New Barrel 6.5x284 Norma Break in Question

[Horsemen61]

Hello everyone,


I recently received my savage rifle back from my smith with a 26 inch ER Shaw 1~8 twist 6.5x284 Norma barrel put on. Since I’ve got the rifle I’ve fired 3 shots, I am using BoreTech Eliminator and the patches keep coming out blue like it has copper in the barrel. My question is Do I keep cleaning the barrel or shoot it some more and clean again? this is a hunting rifle the barrel profile is Heavy Magnum sporter if I recall correctly.


Thank you for reading

 

[bulaman]

This question is likely to open up a firestorm. I'd keep cleaning what you have until it's clean then shoot again. I always clean down to bare metal between the phases of break in. My normal routine is 1 and clean for three shots, 3 and clean, 4 and clean, then shoot. Some barrels seem to clean up in just a couple shots, some take much much longer. There for sure is an argument to be made to do 1 and clean for more rounds than I do, but most times I don't have that kind of patience and most of the barrels I shoot clean up in that timeframe.

This link is Krieger's recommended break in process:

https://www.kriegerbarrels.com/faq#breakin

You are likely to get many, many different methods. Pick one and feel good about it.

 

[M14AMU]

Shoot it and forget all that cleaning BS!!

 

[jelenko]

How dark is the blue?

When I was still getting patches with a very light blue, BoreTech said the copper was coming from 'pores' in the barrel - i.e., not copper on the surface of the bore.

 

[Horsemen61]

How dark is the blue?

When I was still getting patches with a very light blue, BoreTech said the copper was coming from 'pores' in the barrel - i.e., not copper on the surface of the bore.

It’s much lighter than when I started that’s for sure

 

[Roperboy87]

Is it blue like this ?

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Are you using plastic jags?
The blue could be coming from your jags

 

[jelenko]

Or aluminum.

 

[Horsemen61]

Is it blue like this ?

Not anymore it started that way but it’s not that way now and I am using a brass Jag

 

[Bwknives]

lots of opinions on this subject. I believe it has to get cleaned out at some point and cleaning it as you go is easier than stacking more fouling and copper without cleaning. The barrel tells you when it’s broke in and no longer cleans hard. Some go quickly, others you seem to scrub and scrub for awhile.

 

[Greg Y]

If you have a nylon brush you can wrap a patch around to avoid the brass jag.....that's going to help rule out the false read off of the jag.

 

[Horsemen61]

I’ll keep Cleaning on it thanks guys

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Not anymore it started that way but it’s not that way now and I am using a brass Jag

Get an Aluminum or plastic jag and see what you get

 

[mauser284]

What do you hope to accomplish?

Nothing you do after it has been installed can do anything but wear out the barrel.

In spite of the now insanely high price of a barrel from E.R. Shaw they are well known to copper foul. It is what it is.

Outside of compition for a hunting rifle copper fouling is not a huge issue. In the case of E.R. Shaw if the accuracy is good I would not worry about it. I would only clean the copper out when accuracy went South.

In barrels that copper foul normaly as the barrel gets dirty accuracy improves until suddenly open.

There are people that will lap a finished barrel but generaly that is considered a no-no.


I would start finding a load it likes or developing a load it likes.