In_Waters_Deep

Hey guys I just picked up a new rifle and am going to the range tomorrow to sight it in.I had a few newbie questions to ask you seasoned veterans. Do you have any tips for breaking in a rifle? Should I oil the bore before I go to the range like with those patches, or just leave it alone? Also how long in between shots should I wait? Should I pause a minute or 2 to try and get it to cold bore? This will be my first time at a rifle range, any suggestions? Thanks alot guys!

stalkingbear

You should clean the bore before firing it,then clean between EVERY shot for the first 10-15 rounds.

rats

Clean the rifle before you go to the range. Then use a dry patch or two to make sure bore is dry before shooting. You dont want oil in bore when fireing because this causes higher pressures in bore. There is always a debate about break in. I like to fire a slow string of three and then run a patch or two of bore cleaner down the barrel followed by a couple of dry patches. By then the barrel should have cooled down for my next string of three slow fires. I start at 50 yards to get on paper then move back to 100 yards to finish zeroing my scope. This can take anywhere from 9 to 15 shoots depending on how well I bore sited the scope at home. Use good ammo for this and you will be happier. Then I go home and clean the heck out of it.(That is a whole other discussion). Once cleaned well a light coat of oil or anti-rust product in bore and all metl surfaces.
Later you can choose 3 or 4 differant brands and bullet weights to figure out what your rifle likes/shoots the best. (see how easy all this is) Hope this has been helpful.

eldeguello

NEVER fire a rifle with oil or grease in the bore, especially grease! Grease can raise pressures dangerously, and oil will quite often make your rifle shoot someplace different from where it will hit from a dry bore!

When I go to the range to zero a new hunting rifle, I take all my cleaning equipment with me, so I canclean and dry the bore after every shot. Then I let the gun cool to about the temperature it was at the beginning of the session. (This procedure is only for rifles that I know shoot into a different group center when fouled and hot than when cool and clean.)

A clean, dry bore is best for zeroing, since it lets you see where the bullet will go from a clean, dry, COLD bore when hunting. This is called the "sniper's zero", and when firing at a target that can return fire or leave the area when you shoot, the first shot is the most important shot!

XPatriot

I let the weapon cool down before each shot. Take a .22 with you to kill time between shots, it's good to practice anyway. I used to clean after every shot, but when I tried to document the difference by trying both, my result was the same. Now I skip the cleaning between shots.

eldeguello

I agree. I only do the cleaning step with a rifle that I know shoots to a different point of impact from a fouled barrel than from a clean barrel..... Most of mine DON'T, but I've had a couple that did......