new rifle cleaning and accuracy.

marshall

Well-Known Member
Hi there,

I have just bought a new sako 85 223, have zeroed the rifle and cleaned after every shot, seems too be very accurate, 3 shots within an inch at 100m,
Have shot about 25 rounds, should i still clean after every shot or could i wait to 10-15 too clean?
Regards marshall
 
Opinions are polar on this; if it is accurate and stays accurate I would just shoot it.
I doubt very much your cleaning will be doing any polishing or 'conditioning'.

Is this gun for range or field use?
 
I usually clean when finished at end of the day when home even if i have not shot a round...but obv not as rigorous as when i have shot few rounds...just keep it clean for when i next use it.
 
You've probably done as much 'running in' as it needs, assuming you believe it needed any - which although debateable is a practice I also follow.

On the range I tend to clean my rifles after 10-15 shots. Whether that's necessary of not I don't know - it's just what I do. Certainly the last thing I do on the range is clean the rifle and fire three rounds from a clean, slovent-free bore so that I know it's on song from clean.

Which takes us to what I think is the main thing: I always put a rifle away with a clean copper-free bore, and lightly oiled. From my experience, this means that if I wipe the oil out carefully before next going out, the first and subsequent bullets will land on the point of aim.

I found that this was not the case with the first to c/f rifles I bought second-hand. They needed 'conditioning' shots after cleaning, apparently as a result of neglect from fromer owners causing pitting in the bore which needed a good smear of copper to smooth it out before it shot properly.

My regime with the new and rebarreled rifles I've got subsequently is intended to prevent this frightful circumstance arising again, and certainly up to naw has given every satisfaction!
 
no need to shoot a rifle in all builders/makers put a number of rounds through before it goes on sale so no need to shoot in,,,,never shoot any in that i have or have had and all very accurate,,,,having said that if i have a new rifle i never put loads through it in one hit so to speak,,,,i clean every time i use even if only 1 round put down the barrel.

paul
 
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