Lots of conflicting opinions in the gun writer's world. You know what they say about opinions!
Yup!
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Lots of conflicting opinions in the gun writer's world. You know what they say about opinions!
Breaking in a barrel is fantasy. It's like going to a fortune teller, if you think it helps then go for it.
Clean before shooting. Shoot till your barrel is fouled, sight in and load development, shoot for score. Clean with a dry brush ONLY WHEN VISIBLY DIRTY and then refoul before competing again. clean with solvents at the end of the season only.
Barrels presumably come to you as good as they are ever going to be. Every shot diminishes it.
That all from McMillian who made the best barrels for ages. He felt that breaking in a barrel that will maybe be good 2000 rounds makes yo replace the barrel 20% faster. Money-making gimmick.
Still trying to figure out how a soft material wrapped in copper can polish the burrs from a crappy barrel or a chromed barrel.
I guess I could bump up the level of my OCD.
I probably won't buy it until someone can show me pics of the diff on a microscopic level.
BINGOI am a Competition Shooter , gunsmith, and machinist for over 40 Years and I break every barrel in with a set procedure.
Clean from The breach to muzzle after every shot for the first 5 , then clean after every 3 rounds , for 5 times =20 rounds.
Then, i shoot for accuracy 5 to 10 rounds and watch for the groups to shrink. Clean after 10 rounds and shoot again. When the groups tighten to bug holes (cloverleafs) i stop cleaning. I had a .17hmr Marlin that took 35 rounds to go from 2 inch group to bug hole .
Some guns will take 50 + rounds .
I disagree that its a "Fantasy" because the proof is in the shooting. The inside of any new barrel is going to have some microscopic edges that need to wear in , Even Krieger, Shilen, and Douglas, etc.
.22lr barrels are slightly different in that using a lubed lead bullet , it takes a few rounds to "foul" the barrel with the particular lube and ammo you are using. Our "Team Winchester" group here in the SE has shot hundreds of thousands of rounds testing and practicing for upcoming matches using various model 52's , model 75's , and some Martini International guns and every time you switch ammo and even lot numbers , the grouping changes until it fouls in with the lube (using weighed and certain lot number ammo).
Our group usually takes the top 3 places in the matches in Factory Heavy Barrel class.
One thing is that the topic of breaking-in a rifle bore is highly conflictual with opinions all over the map. BBBass, I read somewhere that. 22 ammo is the dirtiest, so would the. 22 need cleaning as much or more than any other rifle? I am not trying to argue with you or anyone else out there, just trying to make sense out of what seem to be legitimate articles. BTW, a couple of those articles were deep, although it is my experience that reading articles that are initially over my head become understandable over time. It's merely a matter of jumping in and learning to swim. I'm throwing this question out there for whoever wants to reply, why would a Cabela gunsmith recommend actively cleaning through the first 100 rounds? And, why would he say the biggest problem with gun inaccuracy is improper, unthorough, rifle bore cleaning? Is the main problem that most gun owners are mostly doing a sloppy job with the rifle bore? Again, I am curious, not picking a debate with anyone! not thoroughly
Well, fella's, pick your poison, but I am following this guy's advice!!!I am a Competition Shooter , gunsmith, and machinist for over 40 Years and I break every barrel in with a set procedure.
Clean from The breach to muzzle after every shot for the first 5 , then clean after every 3 rounds , for 5 times =20 rounds.
Then, i shoot for accuracy 5 to 10 rounds and watch for the groups to shrink. Clean after 10 rounds and shoot again. When the groups tighten to bug holes (cloverleafs) i stop cleaning. I had a .17hmr Marlin that took 35 rounds to go from 2 inch group to bug hole .
Some guns will take 50 + rounds .
I disagree that its a "Fantasy" because the proof is in the shooting. The inside of any new barrel is going to have some microscopic edges that need to wear in , Even Krieger, Shilen, and Douglas, etc.
.22lr barrels are slightly different in that using a lubed lead bullet , it takes a few rounds to "foul" the barrel with the particular lube and ammo you are using. Our "Team Winchester" group here in the SE has shot hundreds of thousands of rounds testing and practicing for upcoming matches using various model 52's , model 75's , and some Martini International guns and every time you switch ammo and even lot numbers , the grouping changes until it fouls in with the lube (using weighed and certain lot number ammo).
Our group usually takes the top 3 places in the matches in Factory Heavy Barrel class.
Spot on, brother, I'm just wanting to do it right! I figure if I develop good habits with a .22 and 12 gauge, it will transfer over to other weapons I own later.Oh, I'm not thinking you're argumentative! I get it. You want to learn and to get it right.
Spot on, brother, I'm just wanting to do it right! I figure if I develop good habits with a .22 and 12 gauge, it will transfer over to other weapons I own later.
i agree, i shoot them. thats it.I'm sure it doesn't "hurt" anything, but it's a waste of time. If that's your thing, that's your thing.
The Dirty Little Secret of Gun Cleaning
This article shows pictures of the inside of a bore--before and after cleaning. I could easily be talked out of cleaning my rifle barrel too often or simply procrastinating and skipping it occasionally. Not suggesting that you are implying that I am OCD. I think you are saying that some can become OCD over gun cleaning. I am nowhere close to being OCD, and there are times when my wife wished I was OCD about domestic stuff.
I meant consistently cleaning it. I haven't done this with my 12 gauge. I happened on the information, because I bought a. 22 rifle. As I am understanding it, the breaking-in is about rifles shooting cartridges, eh?So you're going to break in a shotgun barrel?
Ok.
Breaking in a barrel is fantasy. It's like going to a fortune teller, if you think it helps then go for it.
Clean before shooting. Shoot till your barrel is fouled, sight in and load development, shoot for score. Clean with a dry brush ONLY WHEN VISIBLY DIRTY and then refoul before competing again. clean with solvents at the end of the season only.
Barrels presumably come to you as good as they are ever going to be. Every shot diminishes it.
That all from McMillian who made the best barrels for ages. He felt that breaking in a barrel that will maybe be good 2000 rounds makes yo replace the barrel 20% faster. Money-making gimmick.
I am a Competition Shooter , gunsmith, and machinist for over 40 Years and I break every barrel in with a set procedure.
Clean from The breach to muzzle after every shot or the first 5 , then clean after every 3 rounds , for 5 times =20 rounds.
Then, i shoot for accuracy 5 to 10 rounds and watch for the groups to shrink. Clean after 10 rounds and shoot again. When the groups tighten to bug holes (cloverleafs) i stop cleaning. I had a .17hmr Marlin that took 35 rounds to go from 2 inch group to bug hole .
Some guns will take 50 + rounds .
I disagree that its a "Fantasy" because the proof is in the shooting. The inside of any new barrel is going to have some microscopic edges that need to wear in , Even Krieger, Shilen, and Douglas, etc.