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Oh yeah. I'll get there. Heck, I got a thousand bucks in the barrel and Gunsmithing. It has to shoot. LOL
I use J-B Bore Paste for a complete clean. Left photo is about as clean as you can get on my .300Wby MkV. Right is the edge of rifling of the muzzle from the inside.
A new barrel needs a break in such as; 1st 10 shots, clean after each shot. 2nd 10 shots, clean after every 3 shots, 3rd 10 shots clean after each 5 shots.
I had a shilen match frozen barrel installed on my 300 wsm about 15 years ago. After break in and attempted tuning, the best group I could print was 1 1/4". I took it back for an inspection that turned up nothing wrong. After about 150 rounds downrange, I noticed a slight improvement - 1" groups. By the time I got to 250 rounds, the 5 shot groups became 1/2" and have stayed there since. No changes to my loads were made at all. I have no explanation other than maybe a flaw existed near the muzzle that needed an extended break in. That said, Hart makes exceptional barrels and perhaps it just needs a little load tuning to help it along. I do know that a perfectly concentric barrel and chamber will make load development a lot simpler.
Personally I put cheap rounds through my new barrel with 1-3 rounds clean, 1-3 rounds, clean, for 8-10 cycles then clean real well before working up a load. Some say not necessary but I have had great results.
I would change the bullet and the load first. Try a match bullet in the 100 grain range and another one at 120 or so. Don't worry so much at first about if it's the bullet you want to shoot. You are evaluating the barrel. 3 MOA is awful for a new barrel. Hope it's just the bullet/load combo. The barrel often shoots well right from the start or it doesn't ever shoot well.
I've written this before, but truth doesn't change. As boy about 10 my dad started reloading and I started with him. That was 60+ years ago. An old gent we met at the range told us when you buy. New rifle (add anew barrel), get o box or two of several different manufacturers bullet/weights. Fin out which work best and work from there. You might like the look of the bumper on a new Cady, but it won't work on a VW. You always go at things bassackwards if you pick the bullet/weight first, and then chase your tail trying to force it to work. Spend a few bucks off the bat and make your search much easier and better in the long run. A bullet that Loves a barrel is always better than trying to get a match for your ugly sister.
The twist is an 8 twist. I might try different brass and different charge of Rel 26 when I get home from work tonight. My factory barrel was a 10 twist, and there was no marginal about that. A couple of the 116 hammers hit the target sideways.
Yeah, but it may never shoot that bullet you like. My father had a 7mm STW that would simply not shoot the Berger 180 VLD Hunting. He finally gave up and used a different bullet that shot around 1/2 MOA. Hart is correct on the "just go shoot it". I did this with my 7mm LRM and still shoots great. What you should notice is a velocity speed up around 200 rounds. Usually 40-55fps. If you really like mono bullets try the Barnes LRX 101gr boattail.
I've never heard of any CL shooting horrible My 6 creed loves them.
My 2nd choice bullet is the REM 120 grain psp core-lokt mostly because I have about 1200 of them, and they performed excellent last year on 2 deer in Michigan. After that, not sure. I have a couple hundred Hornady 110 grain inter bonds that shot terrible thru the factory barrel, but that barrel is long gone, so I might try it here.
