Sweetroels

Just bought a Tikka T3x Super lite. I never broke in a barrel in the past, maybe that's why my previous guns I purchased new could never shoot that great, even after working through many different hand loads? I am going to follow the standard procedure now, 1st ten shots clean after every shot then next 20 clean every 2.

My real question is should I sell my other guns considering I never broke in the barrel and they don't shoot the best and never will? Is there way to inspect the barrel for defects? I've even free floated and improved trigger pull on all of them. I know there are other variables but don't feel like pushing a rock up the hill if barrel break in is a big factor? Thanks

Nomercy448

Ridge Runner

Nomercy is correct, if ya want a rifle that doesn't shoot well to shoot better, have it rebarreled, if ya want it as accurate as possible, then have the action accurized then put a good barrel on it (not just a new barrel but a good one) then do the bedding/floating job.almost all my rifles have been rebuilt to make them shoot better.
RR

Sweetroels

Thanks Nomercy448 and Ridge Runner, good info. How do you determine if it is hammer forged? I have 2 SS barrels Model 700 and a Ruger American all made in the last 10 years. Thanks again

Big Uncle

All of your rifles (Remington, Ruger, and Tikka) have hammer forged barrels.

Cleaning a factory barrel often when it is new is probably a good idea but not necessary. I believe most factory barrels shoot a tiny bit better after a couple hundred rounds have been fired through them. There is not a lot that you can do to improve a factory barrel, but thankfully most of them are plenty good enough for most purposes.

There are many reasons that a shooter and his rifles do not shoot internet quality groups and the barrel is often not the problem.

bronko22000

From what I've observed and read, breaking in a barrel will not make an inaccurate rifle accurate nor will it make an accurate rifle more accurate. At least not directly. Where the breaking in has benefits is, like you said, cleaning after each shot for the first 10 then cleaning every 2 or 3rd shot for the next 20-30. What this breaking in process does is a type of fire lapping that removes the microscopic burrs left from the machining process which when done properly eliminates the places where fouling can collect. This then makes the rifle as accurate as it can be as the bore will not get fouled as quickly and can also be cleaned much easier due to less fouling. There are other things that can be done like NoMercy said such as bedding the action.
But my Tikka T3 Lite in 30-06 shoots fantastic just as came from the factory.
As for your older rifles you can give them a thorough cleaning using a good copper solvent then lap the bore with J-B Compound followed by another good cleaning. Then is they till don't shoot well look into other options like bedding. The average Joe will never shoot enough to shoot out a barrel. The guys that do shoot thousands of rounds a year.

Sweetroels

Thanks guys, this has been very helpful, have a great holiday! (Christmas)

Big Uncle

The recoil lug mortise on the 700 is cut large enough to cause some problems with consistent lug contact. Before seriously considering selling them it would probably be worth a $30 bedding kit (https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-prod1038.aspx ) to see if that will improve them. Bedding the lug and the action is a straightforward project and easily accomplished in an evening's work. It certainly will not hurt resale value if you eventually decide to move them to a new owner.

Have a safe and happy Christmas!

hunters_life

For the past 20 or so years, every new rifle/barrel I have obtained I have hand lapped then hit it with around 50 strokes of JB for a nice polish. This eliminates burrs and high cuts left by most all manufacturers these days. Your high end barrel makers do this before sending a barrel out but your factories don't even come close to a clean polish on the barrels that factories of old did. These factories telling you to go through this break in crap is them telling you to do their job for them.

Ridge Runner

what most folks don't know is a good custom barrel blank costs about what a Remington 700 BDL does, and when its up and running you figure out why, I have 2 factory barrels out of 34 rifles, I am a believer.
RR