Barrel break in

[Tborg]

I'm about to buy my first brand new rifle and was wondering if I should break in the barrel. I'm only going to use it for hunting

[seanhagerty]

Clean it before install, or after install, then shoot it and be happy.

Barrel break ins are marginally beneficial at best. I may shoot a few rounds, and then run a patch down it, but really I don't think it does anything at all. Shoot it and have fun. Cleaning is NO FUN!!

[Tborg]

Thanks for the advice

[bootsmcguire]

I have tried many of the methods out there and cannot find a proven difference to any of them. I think barrel quality has more to do with it than break in. One of my first Savages was a 12FV in 308, and I had no knowledge of break in at that time and just popped it out of the box, ran a patch, mounted the scope and headed to the range. Been a consistent 1/2 MOA gun and it shoots to POA regardless of warm or cold bore, it has accounted for many deer out to 500yds for me.

[DrThunder88]

Shoot it. If accuracy gets better down the road, attribute it to your increasing skill!