My break in procedure consists of shooting 2-3k rounds and then rebarreling.

My howas and vanguards are top notch after 40-50 rounds. I always wait a minimum of 15 minutes between shots so these #2 contour barrels are completely cool. After several trips to the range firing 2 boxes of quality ammunition, and cleaning after every range session, these rifles will indeed start poking the rounds well inside of a quarter. After reloading the fireformed brass, each and every one will start poking three bullets into a single jagged hole. The hardest part is making myself wait for 15 minutes between shots, but when I am hunting, I have the utmost faith that the round will go exactly where I am aiming out to 200 yards. Confidence in my rifles is critical. Semper Fi.

4 year old video but barrel break in is not needed at all. No data showing improvement. Pillar and Bed is the way to go and tweek your loads for accuracy. Love your videos Randy.

I'd like to see a 5 shot group comparison from a rifle broke in this way to a rifle that was just sighted in and hunted with.

Looks like folks have run out of stuff to argue about. If you don’t think barrel breakin is necessary then don’t do it. When I purchased my Miniaction Howa gives their suggested proceedure for the first 20 shots. It doesn’t call for aggressive copper solvent to be used and it’s not difficult to do. I really don’t care to argue about whether it works or not. I purchased the gun to shoot so I don’t consider the 20 rounds a waste of time or money. All I know is after doing their recommended procedure the gun will clover leaf @100 all day long on factory ammo. That’s superb for a hunting rifle that isn’t ever going to used to put holes in paper.

I shot 180 rounds through a new Howa 1500 today. I did the proper HOWA break in procedure. It made a huge difference. The copper fouling was way more intense during the 20 round break in than the rest of the 160 additional rounds. And the process of wearing in the barrel was not done. After the 20 round break in. The last 3 groups leading up to the 180th shot were the best 3 groups.

Older video, but I learn something new with every instructional video. Thanks!

Hey Randy - One thing to consider for your break-in is to leave an adequate layer of copper fouling inside the barrel. This smooth layer is what precision shooters rely on for consistency from shot to shot. Many only use carbon cleaners until accuracy degrades and then they do a complete copper fouling removal effectively starting over. Keep this videos coming and thanks for all you do.

Thanks for the tip. Just got an Alpine Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08 because of you Randy! Breaking it in tomorrow for the rifle opener in Calif. A zone!

That's an excellent video, thanks for sharing the information. Some Howa history: my very first big game rifle was a "Smith and Wesson" Model 1500 in. .30-'06 with a walnut stock, i.e., a Howa 1500, which my Dad got me when I was 13 in 1981. My still best friend and hunting buddy had one first, but his the slicker Deluxe model with a Monte Carlo stock, high gloss finish, etc. Howa back then manufactured rifles for S and W, just as they have since and still do for Weatherby. That was my only rifle for years, and I chased and shot southern Arizona whitetail and javelina and northern AZ elk with it for years. 6 years ago on an elk hunt I slipped on a slag rock pile and cracked the stock. Took it to Tucson's awesome Harry Lawson's custom gunsmithing shop and I had them not only repair the crack, but completely refinish the stock and jewel the bolt and add one of their proprietary muzzle breaks. That classic beauty is now waiting in my safe for my son to get a little older/bigger. So with her on hiatus, I bought a Howa .25-06 for my main whitetail rifle and a 7mm Rem. Magnum for my main elk rifle, these in the Hogue overmoulded stocks. These are fine, quality rifles that deliver great value, and both have served me well in the field. The Howa action and construction quality, in my opinion, is much better than entry level and comparably priced models from Savage, Ruger, etc. Not to denigrate these more recent rifles, but the Howa 1500 is a long proven, excellent rifled action.

Thank you for the Great Video Randy .

I have used this very similar method to brake in rifles and it really pays off.

Very good video, I've broke in several barrels and it is defiantly a great thing to do, Howa has made rifles for Mossberg and Smith and Wesson and have been making Weatherby Vanguards since the 90's, the barrels and actions are plain hard to beat, I'm wanting a Vanguard VGL again. It's a compact rifle w/a #1 contour barrel a had one in 30/06 and let a friend of mine talk me out of it. Once again congrats on the video.

Could you make a video on how you clean the gun? Please. Also thank you for your videos and advice. Your a hoot to watch and chalk full of wisdom. Its been a joy to watch your shenanigans over the last few years.

you will love the 6.5 creedmoor Randy! my match rifle and one of my hunting rifles is chambered in that cartridge. they really shine if you hand load for them! good luck with it this year!

I love all of your videos Randy thank you for putting them out so often. I'm a brand new 14 year hunter from Colorado and I just got my tags yesterday. Good luck hunting this year.

Randy Newberg ,Hunter I agree with doing what ever Howa recommends,but if you have that seems harder to clean than it should try this: JB compound 50 strokes, new patch and compound after each 10 strokes Clean as usual. This polishes the bore.

I look forward to seeing you hunt with it.

How clean do the patches need to be after each shot for the first 10?

jealous bad ass rig!!

very nice.

Great video. During this process do you stick to one brand of ammo and bullet weight throughout or do you experiment to determine what the rifle shoots best while following the process and then do a sight in with the one that groups the best? Thank you for all of your work as a conservationist and for sharing your experiences and knowledge.

Where is the next video where to actually sight in that Leupold vx 5 hd scope you have on the How's? I can't seem to find it. You mentioned it in " How to break in a How's rifle barrel..."?

You are awesome sauce randy. I have a pretty darn old 7mm mauser and finally retired it. Gonna pass it down to my son when hes ready. Any way. I replaced it with a howa1500 with the houge overmold it's a. 308. Also picked up a leupold vx5hd CDs-zl2. Still have not shot a single round through it yet. Mostly have not had the time. Also been trying too figure out best way to break-in/ clean the thing. Tons of mixed info out there. Leaning towards your advice. Cuz It makes sense to me. But i notice you dont use a bore brush? Any thoughts on wether or not they are good or bad? Is there a time and place for them or not worth the "hype". Also if they are useful which type do you recommend as far as nylon, brass, bronze, etc...? Thank you and your whole team for all that you guys and gals do for us and all the videos and advice. It's all super helpful and I know it ain't easy. But you sure make it look that way lol.

Christ in some barrels/calibers by the time you're finished "breaking it in"...it's already 5% worn out!lol! Even John Krieger says there's NO NEED whatsover for barrel break in with todays metallurgy and processes. ZERO. 1st shot is breaking it in....2nd shot is wearing it out. Hocus Pocus pure and simple...

Randy, which ammonia base solvent do you recommend on these howa rifles? Fixing to break in my new howa 6.5 creedmoor and what like to know your secret of chemicals you prefer and how and when you use those chemicals

Yeah! I love my .260 Rem. Monolithics made the caliber a slayer. No recoil and bambi goes boom boom.

Your videos are the best. I'm getting a 6.5mm built up as we speak. Hope to see you do an episode in California one of these days!

Hi Randy, Thank you for the information. What exactly is your cleaning process in-between shots? Just got my Howa 6.5 CM and want to do the barrel break-in tomorrow.

My question is; if barrel break-in is such a vital process to maintain accuracy, why wouldn't manufacturers break it in before it's sold?

just ordered a howa hogue 1500 stainless barrel in 300 win mag and having a leupold vx3i put on, hoping to break it in this weekend

Randy, when shooting multiple rounds between cleanings, do you shoot round after round or let the barrel cool after each shot? thanks for your time, video is very helpful.

Could you tell me what is the bore guide you are using in the cleaning process ? Which company makes it?

I recently used a Howa Mini Action in 6.5 Grendel and put it in a MDT Chassis....no barrel is perfect, a certain amount of cooper is needed to fill imperfections in barrel.....I shot 50 rounds taking my time so barrel did not get hot.....used a lightly oiled patch to get the carbon and then ran 6 or so patches to clean out the oil......with 120 Sierra HPBT and TAC powder my best group was .087.....breaking in a barrel is no science......you can do it a lot of different ways.....some need no break in, just shoot.....

CONGRATULATIONS ON JOINING THE 6.5 TRIBE! I have fallen for the 6.5 swede. Thought it was a joke way back in 86' when my Father in Law got me a 'mauser' at a local gun sale, a M96. My sporterized M38 with PPU ammo no less does less than inch groups at 200. Even had other guys at the range give it a try, consistent. (three round groups). Got a Grendel also, You are gonna love your Creedmoor!!!!!!!

Randy, when you clean it after each shot etc. how well do you clean it? Like do you just run a couple patches through or use a brush too? Do you feel that using a Bore Snake would suffice here or should I use a rod and scrub it thoroughly?

Randy, I haven't yet heard your thoughts on that 6.5's performance in the field. Did you use it on any hunts this year? If so, how did it do? Thanks

can you use a less expensive ammo for breaking in the barrel rather than the more expensive stuff you plan to hunt with?

Barrel break-in is as effective as flushing your toilet to exercise the gaskets. 😂

Randy, those pure Colombian Blactails can be quite a challenge. Head anywhere West of Interstate 5 in Washington for good opportunities. While your there, fill your Roosevelt Elk tag or Black Bear tag. Catch a few King Salmon for the smoker while you're at it. Or head to Eastern Washington for Mullies and even bigger Black Bear.

Great video . I was wondering if you could share which bore guide you used ?

I've always thought barrel break in process was kinda dumb but I'm going to do it with my new howa. Thing is that you'll never know if it really works or not but you have nothing to lose doing it

Might be a little hot topic, and to some, ethically debateable. But I know a lot of guys (like myself) would be curious regarding the use of the 6.5cm on Elk. I know you have a 7mm-08 and 308 and 300rm which are all time tested, but on paper the creedmoor looks like it would be fine and carries big energy out to range with the BC's of those bullets. Would you consider using it with some higher end 140gr VLD's? thanks as always Randy.

Great videos Randy.....Don't laugh at this question but do you do any private elk hunting guides for "regular" people who want to go elk hunting in Montana? You'd be a GREAT guide!

Is that an H-S Precision or McMillan stock?

Wish I had the patience to do that.

How do you like shooting the 6.5 creedmore.

What bore guide do you recommend for a Howa 1500 .308?

I just picked up a Howa 1500 in 6.5x55 Swede and I was wondering whether to do what Howa says and break in the barrel, or just clean it up and sight it in right out of the box... Randy, if you break in your Howa, I'm gonna do the same for mine. Hope we cross paths someday, and keep making the fantastic videos!!!

That is going to be a sweet setup! Light weight, accurate and shoots a long ways. How much velocity did you loose with the shorter barrel? How much range do you think you lost? Are you going to hunt elk with that?

I think the only reason they say to do a break-in is so you wait for the barrel to cool between shots so you don't return the gun and say it's not accurate before you've even shot a box of 20 rounds.

what area would you recommend for a first time Hunter in montana? I'm a non resident and I want to to a DIY hunt with a friend of mine.

can you get one in left hand 25-06-308-223 etc.

What's the point in cleaning it between shots?

What gun vise is that?

I can't find any dealer with this rifle in stock. It is perfect for a South and West Texas spot and stalk deer/hog/muledeer gun.

Hey Randy I am trying to do this for best results. Does it matter if it is well below freezing when you break in the barrel.

I have the HOWA 7.62 Whitetail...I assume the break in process is exactly the same.

Im a old man if i had the energy id make a video and show ya how P.O. Ackley showed me how to do it when i was a kid.

Gettin her dialed in for snipe season. Didn’t make the draw for limited rifle unicorn

Logan gun range. Nice!!

Never bothered with breaking in a rifle. Run a couple patches before shooting in case there’s any debris in the barrel. Within a couple shots you’ll get some copper fowling which is what you want. Don’t heat up the barrel and you’re fine. All my howa and vanguard rifles will shoot under .75moa. My 6.5 I built from a barreled action with shot .25moa. The bigger issue with a new rifle in the action mating to the stock. Talked to some gunsmiths ULR shooters and some old timers and they’ll tell you the same thing.

You shouldn't have to break in a hammer forged barrel.

would a 6.5 creedmoore be a good rifle for elk

If your rifle groups well out of the box. No need to break in. Even precission barrel makers and champion shooters don't bother breaking barrels in. I have heard Howa only gives break in procedure because they can't be bothered explaining there is no need all the time.

I'd of short 17 deer after using 3 shots to 0 that rifle.

whats the scientific proof of this method?

Must be an American delivered rifle thing... Don't see how there would be a difference, but there is. I've owned 3 howas, 1 bergara, 1 Remington 700, 1 weatherby, 1 savage, 1 ruger, and not a single one of them had copper fouling or any mass of filth in the barrel, after doing an initial copper solvent sweep, and then firing 1 round, clean, 2 round, clean, every single rifle was spotless. Each time I'd fire another round or multiple rounds, no filth would come out. The bores were spotless after a carbon/copper solvent set, and oiling, and barely 5 rounds. Only thing about barrel break in that I'd bother to be concerned about is excessive heat in those first 30-50 shots. Go through a few heat cycles and allow your barrel to basically acclimate with your environment. 30-50 rounds will see it fully settle. But I haven't been so strict every time. The savage and the Remington that I owned had a initial solvent pass, then 3 shots then cleaned with oil and patched out. That's all the break in they received, both rifles shot under an inch at 100yds with the Remington shooting half inch. Too this date I have not seen accuracy degradation or bullet performance. Barrel break in isn't something you've got to lose sleep over. The specific barrel will tell you what it needs. Some will need a bit more attention and time to remove all the fouling, some (and in my experience most) will be happy with less than 10 rounds before you can just use the rifle normally

Barrel break in is a waste of time. The copper bullet is way softer than the barrel its coming out of so essentially the first bullet that goes down the barrel the bullet itself is going smooth out all the imperfections. And furthermore if you have a rifle that needs special attention to become accurate you might wanna try and buy a different brand of rifle.

That is a good example of how to break-in a new rifle barrel, but since Howa barrels are cold hammer forged, there are no tooling marks. Breaking in shouldn't be necessary - kind of a waste of precious ammunition these days. Why don't I ever run into you at the range in Manhattan? I shoot there quite a bit.

"Barrel break-in": one of the biggest myth's in modern rifle making, especially with modern style barrel manufacturing with cold hammer forged barrels....

Randy, this isin't the 1990's anymore. We stopped doing this phony stuff years ago.

An tedious process, but a worthwhile process.

Here is a different opinion: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/acpgYKmAqtalpas.html

Telling me I gotta blow through 120$ of 6.5 right now to break in my new Howa? It's a $700ish gun! Guaranteed sub MOA from the factory. This isn't necessary. Yes clean your bore like this regularly. But this 50 rounds ritual is nonsense. Where's the science or even the manufacturer recommendation for doing this process.?

Lol barrel break in is snake oil!!!

lololol break in is all myth buddy...just shoot it... Google the worlds greatest barrel makers and see what they say like Bill Krieger from Krieger barrels they all just laugh they don't know where people came up with such nonsense about breaking in gunbarrels.