Thread: First rifle

Originally Posted by 7x64

I agree, it won’t hurt, if you’re using a bore guide and a good quality one piece rod and appropriate jags etc. if, like most newbies, you’re got a $40 hoppes plastic box special, then good chance you’ll do more harm than good. More hunting barrels are buggered by rough cleaning than you’d think!

Goggle Gale Macmillan and barrel break in. The late Mr Macmillan knew a thing or two...

Mmm mine was more than 50 bucks but on sale for 30.... sort of.
Still a meccano set rod though.

Back in 2008 I had a Trueflite Ultra Match 7mm barrel. It copper fouled terribly at first. Over 24 hours of cleaning and soaking to remove the copper after ONE shot (using boretech eliminator). You could see the copper on the lands at the end of the barrel. I did the shoot and clean each shot for 10 shots, took over a week to do this because the fouling was so bad. Then 3 shots clean etc. After a hundred or so rounds the copper was a lot easier to remove, I just went hunting and normal shooting after about 20 rounds to break in barrel.
For my latest rifle I didn't bother with a break in process and the copper fouling hasn't been anything unusual.

I just figure if I am going to the range to sight it in, I am going to use a whole packet anyway (Not much point going to the effort of traveling to the range, then only firing a few shots....) so I use that time to get familiar / comfortable shooting the rifle and run through the break in at the same time (and using the same shots) for sighting in.

And as @7x64 stated, quite correctly, get some decent cleaning gear and learn to use it properly.

As for the old debate that run in makes the barrel last longer, well if you have he budget to wear out a barrel (ammunition costs) then a replacement rifle is probably well with in budget and much more fun.....

It takes quite a few 5 shot groups to assess a rifle's precision capability.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

It takes quite a few 5 shot groups to assess a rifle's precision capability.

Good thing old mate just bought a hunting rifle then, so he doesn't have to listen to this^

What I have done is very carefully clean a new rifle, using a fine, mildly abrasive paste followed by clean patches - Before firing the first shot. I want to make sure there is nothing left from factory proofing/testing (if done) or any machining marks as has been mentioned by previous posters. This makes future cleaning easier right from the start.