Ruger American .243

[Lorgar]

ive been told i should shoot 1 round and clean it for 5 times, then 3 rounds and clean it for 5 times, then 5 rounds and clean it for 5 times, can anyone confirm if i should do this or is there another way?

Mate, this is one of those questions that people have been arguing over forever.

Personally I'm with North East.

For all my rifles - Rugers, Tikkas and Anchutz, centrefire and rimfire, chambered for half a dozen different cartridges - I have never "broken in" any of them.

I give them a thorough clean out of the box to clear out all the factory grease and start shooting. I've never had any problems and they all continue to shoot accurately.

This is the first 4 shots out of my 7mm Tikka shooting with was not "broken in" - Tikka 7mm-08 range report

Looks alright to me? And still shoots like that a year later.

[Aussier]

just been researching various forums and they all say its BS, not sure why the rifle shop said to do it though.

It's one of those things people read somewhere and then start repeating as fact as if they have tested and experienced it themselves.

Could have been, but I wouldn't necessarily say the shop was trying to rort you into a buying a few extra boxes off ammo.

Half the guys working in gunshops don't know what they're talking about and he could easily have been repeating the latest pearl of wisdom he learned from some self proclaimed expert at the range.

[agentzero]

There's a famous how to break in a rifle YouTube video. ...it's a cracker. .anyone got a link, should be stickied for each time this question comes up.

No but I'm curious now

[feedr]

but here it is, going away this weekend to the farm so ill be testing it then.

Have fun.

Take lots of ammo

[jas0n]

thanks for the feed back guys, appreciate it. leaving in about 1 hour to drive 7 hours south, hopefully this weather clears up as i drive south.

[1290]

this is what I'm talking about, proper break in procedure... its an art, to tell by the sound of the barrel resonating, to know when its 'proper' broke in

>Watch here<

[cala90]

I give them a thorough clean out of the box to clear out all the factory grease and start shooting. I've never had any problems and they all continue to shoot accurately.

+1.

My last two rifles I bought (.22 and 30-06) both gun shops told me to just clean out the factory oil etc and that's all.

Never had a problem!

[Manimal]

So how was the big day at the farm?

[jas0n]

terrible, i got it sighted in at nearly 100m, went for a spot at night and nothing was around, even stopped for 10mins with vehicle off and no lights and called. Went out Sunday morning for an hour and called for the entire time with no response. bit disappointed I didnt get to shoot at a moving target but happy that I got it sighted in.

[Manimal]

Ah bad luck then.

Good to be sighted at least and ready to go.

[jas0n]

yea thats it, i think me and the old boy will be going to belmont range on valentines day hahaha.

[tuffstuff]

Spending the day with your new lady

[jas0n]

at least she gives me a kick

[bigfellascott]

at least she gives me a kick

And you'll get more bangs for ya buck too!

[jas0n]

[chacka]

Enjoy mate.

.243 is a great all round cartridge.

[jas0n]

thanks mate i will.

Dad has had his .243 for about 18 years and loves it. has killed at 650 yards.

[RoginaJack]

Enjoy mate.

.243 is a great all round cartridge.

Whole heartily agree there. My 1st 243W was a BSA feather weight, B.A. with a factory fitted muzzle brake. Very nice bit of kit.

[AusC]

Dad has had his .243 for about 18 years and loves it. has killed at 650 yards.

.243 would be more popular here if not for the minimum calibre laws for deer hunting in many states requiring people shooting a .270 or higher calibre rifle.

Put a few figures through the calculator...

.243 95gr velocities with 3000 fps MV
100m - 2762 fps
200m - 2528 fps
300m - 2307 fps

vs

.270 130gr velocities with 2600 MV
100m - 2372 fps
200m - 2148 fps
300m - 1937 fps

and

.243 95gr energy
100m - 1609 ft lbs
200m - 1348 ft lbs
300m - 1122 ft lbs

vs

.270 130gr energy
100m - 1624 ft lbs
200m - 1332 ft lbs
300m - 1083 ft lbs

.243 shoots faster and flatter for easier shot placement, it's a hairs breadth behind the .270 in terms of energy at close range and potentially has a fraction more at mid-range distances but is illegal because the calibre is "too small"

[jas0n]

Well there you go, thanks for the Information AusC, quite a good read.

[Juganort]

I bought a RAR in .308 a few weeks back and was also wondering about barrel break in, some people say yes, some people say no. I figured that I hedge my bets and break it in while I was sighting it in. Took maybe 6 shots until I was happy, cleaning between each round then after the 6th the patches were clean enough and that was the end of it, sighted and "broken" in, if there is such as thing

Took it out on a hunt last week and was extremely happy with it Glad I bought the synthetic stainless as it got knocked around allot getting in and out of cars and dropping it of car bonnets

[AusC]

Well there you go, thanks for the Information AusC, quite a good read.

No problem mate.

Hopefully the powers that be read it and rethink how they set limits on these things... But I doubt it

[harris]

.243 would be more popular here if not for the minimum calibre laws for deer hunting in many states requiring people shooting a .270 or higher calibre rifle.

...

.243 shoots faster and flatter for easier shot placement, it's a hairs breadth behind the .270 in terms of energy at close range and potentially has a fraction more at mid-range distances but is illegal because the calibre is "too small"

I was recently thinking the same thing for the new .26 Nosler cartridge.

Looks like Nosler will be doing 100gr, 120gr and 140gr factory ammo for it. That thing's a canon, with any bullet weight, but as it stands would not be legal here

[ChicagoTed]

It's a Ruger, you probably cant hurt the dam thing even if you tried.

I've never broken in any of my guns.

Just oil it and go nuts.

Most guns are not princesses they are tools and built as such.

[squirrelhunter]

They're a real little workhorse

My Scout gets knocked around heaps and has never missed a beat.

[jas0n]

Thanks guys, going to range this weekend, make sure its sighted in properly and just have a shot, then home to do some reloads ready for easter.

[Harper]

It's a Ruger, you probably cant hurt the dam thing even if you tried.

If you run out of ammo hunting you've always got a club left over with the Ruger

[jas0n]

Couple photos from Saturday at the range, im happy with how the Ruger goes, i only have a bipod, this rifle will be used for hunting purposes so im happy with the groups.

i use a 85gr boat tail with about 41-43 grain of powder. as you can see in one of the photos the federals shot alittle different to the reloads i use.

[Sam45]

Nice, looks like you are having fun

[Aussier]

Good enough to hit the broad side of a feral