Ok, eld, here's one from me from a rifle I broke in properly using a borescope mind you seeing what is happening. this is at 200 yards, and very typical of that rifle. What does it prove? Absoluelty nothing, just like yours. We can go back and forth posting pictures, and it still won't mean anything.

Well, I will admit I've never had an opportunity to use a borescope to actually SEE what's happening inside the bore, so that could change my mind....... all Ican say is you and I usually agree on most things....

Nice group-what did you shoot it with?

That was a 300RUM I had built, and finally it burnt out. Working on a 300Win now. I just need more barrel life than 1200 rounds. I only got 600 rounds or so out of the last RUM Krieger barrel and started see heat cracks in the bore.

Good talkin to ya, I mean no offense to you on my posts. I ahve seen brake in work on 3-4 rifles out of 20 I have done it on. In other words, help. Rest has bores that wouldn't brake in. I can see your point.

Hmmm...1200 rounds. I had been considering a .300 RUM or Weatherby, but maybe I'll try a .338/'06 instead. I have a nice old Ruger No.1B in .30/'06, which might be a good candidate for a rebore job. (Originally, I was thinking of putting the No. 1H .416 Rigby barrel on it that I picked up last year.)

Sounds like those bigger .300's are maybe just a bit on the over-capacity side. I too want more than 1200 rounds.. so my son or grandson can wear it out!

Wow I had no idea this was such a heated topic. Hey look I just made Rack Buck. Yippie? Thanks for the help with this guys. Especially Big and Eld.Your points of view have been very helpful. I'm not going to say which way I'm going on this. I don't want anyone to gloat. Or is it glote. Anyway I look forward to shooting the bejeeses out of some stuff soon. I just need to make a little room for my rifle and Jakes BPS in the old guncase. Looks like a 500 and my .17 hmr gotta go.


[/align]

Okay, I'm about to go to the range tomorrow and shoot my brand new Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 7mm Rem Mag and I was planning on breaking it in and cleaning it between shots with the aforementioned 3 piece steel rods. What should I use instead?

I will admit to being a complete novice at breaking in a rifle and was planning on cleaning after each shot for the first 5 or 6 shots and then trying to shoot some 3 shot groups and cleaning after each group until I shot a box of shells and calling it good for the day. Do I need to pick up a different cleaning kit and if so where would I buy it. I can't recall seeing anything other than the cheap standard cleaning kit but then I don't remember looking for one either.

Thanks, Nathan

"and cleaning it between shots with the aforementioned 3 piece steel rods. What should I use instead? \"

Perhaps a one-piece stainless-steel rod would be better. And use a rod guide to keep the rod from wearing on the chamber throat and rifling origin, and always clean from the breeech, of course.....

I'm afraid the choice of cleaning rods is also an area of controversy! I am really notsure which kind of rod is actually the best, but don't use aluminum or brass. These can pick up grit which then becomesembedded in the metal and causes undue wear.....

Whatever you use, it needs to be straight and I highly recommend a bore guide. I use dewy coated, kleen bore, and tipton carbon, and have a few stainless steel ones. Like eld says, lots of contraversy. tipton says coated can collect metal and junk and be embedded. I just know stay away from 3sectioned rods. I have been thru some barrels and can't say my dewey has ever ruined a thoat. I think it has more to do with I use a bore guide.

For what it's worth, here is what Cooper Firearms reccomends with all their rifles. They make superb factory rifles and guarantee their .22 rimfires to shoot .250" 5 shots@50yds, the 17 RF .250" 3 shots@50 yards and centerfires .500" 3 shots@100yds.


This is straight out of the Cooper Arms owner's manual that came with my newest one, page 7

I think the key issue here is that a barrel will eventually break in; provided you clean it down to bare metal at the end of each shooting session. What matters on break in is that a bullet passes down a barrel that has no copper deposits in it - so the bullet can burnish the metal of the barrel slightly. If there is any copper fouling, it can't really burnish the metal underneath. I prefer to do a thorough cleaning every shot for the first ten. There are lots of other prescribed methods - but virtually all premium rifle barrel makers recommend some sort of break in.

But if you don't believe in break in, and your average shooting session is 25 rounds, you will have your barrel broken in at the 250 round point provided you cleaned it thoroughly at the end of each 25 rounds session. I just prefer to get it out of the way early in the game .