I just placed an order for a new rifle and was wondering what the best way to break in the barrel was. The manufacturer recommends swabbing with windex for the first several shots. What is the best chemical and frequency to swab the barrel? Also how long should I do this for? Thanks!

You're going to get more opinions on this than you know what to do with I personally just followed the manufacturers instructions. Whether it made a difference or not, I will never know. However, I will say the gun is very accurate. Good luck.

When I was a kid I a voracious reader of all things long range and precision rifle related. I was a Kenny Jarrett disciple back then because him and David Miller were the only guys in the popular publications. As such I followed his recommendation of shoot and clean every round for the first twenty, then shoot five and clean until you hit one-hundred, then clean every ten to twenty shots for the life of the barrel. I spent entirely too much time cleaning and not enough time shooting but I was a 17 year old kid who had saved up a lot of money to build a .280 Improved and didn't want to hurt it. Knowing what I know now I probably wasn't doing it any favors.

Fifteen years of later having worked in a gunsmith shop for half and spent the other half behind an Army long gun and shooting competitively, I do things differently. At this point I believe nothing works better than shoot and clean after each round until fouling pretty much disappears and that is almost always under 20 rounds (often half that) with a good barrel. When I can get them I prefer to do break in and maintenance with David Tubb's Final Finish TMS bullets; 10 for break in and the rest for throat maintenance over the life of the barrel. I will be using the TMS bullets on a pair of Kriegers that I'm about to chamber in 6.5 Creedmoor.

In general though I clean less than I used to; gone are the days of cleaning after 20 rounds. I generally clean every 200-300 and so do most of the match shooters I know because you get better by shooting, not cleaning, and the gun's precision will last for quite a while on a dirty barrel. Clean when your precision drops off: I can go about 200-300 with naked bullets and to about 500 with coated bullets.

I used to clean with Shooter's Choice and Sweets. I try to avoid contact with petrolates and I don't like the smell of ammonia so I use Bore Tech solvents these days. I also don't use brushes anymore expect for really stubborn fouling.

None of this is gospel and I'm sure you will find your own way.

Some black powder guys use recommend/use Windex for cleaning. Hot soapy water works just as well. First time I've heard of using it for barrel break in. Who's the barrel manufacturer?

Thanks guys, this is good info. The manufcturer is Howa.

Just remember that WAY more rifles are "cleaned" out than shot out. Poor cleaning habits will damage the bore and ruin the crown faster than you'd ever imagine.

I clean after every shot for the first 5. I then clean after the next 5 shots for 2 or 3 times. Beyond that I clean when I get home.

I'll be going through the process with my new 7, 9 twist, 3 groove, #2 Lilja in the next week or two. It should be a winner for a 280 AI on my Bighorn sheep hunt in Wyoming this Fall! I'd better hurry!

Zeke

find some panther piss --

.. look "break in" is an attempt to do what, exactly? "smooth the bore" .. a lapped barrel is smooth and consistent ...

"fill in the pores".. then DON'T clean it every 3 shots... as that removes the fill in the pores

"insert X comment" .. well, i've tried several ways, and just not overheating the barrel seems to do the trick great ... a great crown and a properly installed quality barrel are all the breakin one needs....

you might note I don't believe in barrel break in .. some autoloaders need a wear in process... some don't

The Alaskan break in procedure:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRRahHX9Zkg

The first time I ever saw Windex recommended by a barrel maker it was Badger barrels. Everyone recommends something different but the goal is the same for all: keep the throat and leade clean so it can be properly burnished.

jeffeoso,

I would say "break in" is about the throat and leade where the reamer is spinning perpendicular to the direction of the lapping that was done. My buddy who does my barreling uses a dowel and fine grit sand paper to just barely touch up that area just like touching up the crown so it won't grab a q-tip. So far it works well for me and that barrels clean up pretty quickly.

Aside from that, I agree, a custom barrel does not need broken in because it is already drilled, reamed, rifled, and lapped. I will say though something does happen though in the first 100 rounds or so and you can see it in your chrono readings.

Pretty much agree with 7mmfreak. On a custom barrel, the only thing that needs attention is the fluff from the reamer in the throat and leade area. I wrap a little 0000 steel wool around a bronze bore brush. I put it in an electric drill and give it about 10 seconds. I want to wear my barrel out working up a load, hunting, or competition, not shoot and clean.

Go with the Alaskan method in the video above... It makes little to no difference in a hunting rifle IMHO