 24 inch bull barrel 223 for a 16" and it's a one tattered hole shooter with hand loads. 26gn blc2 55gn varmegeddon to 2.26" that's my magic load.
I've never done more than run a boresnake through it after I'm done at the range. On a new rifle I give it a quick cleaning and leave it at that. I found that simplicity is the key but that may not work for everyone.
Most Barrels have been lapped before its fitted and then fired to test that it extracts etc different with a custom barrel that you are chambering and fitting
The advice I received from my gunsmith, who's been a master gunsmith or a number of decades. He's also been a competitive shooter for longer than that, as well as being competitive and winning that competition in the Wilds of Vietnam. When I picked up my M1A I asked him if I needed to break in the barrel. This particular M1A has a 416 stainless Barrel. I couldn't stand the looks that I actually had a military flash hider put on it and had it cerakoted black.
He told me to run 20 rounds through it and give it a good cleaning. And that should work quite nicely. The minor little bit of shirt that gets in the boar is a very fine abrasive which will polish that Barrel just fine. And it give it a good cleaning and you're set and ready to go. He said the same thing works for blue steel barrels it says there's no big deal he says you will never be able to tell the difference. I've seen people who would spend 200 rounds firing one cleaning firing 2 cleaning firing 3 cleaning firing 4 cleaning until they get to 20 rounds.
A colossal waste of time. The best rifle I ever owned was my first Centerfire rifle. It was a 7 mil mag Ruger Model 77 from 1979. I set the trigger, I fired nine rounds to sight it in oh, and I made Italy fire 20 rounds, about 15 to 20 seconds apart each round. And put 20 rounds into a hole that had a center to Center spread of .049 inches. The entire whole was .33 in edge to edge. That rifle spoil the hell out of me. But it also beat the hell out of me at the bench. But did it shoot good.
Broaching is cutting the lands and grooves. Button rifling is forcing it with a rounded button which will not leave any Burrs in the Barrel. There is Hammer forged which actually forces the barrel down and around a form which also does not leave metal shards in the barrel.
I’ve noticed most of my rifles seem to tighten up their groups after shooting about 40 or 50 rounds without any specific method of clearing while I’m shooting.
Hey... That's my method :)
After sixty rounds you'll know just how accurate your rifle is.
The most important thing to do is take care of your firearm. Lubricate when you should and clean it when needed. Never bring a freezing cold rifle into the house and leave it in a case.
Stand them up action open by a heat source and wipe then down before storing.
You are most accurate in your observations . About two years ago I bought a savage axis in 6.5 creedmoor at Walmart . It shoot one and a quarter inch groups right out of the box. After about a hundred rounds it is now a legitimate one half inch shooter at one hundred yards. So much for the complex barrel breakin. All any of this stuff does is smooth out the rough spots in a new barrel. If the factory does its job there won't be any rough spots to get rid of. The gun will shoot to its potential right out of the box.
I had a rifle that wasn’t grouping very well after about 200 rounds so I got some Final Finish fire lapping rounds and shot them through. After about 50% of those it was grouping great and has been great ever since. I figure the Final Finish ammo was probably equivalent to firing a few hundred rounds or so and it probably would have probably been better eventually. I have no way to tell but it worked.
@@blackie1of4 If you are going to lube it, store it muzzle down. Don't let that lube and everything it attracts seep into your action.
Start using HBN and that will fix the "to get accuracy fouling". First shot is on the money. I often go many boxes without cleaning. Of course, you have to hand load to do HBN.
Good backdrop.
I heard "lapping" the barrel with 1400 grit compound works really well.
Definitely late on this but I just found the channel love it, I've never broke in a barrel just curious does it actually make a huge difference or is it just something people do.
Barrel break in is BS
Bachelor of Science?
@@HarrisonCountyStudio yes!!! TSJC and barrel maker
I always break in mine,my Armorlite said to shoot one and clean 20 times and then go two
10 times I don’t remember Al but I can put Al my shots where my finger nail covers it is the AR 10 stainless steel heavy barrel love it
I can't say I have ever felt the need or intentionally try breaking in a barrel, but I always do a complete disassembly and cleaning after the first range day. That way I can get familiarized with every detail of my rifle.
My first rifle is on its way! Whats the process for cleaning (cleaner ?)and re oiling (oil?) the parts/gun cause i wanna keep it nice right from the beginning
@@Kmecha84 You won't have to worry about cleaning when you first get it, and the disassembly process is going to differ slightly with every rifle type. If your gun is new, read the owner's manual completely, especially if you have not owned a gun before. It will give you important information about maintenance and care. Part numbers, takedown info, parts identification, etc. Other processes are a matter of preference and opinion like the break in process, and best ways to sight in. If your rifle has iron sights, you should be dialed in from the factory, and probably won't have to do anything further to sight it in. Just point and shoot, if it hits the mark your sights are good. If you have a scope mounted, or need to mount one, the process is a bit different. Most rifles w/scope from the factory are already bore sighted, but will need to be sighted in with the ammo you intend to use at the range. I recommend having someone help you with this if you have never sighted in a rifle before. You can find a lot of good videos on UA-cam about sighting in for the first time, and proper cleaning procedures. GunBlue490 has great video for how to clean your bolt action rifle, and another one for cleaning and takedown of AR platform rifles as well. His videos are very detailed and can run an hour or so, but he knows his stuff, and makes great sense for those who might be novices. He will go into details about what you will need tool wise, and what he prefers as far as solvents and oils. I actually took some advice from him for cleaning my AR-15, and the process is far better than what I was doing previously. As far as what types of oils and solvents, everyone has an opinion on that, and usually it does not make a difference, as long as there is nothing specified in your owner's manual. Always go by the manufacturer's recommendations. They may have a specific need for certain types of lubes. If you bought a used gun, and do not own an owners manual for it, I recommend searching the internet or contacting the manufacturer for a copy. Just look for the serial number which is usually embossed on the barrel. Something else I strongly suggest, if this is your first weapon, get a gun lock if it doesn't come with one. Even if you don't have kids, it saves you from any liability, and is almost always required when entering a gun range. And a rifle case will also be a requirement when entering a gun range. This is something my brother, who is a seasoned gun owner, neglected to do when he bought his AR-15, and took it to the range for the first time in November. They made him buy a case before entering the range. I know it sounds like a lot of stuff, and certain rifles can be very involved as far as parts takedown, and tools, but once you do it for the first time the process will become much easier. Good luck to you.
My understanding is one box, clean and brush it well before shooting, than clean well after each of the first five shots, than do 3 five shot strings and clean well after each and your good to go.
Spot on IMO
I like to live dangerously. In other words, I think all this barrel break-in hoopla is a myth, you're simply wearing out your bore faster.
Will 93, the object here is to remove the crosscut shaving from the cutting of the chamber of the barrel. But since the chamber is of the same metal of the crown at the muzzle it’s the same. Bullet moves metal from the chamber cut out the muzzle. The key is to shoot a few then reclean. Then shoot some more. Then clean some more. But you do as you feel fit to do since your more of an metallic engineer then most of us.