Thread: First rifle

Originally Posted by Jrm234

For the record it was the Outdoorsman Headquarters in Rotorua. TOP NOTCH service and advice

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Yep they’re pretty good to deal with..


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You will do fine with that combo. The Tika's have a hard stock that doesn't absorb recoil in the way that a good aftermarket stock will ( like a Kevlar filled job for example ) so may-be you will need to buy a really good recoil pad to make up for this if the recoil is a sharp whack esp when shooting prone.
Also tika barrels do need the proper shoot, clean, shoot, clean procedure to break them in. Make sure to do this dull job properly with bore paste and patience, the result will be a good shooter.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

You will do fine with that combo. The Tika's have a hard stock that doesn't absorb recoil in the way that a good aftermarket stock will ( like a Kevlar filled job for example ) so may-be you will need to buy a really good recoil pad to make up for this if the recoil is a sharp whack esp when shooting prone.
Also tika barrels do need the proper shoot, clean, shoot, clean procedure to break them in. Make sure to do this dull job properly with bore paste and patience, the result will be a good shooter.

None of the tikka' s I've owned have needed much in the way of a break in. Copper fouling on all of them has been super minimal. They are very well finished from factory.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

You will do fine with that combo. The Tika's have a hard stock that doesn't absorb recoil in the way that a good aftermarket stock will ( like a Kevlar filled job for example ) so may-be you will need to buy a really good recoil pad to make up for this if the recoil is a sharp whack esp when shooting prone.
Also tika barrels do need the proper shoot, clean, shoot, clean procedure to break them in. Make sure to do this dull job properly with bore paste and patience, the result will be a good shooter.

I disagree re the need to do the whole break in thing, especially using an abrasive bore paste. No harm in doing a traditional break in if you want but would caution against the use of abrasive pastes.
I picked up a Tikka superlite and put a burris predator quest scope on it the other week for a hunting rig. Cleaned the barrel prior to shooting the first rounds through it and proceeded to shoot 4 x groups that averaged 0.37" across all groups with less than 25 rounds down the barrel total (including shooting the groups). Was shooting federal fusion ammo that had deformed led tips. Only cleaned the barrel after I was done shooting and there was very minimal buildup of anything.
Tikka makes very smooth barrels.

I humble myself and confess that it is now four years since I shot in two new Tikkas at my range and both needed ten shots with a good clean between the first six shots then 1 in 2.
If the barrels are better now that is great. One was a 300 WSM and one a 270.
Regardless of our individual opinions , our friend Jrm 234 would probably benefit from someone explaining the why and how of shooting in his barrel if he hasn't checked it out already.

Yeah, the old “shoot in” process nugget, some swear by it, most swear at it!
Just depends who you talk to!

I believe most believe now that it is something that has been cooked up by barrel and ammo manufacturers to sell more!

Never done it to any of mine as I believe it’s a myth and never had an issue with accuracy or fouling, but it certainly shouldn’t hurt the rife if you do do it, only your bank balance.


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Originally Posted by Spudattack

Yeah, the old “shoot in” process nugget, some swear by it, most swear at it!
Just depends who you talk to!

I believe most believe now that it is something that has been cooked up by barrel and ammo manufacturers to sell more!

Never done it to any of mine as I believe it’s a myth and never had an issue with accuracy or fouling, but it certainly shouldn’t hurt the rife if you do do it, only your bank balance.


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Spot on. It isint going to hurt anything but your wallet.

I have personally never run in a barrel.
Have had a fair few new rifles and custom barrels. Had a couple bad ones but no amount of lapping or running in would have helped them.

Every good one I have had has shot straight away and only improved slightly with load development.



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Howa in 6.5 Creedmore brother to the 260 rem both will do anything in nz with mild recoil

Alot depends on how the barrel has been made and the care with how the chamber was cut or barrel and chamber forged in one process. "Roughly" cut chambers can have microscopic radial grooves left in the neck and throat areas that can cause copper being left in the throat. Quality control has got much better in the last twenty years or so and less 'bad' barrels slip through.

Originally Posted by Walker

Alot depends on how the barrel has been made and the care with how the chamber was cut or barrel and chamber forged in one process. "Roughly" cut chambers can have microscopic radial grooves left in the neck and throat areas that can cause copper being left in the throat. Quality control has got much better in the last twenty years or so and less 'bad' barrels slip through.

Realistically, how much difference do you think it will make cleaning between shots in smoothing a rifle bore? If barrels were so soft that it made any difference they’d be buggered after a couple of packets...

Biggest myth out there at the moment - all about selling more gear. You’re more likely to do damage with crappy cleaning gear than good. I’ve lost count if the number of newbies I’ve seen bashing away with cheap three piece rods and likely they’d do more for the barrel if they just left the poor bloody thing alone!

Ok, so the principle of breaking in is that the first several rounds down the barrel polish the surface of the bore and make it smooth so it fouls more evenly for the rest of its iife.

The benefits are supposed to be accuracy and reduced fouling so the rifle can fire more shots between cleaning and the accurate life of the barrel is longer overall.

The problem is that barrels vary in their potential accuracy so doing a controlled trial to demonstrate benefit or none, compared to starting straight into shooting long uncleaned strings is extraordinarily difficult and the amount of benefit is said to vary with calibre, bullet type, barrel type .... So it is unlikely anyone will produce experimental evidence to prove the value of breaking in, even if it were highly beneficial. We therefore rely on recognised principles of engineering and advice from experts such as barrel manufacturers. You can google and find these and the preponderance of highly successful competitive shooters do breaking in.

There are two main sorts of fouling: powder/carbon fouling and copper fouling. The theory is that if these build up on the new barrel surface, some patches get polished nicely while others accumulate successive layers of carbon and copper which peel off at random leaving a chaotic surface which changes with each shot. Carbon is relatively easy to clean off with a powder solvent but you really need a bronze brush to get it all off. Copper needs special solvents and can be very time consuming and the solvents are expensive. Using a good one piece cleaning rod and a bore guide will enable you to clean without damaging your rifle.

A common strategy is to fire 5 to 10 shots cleaning in between each one, then gradually increase the number of shots till you are shooting strings of 5. Once the bore is considered to be broken in, most people will clean it for carbon after each day's shooting and perhaps every 50 to hundred rounds for copper (this varies a lot between shooters !). During the break in brocess you can be sighting in your rifle and slowly checking grouping capability and trajectory and even go out for a hunt or two, so its not wasted ammo, nor barrel life.

Barrels typically last 2000 to 5000 rounds so if you do a lot of shooting and think you will wear your barrel out and replace it one day (as many good shooters do) then you could consider the break in process an additional profit for the manufacturers although generally the ammunition and cleaning gear, not to mention your time and the main costs.

After reading about the break-in process on here I did a little research. 1 read the manual again thinking id missed something. 2 rang the outdoorsman and asked them. Scoured the web forums magazine articles here and there.

I came to the conclusion that the break in process is nessecary and not nessecary.

What ill do this coming Sunday sight the scope 4 rounds. (Hopefully get it pretty close with 4 rounds) Quick clean Just to get anything out not nessecarily copper fouling.

3 rounds check grouping
3 rounds check grouping
Quick clean
3 rounds check grouping
3 rounds check grouping.

If I find the grouping gradually gets worse. Do a break in

If not carrying on check grouping at about 15-20 more rounds and clean as required

From there on out should smooth sailing

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Originally Posted by Jrm234

After reading about the break-in process on here I did a little research. 1 read the manual again thinking id missed something. 2 rang the outdoorsman and asked them. Scoured the web forums magazine articles here and there.

I came to the conclusion that the break in process is nessecary and not nessecary.

What ill do this coming Sunday sight the scope 4 rounds. (Hopefully get it pretty close with 4 rounds) Quick clean Just to get anything out not nessecarily copper fouling.

3 rounds check grouping
3 rounds check grouping
Quick clean
3 rounds check grouping
3 rounds check grouping.

If I find the grouping gradually gets worse. Do a break in

If not carrying on check grouping at about 15-20 more rounds and clean as required

From there on out should smooth sailing

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To be honest, I dont know if the break in procedure makes a difference to rifles in truth or not. The ones I have done all seem to clean easier than ones where I didnt but I cant say for certain this is because they were run in. HOWEVER: If you look at the process of running in at the same time as sighting in and bear in mind this is also the first time you will use the rifle, think of it as a first date and getting to know it.

The usual procedure is fire a shot, wait a few minutes for it to cool, fire a shot and repeat for the first 10 rounds cleaning between each round. The for the second ten do 5x 2 shot groups with the same procedure between groups. Now sighting in fire a shot at the target, (close range first so around 25 or 50 metres. Adjust scope wait for a minute and repeat.

You will spend around a packet getting used to the rifle, so what harm will it do the clean it between each shot? It certainly wont hurt it. And if the first round of your break in procedure is also the first round of your sight in procedure then it does not cost you extra ammo either as you will be sighting it in and getting used to it anyway.

Does that make sense?

Originally Posted by timattalon

You will spend around a packet getting used to the rifle, so what harm will it do the clean it between each shot? It certainly wont hurt it. And if the first round of your break in procedure is also the first round of your sight in procedure then it does not cost you extra ammo either as you will be sighting it in and getting used to it anyway.

Does that make sense?

I agree, it won’t hurt, if you’re using a bore guide and a good quality one piece rod and appropriate jags etc. if, like most newbies, you’re got a $40 hoppes plastic box special, then good chance you’ll do more harm than good. More hunting barrels are buggered by rough cleaning than you’d think!

Goggle Gale Macmillan and barrel break in. The late Mr Macmillan knew a thing or two...

Back in 2008 I had a Trueflite Ultra Match 7mm barrel. It copper fouled terribly at first. Over 24 hours of cleaning and soaking to remove the copper after ONE shot (using boretech eliminator). You could see the copper on the lands at the end of the barrel. I did the shoot and clean each shot for 10 shots, took over a week to do this because the fouling was so bad. Then 3 shots clean etc. After a hundred or so rounds the copper was a lot easier to remove, I just went hunting and normal shooting after about 20 rounds to break in barrel.
For my latest rifle I didn't bother with a break in process and the copper fouling hasn't been anything unusual.