I bought a new rifle (Remmy 700 LVSF 243) on the forum and I'm headed out to shoot it today. How do ya'll break it in? I have always just shot them and then I was told that it was wrong. All my guns shoot better than I can but I still shoot 1-2 inch groups. So what gives??

I think barrel break is largely a myth, but many claim it's crucial.

Here is what Shilen says about barrel break in:

http://www.shilen.com/faq.html#question10

I've read and re-read on this topic in depth while I was putting my savage together. This point from Shilen has come up and, among those who believe that there is a value to "barrel break in" by whatever means, they point out that a hand lapped after market barrel probably does not need at least certain parts of the process (e.g., using abrasive compounds to ease the process, which can actually void the warranty from some barrel makers like Gowen).

Some top national bench rest competitors believe in break processes and in stringent cleaning regimens including regular use of polishes.

My rifle came with a factory barrel, so it was not hand lapped. I chose to go the break-in route. Before even one post-factory shot, I had it polished by my smith since I was out of town. I took it to the range and it took me 2 hours to get the barrel clean after the first round. It took me about an hour after the second round. It took me about 3 patches after the third round. Little by little, over the course of 3 days, groups tightened up, I shot a .46" group with rounds 60 through 65 using only a front rest, and it became easier and easier to get a clean patch. Last weekend I knew I wouldn't be able to go out and shoot so I soaked the barrel for 15 minutes using Butches and a plug. Afterwards, I ran a patch through it that came out with only a trace of copper on it and no carbon.

Other people do nothing to break in they get 1/2" groups after they run a few rounds down the tube. Sometimes 5, sometimes upwards of 100 on a brand new barrel before it starts to shoot right.

Well, with that said I guess I'll wait until this weekend to mess with it. Thanks for the advise.

I have Rem CDL that I brok in by cleaning after first shot, then after the next 5 shots, and after each use now. I believe I have around 40 shots threw it now and not real impressed. I have shot 150 grn Fed blue box, 165 grn Fed prem Sierra BTSP, and 180 grn Rem core-lokt all with about 3" groups. The 150 grn Fed blue box did seem to group the best. I was thinking I should go with a better 150 grn like Hornady light-mags maybe? So I am asking is it going to get better after more rounds fired down the barrel?

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I have Rem CDL that I brok in by cleaning after first shot, then after the next 5 shots, and after each use now. I believe I have around 40 shots threw it now and not real impressed. I have shot 150 grn Fed blue box, 165 grn Fed prem Sierra BTSP, and 180 grn Rem core-lokt all with about 3" groups. The 150 grn Fed blue box did seem to group the best. I was thinking I should go with a better 150 grn like Hornady light-mags maybe? So I am asking is it going to get better after more rounds fired down the barrel?

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It may not be your barrel or your ammo. Remington's tend to need to be accurized before they shoot well. You may have to glass bed the action and free float the barrel to get good groups.

Never done it. Just try a some different ammo's and see what it likes. I have the same gun in 22250

Savage does recommend a barrel break in. Others are silent on it. There are plenty of bench rest shooters who say exactly what you do: don't mess with it if it's shooting ok. For one thing, there's plenty of concern that you can do damage to your rifle when you attempt to clean it. Probably more rifles have been damaged by cleaning improperly than by shooting dirty.

For myself, knowing these risks, I keep mine clean even between groups within a session. Since I know my rifle is clean for each group, I don't think the first 5 have so much to do with fouling in my case, so much as temperature since subsequent groups are much better even though the barrel is continually cleaned.

I have never done break in and cleaned between groups with any other rifle. I'm not preaching this as something anybody should or must do. I acknowledge that some people do and some people don't and there are people on both sides of the fence at the highest levels of competition. I happen to be doing it this time out of curiosity as much as anything else. One of the reasons I'm doing it is because the process removes a variable from watching how the rifle (and rifle/shooter combo) come together for better groups.

Uh -- I guess part of what I'm saying is that I'm doing this on my varmint rifle because it's brand spanking new but I never did this on my deer rifle and have no intention to start doing this on the deer rifle.

Browning recommends 1 shot and clean for the first 10 rounds then 2 shots and clean for the next 10 shots. I can't say if it helps accuracy, but my browning shoots great. But I can tell you that it makes cleaning the barrel a lot easier down the road. My browning is the only gun I have that is spotless after just a few passes of the cleaning patch. I will break in every barrel I get from now on.

There's no question that the cleaning is a lot easier.

I've never "broken one in" and have never had one that didn't shoot better than I could.(well, ok, one)

How do ya'll break it in? I have always just shot them and then I was told that it was wrong.

I have done it both ways and the only difference I could tell was I got real tired with the cleaning afer every shot thing. Tried it on two identical Savage varmit guns and the one I did the cleaning regime on shot worse that the other one. I think you either get a real good barrel or an average barrel and cleanin' ain't gonna change it.

It is about smoothing out the machine marks in the barrel, instead of letting them build up with carbon, and copper. Yes it will not make a bad barrel shoot good, but not doing it could make a great barrel shoot not as good as it could. And like I said earlier, it sure makes it easy to clean for the life of the gun.

Iv done both,dont no if it helped but i also have a friend that has a rem vls in 308 that has never been cleaned and it shoots great. who knows.