I have never really broken in a rifle per the manufacturers recommendations. I have typically ran ballistol through and cleaned the barrel before shooting, then ran patches through with a patch worm until clean after I shot in the scope, usually 20-30 rounds. I have never had a huge issue with accuracy, and my rifles shoot MOA. I am not a bench shooter, I am a hunter, and my rifles are hunting rifles. I recently bought a Christensen Arms Mesa in a 6.5 creed. I want to break this rifle in, and clean the bore better than I have in the past with a hope of a more accurate rifle, and a rifle that may possibly like a variety of rounds of ammo, vs just one or two. I do not reload. I have reached out to CA, and here is their break in process as posted on their site.
https://christensenarms.com/barrel-break-in/
I called and asked for more specifics on this brake in. Specifically about what solutions for bore carbon and bore copper solvents. I was told that they use Barnes CR10, but he didn't provide a carbon bore solution.
He then provided this video as instructional to follow, however said Christensen Arms does not endorse or support it...
I'm hoping to get this new rifle started on the right foot, and as stated it is my first attempt at properly breaking in a barrel, and proper ongoing cleaning. This will also be the first time I have ever used a copper removing bore solution.
I've read lots of threads, and watched lots of videos, and have a short list of what everyone seems to prefer:
Bore Carbon Solution:
Butch's Bore
Shooters Choice
Sharp Shoot R Wipe-Out
Hoppes #9
Ballistol
Bore Copper Solution:
Bore Tech Eliminator
Bore Tech CU+2
Sweets
Montana Extreme
Barnes CR10
J-B Bore Cleaning Compound
Wipe-Out or Patch-Out
My plan after looking at Christensen Arms instructions, watching multiple brake-in videos, and reading forum posts, is this:
Clean barrel with Shooters Choice before shooting (I use a patch worm)
http://www.patchworm.com/patchworm.html
Break-in:
Run patches of shooters choice until no carbon, run dry patches until dry and clean. Run a wet patch or two of sweets, let sit 5 min, make multiple passes 10-20 with a copper solution resistant Dewey rod and a copper solution resistant Dewey nylon brush. Run wet then dry patches (patchworm) until no blue, possibly repeat twice with sweets.
Do this after every shot for first 5 shots, then after every 3 shots for 3 rounds, then after every 6 shots for 2 rounds for a total of 26 shots.
Then, clean again after I have shot 5, 3 shot groups to determine what ammo the rifle likes (15 rounds).
Then, as a rule, run a patch worm at the end of each weekend of hunting season if the rifle has been fired with shooters choice wet until no black then dry, and then add Lucas Oil Extreme Duty Gun oil (always using a wet and then dry patch if the gun is going to sit), and a full cleaning as described above after hunting season.
I have 5 different ammo rounds to see what it likes and I plan to wait to shoot for accuracy until I have broken in the barrel (26 shots). Maybe I don't need to do that and I can look at what the rifle likes during the break in period? Maybe after my first 5 shots cleaning after each? What are your thoughts?
I know this is a lot of info, but:
What do you feel is the best carbon removing bore solution and why?
What do you feel is the best copper removing bore solution and why?
What do you feel is the best method of braking in a barrel?
How often after you have broken in your barrel do you clean it, and what does that cleaning look like? How often are you removing copper (once a year, after a certain amount of rounds, each time you clean)?
I'm not crazy I swear...
https://christensenarms.com/barrel-break-in/
I called and asked for more specifics on this brake in. Specifically about what solutions for bore carbon and bore copper solvents. I was told that they use Barnes CR10, but he didn't provide a carbon bore solution.
He then provided this video as instructional to follow, however said Christensen Arms does not endorse or support it...
I'm hoping to get this new rifle started on the right foot, and as stated it is my first attempt at properly breaking in a barrel, and proper ongoing cleaning. This will also be the first time I have ever used a copper removing bore solution.
I've read lots of threads, and watched lots of videos, and have a short list of what everyone seems to prefer:
Bore Carbon Solution:
Butch's Bore
Shooters Choice
Sharp Shoot R Wipe-Out
Hoppes #9
Ballistol
Bore Copper Solution:
Bore Tech Eliminator
Bore Tech CU+2
Sweets
Montana Extreme
Barnes CR10
J-B Bore Cleaning Compound
Wipe-Out or Patch-Out
My plan after looking at Christensen Arms instructions, watching multiple brake-in videos, and reading forum posts, is this:
Clean barrel with Shooters Choice before shooting (I use a patch worm)
http://www.patchworm.com/patchworm.html
Break-in:
Run patches of shooters choice until no carbon, run dry patches until dry and clean. Run a wet patch or two of sweets, let sit 5 min, make multiple passes 10-20 with a copper solution resistant Dewey rod and a copper solution resistant Dewey nylon brush. Run wet then dry patches (patchworm) until no blue, possibly repeat twice with sweets.
Do this after every shot for first 5 shots, then after every 3 shots for 3 rounds, then after every 6 shots for 2 rounds for a total of 26 shots.
Then, clean again after I have shot 5, 3 shot groups to determine what ammo the rifle likes (15 rounds).
Then, as a rule, run a patch worm at the end of each weekend of hunting season if the rifle has been fired with shooters choice wet until no black then dry, and then add Lucas Oil Extreme Duty Gun oil (always using a wet and then dry patch if the gun is going to sit), and a full cleaning as described above after hunting season.
I have 5 different ammo rounds to see what it likes and I plan to wait to shoot for accuracy until I have broken in the barrel (26 shots). Maybe I don't need to do that and I can look at what the rifle likes during the break in period? Maybe after my first 5 shots cleaning after each? What are your thoughts?
I know this is a lot of info, but:
What do you feel is the best carbon removing bore solution and why?
What do you feel is the best copper removing bore solution and why?
What do you feel is the best method of braking in a barrel?
How often after you have broken in your barrel do you clean it, and what does that cleaning look like? How often are you removing copper (once a year, after a certain amount of rounds, each time you clean)?
I'm not crazy I swear...
