stevens 200 .243 barrel break in?

[mattri]

Waiting on dies to arrive so I can load some ammo and start shooting the new 200 in .243.

Plan to load up some fairly light loads with Win brass, CCI 200 primers, IMR4350 and 85 grn Sierra HPBTs.

Obviously need to go slow with the sporter barrel, anything else to keep in mind?

Anything to in particular to watch for with these rifles?

[Salvo]

I have a Savage .243 on the way and am interested in what folks here will have to say about breaking in a new .243... I am an old big-bore enthusiast so working with a .243 is entirely new ground for me.

[82boy]

Dont worry about break in, just shoot it.

[possum1]

I'm am currently breaking in a 223, that is how you break it in isn't it, by shooting ? I'm going the supposedly " professional " way on this one to see if I can tell any difference on, how hard it is to clean, method.

[clayton]

I did quite a bit of research on this last October as I was buying my first new rifle and wanted to take good care of it. There is quite a bit on information on this in this fourm and elsewhere on-line, but it gets confusing with accusations of barrel makers scaming barrel buyers etc. What it came down to is that cleaning every few rounds is unnessicary, and doing so all the way to 100 rounds just wears out the barrel faster. I ended up going to the range, sighting in my scope and cleaning the gun when I was done. Same thing when I praticed or worked up new loads.

[82boy]

I did quite a bit of research on this last October as I was buying my first new rifle and wanted to take good care of it. There is quite a bit on information on this in this fourm and elsewhere on-line, but it gets confusing with accusations of barrel makers scaming barrel buyers etc. What it came down to is that cleaning every few rounds is unnessicary, and doing so all the way to 100 rounds just wears out the barrel faster. I ended up going to the range, sighting in my scope and cleaning the gun when I was done. Same thing when I praticed or worked up new loads.


Very well said. ;)

[utbrowningman]

Well, evidently, the manufacture has already fire who knows how many rounds through it and not cleaned in afterwards. Fire away and clean when you get home.

[82boy]

I don't think Savages fires any more than one proof round through the line guns. They do test fire custom shop and repair guns, and they come with a test target.

[tammons]

If its a hunter just take it to the range, run a box of shells through it and clean it and go hunting.

If you are going to shoot target more then what I do is shoot 5, clean, shoot 10, clean, shoot 20 clean
and thats about it.

I have broken in rifles with the 1 shot clean etc etc etc etc and never saw any real difference.

Since you are really trying to burnish the rough spots in a new barrel I will say with a factory barrel, shoot a few rounds for the record, then shoot a half kit of tubbs kit and see if the groups tighten up. I did that with a 223. Shot 1/4" groups after the tubbs kit. Mind you it is abrasive so in a 243 it will cut down on throat life.