I was hoping to get some info on seasoning a new rifle barrel. I jusy purchased a new Kimber Montana in 300 WSM for an Elk trip next year. It is stainless and I would like to break it in right. Any thoughts are much appreciated.
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seasoning a new barrel
- Thread starter jshooter
- Start date
You will hear varying logic on how to break in or not break in a barrel. I will only share my experience with the USMC shooting team when it came to match rifle barrels.
Take your NEW rifle to the range and zero it. It doesn't matter how many rounds it takes to zero it. After you have it zero'd for the varying yardage marks, clean it, then shoot it when you are ready to go hunting.
ETA: Please provide a range report with that rifle. I would like to see what you think about the Kimber rifle. Good luck.
Take your NEW rifle to the range and zero it. It doesn't matter how many rounds it takes to zero it. After you have it zero'd for the varying yardage marks, clean it, then shoot it when you are ready to go hunting.
ETA: Please provide a range report with that rifle. I would like to see what you think about the Kimber rifle. Good luck.
+1 Just shoot the sucker.
TonyD
One Shot One Maggie's Drawers
Like Derek, I never put much credence into "breaking-in" a barrel - until recently. I just put a new custom Krieger DCM barrel - arguably the best barrel in the industry - on my AR for XTC service rifle. The good folks at Krieger explained to me that the purpose was to break-in, or finish, the throat and not necessarily the bore.
Even though they are hand-lapped the throat will still have some machine marks that will "grab" at the copper jacket as it enters. This can be advesre to accuracy and promote throat erosion. You can look on their website for the instructions for their barrels but basically it is to shoot one round and remove the copper from the throat then clean after every 5 rounds for a couple times then clean when finished. The biggest thing was they don't tell you the number of times to repeat the process - only as many as it takes.
Having said all of that, check with the manufacture of the barrel for their recommendation and go from there.
Even though they are hand-lapped the throat will still have some machine marks that will "grab" at the copper jacket as it enters. This can be advesre to accuracy and promote throat erosion. You can look on their website for the instructions for their barrels but basically it is to shoot one round and remove the copper from the throat then clean after every 5 rounds for a couple times then clean when finished. The biggest thing was they don't tell you the number of times to repeat the process - only as many as it takes.
Having said all of that, check with the manufacture of the barrel for their recommendation and go from there.
Since this is a hunting rifle, I'd add one more step: most rifle barrels will have a different point of impact for the first round through a cold barrel and subsequent rounds through a barrel that has been warmed by bullet friction. By definition, your typical "sighting in" session zeros a warm barrel. After letting the rifle cool (for at least 30 minutes and preferable an hour or more), fire a single round and compare the point of impact to your prior zero.
I'm not sure I would bother with it on that type of gun; which at best will maybe get 100 rounds through it every year. I don't think you will get copper building up to the point where accuracy is affected on a big game rifle. I would make sure to use some type of copper solvent at the end of the season.
However if you do shoot it a fair amount, I'd just use the copper solvent to check to see if it is getting all coppered up. Unless it is a super rough barrel, the solvent should keep it under control.
B
However if you do shoot it a fair amount, I'd just use the copper solvent to check to see if it is getting all coppered up. Unless it is a super rough barrel, the solvent should keep it under control.
B
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Elk Hunt! Wow!
Ive always wanted to go on an Elk hunt. Ride horseback into the wilderness , camp and blast an Elk.
How do you pack it out on mules without the meat spoiling?
Anyway: 300WSM sounds nice. I have shot my friend .300 mag and its fun but not something I would want to pop a hundred rounds off at the range like I do with my 30-06. I need to get a reloader.
Will you be reloading the .300 WSM? if so be sure to full size the cases on your hunting ammo or just buy factory for hunting. Neck sizing for targets is the way to go. Load up a bunch of shoft range bulletts for practice and throw in a hunting round at random when your shooting. Use the hunting rounds for your last practice before the hunt.
NOt sure the rifle needs seasoning as much as the shooter does. As with any new firearm. Bring it to the range bore sight it and then live fire sight it to whatever distance you will be using it most at. For most New England hunting 100 yards is good, but out west I would tweak for 200,300,400,500 and maybe 1,000 to see where its hitting
Just shoot as much as you can so you dont have to think what your doing. Use a typical hunting style carry that you like with the safety on and swing the rifle up sight pop off the saftey and shoot all in one fluid motion. Throw in randon second follow up shots at targets right left up and down from your primary target. Rotate your targets. You can even rapid fire your entire magizine at all targets although if you miss with the first shot you most likly lost the opportunity for a second in the woods.
If you need a Bwana for the Elk hunt just call!
Ive always wanted to go on an Elk hunt. Ride horseback into the wilderness , camp and blast an Elk.
How do you pack it out on mules without the meat spoiling?
Anyway: 300WSM sounds nice. I have shot my friend .300 mag and its fun but not something I would want to pop a hundred rounds off at the range like I do with my 30-06. I need to get a reloader.
Will you be reloading the .300 WSM? if so be sure to full size the cases on your hunting ammo or just buy factory for hunting. Neck sizing for targets is the way to go. Load up a bunch of shoft range bulletts for practice and throw in a hunting round at random when your shooting. Use the hunting rounds for your last practice before the hunt.
NOt sure the rifle needs seasoning as much as the shooter does. As with any new firearm. Bring it to the range bore sight it and then live fire sight it to whatever distance you will be using it most at. For most New England hunting 100 yards is good, but out west I would tweak for 200,300,400,500 and maybe 1,000 to see where its hitting
Just shoot as much as you can so you dont have to think what your doing. Use a typical hunting style carry that you like with the safety on and swing the rifle up sight pop off the saftey and shoot all in one fluid motion. Throw in randon second follow up shots at targets right left up and down from your primary target. Rotate your targets. You can even rapid fire your entire magizine at all targets although if you miss with the first shot you most likly lost the opportunity for a second in the woods.
If you need a Bwana for the Elk hunt just call!
