Barrel Break-in at Gun Club?

[spladi]

This topic is tangential to the normal "Barrel Break-in" topic in that I'm only concerned with the location and the amount of time needed. I've never broken in a rifle before and did not even know that was a thing. My father had all the rifles and did all the cleaning. I was never involved in purchasing or cleaning. I highly doubt he did much beyond zeroing and cleaning.

My new (and first purchase) rifle is a Bergara B-14 HMR in 6.5 Creedmoor. I want to set it up correctly and keep it clean. I called my local gun club and asked two questions. 1) Do I need to make a reservation for the rifle range and 2) Is there a maximum time limit for the range?

They told me there is a 1-hour time limit. Based on everything I've read and watched, I need to clean after each shot up to the first five shots (and so on, you know the deal). One hour does not seem like it will even be remotely enough time to break in my rifle. Also, I think it might annoy other shooters that I'm sitting there cleaning my rifle after each shot?

Do any of you break in your rifles at the range? I do not own land so my options are severely limited.

Thank you,

- Wil

It sounds like your range is very busy but don't worry what other shooters think, its your time! You can do at least 1/2 of the break in job in an hour. The laying over of the machine marks in the throat and lead angle aren't much., some of us don't even worry with break in. Some rifles may shoot best a little dirty also. Clean until there is no more copper evident on the patches. Clean one direction always.

 

[Philward]

See if there are any other Public (State operated) ranges that don't have time limits so that you have the time to break-in you rifle. You may want to drive a little more distance for a range that is not used much.
Should not effect other shooters if you clean between each shot unless you are at a range where there are 20 other shooters waiting in line to shoot.
Everyone has their way to break-in a barrel. You could go by what the rifle/barrel manufacture recommends.
There are literally thousands of hunters/people that buy a new rifle, take to the range and shoot off a box of cartridges just to sight it in without any break-in.
We use the shoot-clean method and always take additional rifles to shoot in-between breaking a new rifle in. Usually shoot several hours at a time, but have our own range in the back yard.

Where are there any state operated shooting ranges? Never heard of those.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Where are there any state operated shooting ranges? Never heard of those.

Here in GA we have shooting ranges run by our State Wildlife Dept usually near a WMA (Wildlife Management Area). Check with your State Wildlife Dept.

 

[Orange Dust]

Where are there any state operated shooting ranges? Never heard of those.

Look on your game and fish website. That's where they will be listed if they exist, I think. That's the only Gov entity that has any here.

 

[Philward]

There are only unofficial areas to shoot(a couple) in local state forest, and it always sounds like a Jason Statham movie when I'm riding dirt bikes around there. I'm not shooting in there, and everything else is closed off because some idiots shoot out across an open valley with hiking and biking trails below, instead of shooting into a dirt bank. Other ranges only have 300yd Max distance, and most less, and they are private/membership type clubs.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

I'm in north Texas. I'd find a different range! I'm not going to do anything firearm related in a rush or with time constraints. My local range is cool with people doing load development and barrel brake in. I use a Gatorade bottle over the muzzle to catch patches during "range hot" because you are not allowed to walk past the bench during that time and all muzzles must stay pointed down range unless in a case. Good choice on the bergara!

 

[Josh06]

I've done a barrel break in at a public range before. I'm in North Texas too, have done it at Quail Creek (Northlake) and Alpine (Mansfield) a couple times.

 

[WilBloodworth]

Here's the specific procedure in the Bergara Owners Manual for B14 rifles.

User Manuals - Rifles Bergara International

User Manuals

www.bergara.online

View attachment 354800


I'd agree that one hour is not enough time to do a full break-in, following these directions.

Any chance there's public land nearby (from my understanding, can be rare in parts/all of Texas) or know anyone with acreage that will let you shoot for a few hours?

If pressed for time, I'd do a very good cleaning before any shots are even fired (many threads and youtube video's). It's right up there with religion and politics on the scale of public debate on the right way to do it, so I'll stay out of the "how" discussion. Then, go to the range and get the scope zeroed. Come home and clean it really good again and call it good.

The closest outdoor range that I could find is about an hour and a half away. I'll probably just have to use my local indoor range and see if they'll just let me slide on the time limit. I'm sure if I do it on a Monday during work hours it might not be busy at all.

 

[Recon$$]

Just shoot it, you'll be fine.

 

[73driver]

Many opinions on weather barrel break-in is necessary. Some opinions differentiate between factory or custom barrels. Even barrel manufactures debate the issue. Bottom line is it may or may not be beneficial.
Perhaps use your first one-hour range period to shoot several three round groups. Don't clean between groups and do not let the barrel get hot. The first one or two groups will foul the barrel. If after that the groups begin to get smaller, then probably no need for a time and ammo consuming break-in. If the groups stay large a break-in may help or the gun does not like the ammo you are shooting.
Tip: use an appropriately size chamber guide when cleaning your new rifle.

THIS Go shoot your rifle. Go get it sighted in waiting 5-10 min between 3 shot groups. Sight in, try some 3 shot groups and after 2 dozen rounds go home and give it a thorough cleaning. After each of the next 5-10 range sessions of 30-50 rounds with cooling between 3-5 rounds groups clean thoroughly. It's not quite the shoot one clean repeat, but it accomplishes the same thing.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

That's a great question and there is a huge difference from what I understand between cleaning a rifle with a custom barrel as opposed to cleaning a factory production rifle. When I purchase a new rifle out of the box I clean it before I go to the range and then I clean it every five rounds for the first 30 to 35 rounds. After that I clean it at the end of each Range session when I come home. I use the Sinclair cradle for cleaning rifles. I find it very helpful. Cleaning a custom rifle or a rifle with a brand new custom barrel I was taught by my Gunsmith who is also a competitive bench rest shooter that the first 10 rounds the bore should be cleaned after every shot. Yes shoot once clean it repeat that 10 times. Then move Up to cleaning every five rounds till you get to 50. Then every 10 rounds after that. I have no reason to argue or disagree with the advice.Make sure to really clean your bench and area after your cleaning sessions at the range.

 

[Old Rooster]

The debate continues.I break in my barrels and the rifles I broke in clean much easier than the one's I did not break in properly.
I bring my rod and solvents with me and shoot and clean for the first 5 but sometimes I still have to scrub copper for 20 minutes so I shoot 1 and clean and continue that procedure until I get hardly any copper fouling.Then I shoot my 5 shot strings and clean and if I have very little copper fouling I quit and don't shoot the 10 shot string.Thats just what I do and many here may have different ideas on breaking in a rifle barrel.

 

[SSgt G Cody]

I had a great friend who was a local gunsmith and legend here for many years, but died a few years back. He built competition rifles for several national competitors, including Dr. Kennerly who was national champ twice. His method of polishing inner chamber and barrel was to clean & oil lightly after each of 5 first shots, then add light "dusting" with BonAmi (cleaner) to chamber before next 5 shots, clean again, then repeat with BonAmi and 5-shot groups, then clean until 25 shots are reached, then thoroughly clean. After this he used 2000 grit auto polish powder (as used with mechanical polisher) for the next 25 shots, in 5-shot groups as with the BonAmi, then thoroughly cleaned again. After this all he did was apply a moly coating to the inner barrel grooves, then shot many times, and developed his loads for competition.

 

[FEENIX]

Depends on how the range club operates--- can't touch rifle while others are down range.
Some clubs have "set" time allotments-- example of 15 min shooing, 10 min downrange for targets, back to shooting-- over and over
Other ranges are run by members actually shooting so it could be 30 min shooting with 10 downtime.
Other ranges you get your own private lane and can do as you like In regards to shoot/down range time.

So it's gonna be range/club specific

^^^This!^^^ My range has an open for public schedule, and the range officer(s) runs it in a 15-minute cycle to what you noted above. Any other time, it is all about courtesy to other end-users. If I am doing a barrel break-in or load development, I still follow the 15-minute cycle and allow them to check/retrieve their targets.

@WilBloodworth, an hour might (?) be enough for a barrel break-in; remember, you are NOT shooting for the accuracy or load development. If not, save it for another session(s), if an hour is your range rules, it is all you got; limited choice set by your range.

Here is a barrel manufacturer's barrel break-in procedure:

For an effective break-in the barrel should be cleaned after every shot for the first 10-12 rounds or until copper fouling stops. Our procedure is to push a cotton patch that is wet with solvent through the barrel. This will remove much of the powder fouling and wet the inside of the barrel with solvent. Next, wet a bronze brush (not a nylon brush) with solvent and stroke the barrel 5-10 times. Follow this by another wet patch and then one dry patch. Now soak the barrel with a strong copper removing solvent until all of the blue mess is removed from the barrel. The copper fouling will be heavy for a few rounds and then taper off quickly in just one or two shots. Once it has stopped or diminished significantly it is time to start shooting 5 shot groups, cleaning after each one. After 25-30 rounds clean at a normal interval of 10-25 rounds. Your barrel is now broken-in.

Good luck!