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Barrel Break in Procedure
Barrel Break in Procedure (How to Break in a Rifle)
As promised in my review of my Remington 700 5R, here is my post to show you how to break in a rifle. I received this barrel break in procedure when I purchased my 700 5R. When reading on some different forums online, I have seen some comments by people dismissing this and saying it’s a myth and not needed, etc. I will say this – Everyone that I have talked to that owns high-end rifles has stressed the importance of following this barrel break in procedure. The question that I had to ask myself was this – is it really worth it to find out your wrong? We are talking about 40 rounds of ammo. You can use cheap ammo for this. In my .308, that’s about $36 at Walmart to follow this easy barrel break in procedure. For me, I will gladly spend $36 to go along with what retired military snipers tell me to do, rather than find out I have ruined the accuracy of my $1,200 rifle. It’s a no-brainer.
Without further delay, let’s get on to how to break in a rifle!
Barrel Break in Procedure
You will need a total of 40 rounds.
For the first 10 rounds:
- Fire one round, run a wet patch through the barrel.
- Follow that with fifteen passes with a bristle brush.
- Then, run a wet patch followed by a dry patch through the barrel.
- Repeat this for the first 10 rounds.
For the next 30 rounds, repeat the above cleaning process after every 3rd round. When you have completed firing the full 40 rounds, the microscopic whiskers and voids that were left in the barrel will have been lapped smooth.
This will result in superior accuracy for the life of the barrel.
That is the complete barrel break in procedure. Again, don’t worry about the type of ammo you use. You can use the cheap stuff, since accuracy isn’t the goal here.
For our YouTube addicts, I have also created a video for how to break in a rifle. It’s the same info – just made for the YouTube crowd.
Enjoy!
Video for Barrel Break in Procedure
Remington 700 5R Review
It’s finally time for my review of the Remington 700 5R. I purchased the Remington 700 5R back in November as one of my first firearm purchases. I knew that I would be buying a rifle in November, so I had done hours upon hours of research before finally settling on my Remington 700 5R as the rifle of choice. So, the big question is, am I glad I bought it? Here is my review…
Remington 700 5R: Specs
- Barrel: Stainless Steel, 24″ Milspec 5R
- Action: Bolt
- Stock: Synthetic/Composite
- Twist: 11.25″
- Caliber: .308Win
- Trigger: X-Mark Pro
Remington 700 5R: Build Quality
There are a lot of things I love about this gun. The build quality is definitely at the top of that list. The Remington 700 5R is definitely not a featherweight. With the stainless steel barrel, this thing has some weight to it, and is built rock solid. One of the many benefits of a bolt-action is the limited amount of moving parts (and parts in general). The barrel is, as already said, stainless steel. The stock is made of a composite and is definitely not your standard “cheap synthetic stock” that you find on some cut-rate firearms. The bolt action is as solid as it could possibly be, and the trigger mechanism doesn’t look like it will break anytime this century. This gun is a beast, and you know you are holding quality when you have it in your hands. This firearm purchase was no different than any other for me. When I bought it, I did so with the intention of handing it down to one of my children one day. I have no doubt that it will still be firing like new when that day comes.
Remington 700 5R: Accuracy
Did I mention the Remington 700 5R uses the same barrels as military sniper rifles (M24)? The barrels that are used to make the Remington 700 5R are said to actually be the barrels from the “discard” pile of the actual M24′s used by the military snipers. The accuracy of this rifle definitely backs up that story. While my sniping abilities are still in development, I have talked to multiple owners of this rifle and seen many videos demonstrating the pinpoint accuracy of this rifle out to 600 and even 1,000+ yards. When I purchased my Remington 700 5R, I met a retired military sniper in the store as I was checking out. He told me that he had the exact same gun and routinely shoots less than dime-sized groups at over 600 yards. I also met a man at one of the shooting ranges I go to who owns the same gun. He actually has the same scope setup as mine, which was almost creepy to see an identical twin of my rifle. He told me that he sets up golf balls at 600 yards and puts on a show for people watching. These things are dead-on accurate. One thing that I will stress, which everyone over-stressed when I first purchased mine was BREAK THIS RIFLE IN PROPERLY. I will create a post on this shortly (Update: Here is the post for the barrel break in procedure), for those who do not know how to break in a rifle. Some people say it doesn’t matter. Do you really want to find out the hard way? Break it in!
Remington 700 5R: Summary
All in all, I love this gun. One modification that I will probably make to it is changing out the trigger. While it is very solid and works great, I would like to replace it with something that can be more of a feather-touch trigger. I have tried out a few other shooters’ Remington 700 5R’s with customized triggers and I love how sensetive they are. That is definitely a preference thing though, and not everyone will want to do that. In short, I would not have a problem recommending the Remington 700 5R to anyone looking for an amazing rifle!
Thanks for reading my review of the Remington 700 5R. I hope this was helpful for you!
Remington 597 Review
My Remington 597 Review: I picked up a Remington 597 last weekend at a big box outdoor store and got it out to the range yesterday for the first time. The first thing I will say in this review is that I love the look of this gun. Not all Remington 597′s look like mine, but one you see on this post is the one I got. It’s one of those guns that you are either going to think looks awesome or you are going to think it’s the most hideous thing in the world. I am in the first camp, obviously, since it ended up coming home with me!
When I went out to buy a .22 rifle, I thought I was going to get the nearly-iconic 10/22 from Ruger or something else in the $200 range. My goal was just to simply get something that was cheap to shoot to give me more practice. However, once I got to the store, they were out of the 10/22 and pretty much everything else under the sun. There was a Savage model and the Remington 597 to choose from. To be honest, even if the 10/22 had been there, this one still would have come home with me. For starters, it already reminded me of my Remington 700 5R – especially since it had the stainless steel barrel. I grabbed the Savage one first though and held it. It was a $200 gun, and felt like a $20 gun. It felt like it should have a florescent orange tip on it. Next, I was handed the 597 and it felt like it was made for me. That’s when you know you have picked the right gun. So, how did it perform? Let’s get on with the Remington 597 review!
Remington 597 Review: Simplicity
The 597 was very simple to operate. As most of my readers know, I am fairly new to shooting still. My only rifle experience thus far is a bolt action. This is a semi-automatic with a 10-round magazine. Doesn’t get much easier than that. Load it up and fire!
Remington 597 Review: Accuracy
When I brought it out the first time, it was extremely windy. I will be shooting it more in the future and even in indoor ranges to avoid outside factors to test it out. I can tell you though, that at 50 yards with wind and with me being a novice shooter, I was still getting quarter-sized groupings. An experienced shooter would most likely have just been putting bullets through the same hole at 50 yards. I am pleased with the accuracy of this.
Remington 597 Review: Price
I have seen my exact model online for just under $500. I paid a little more than that, because I bought it at a regular retail store. Some people are going to think that this is too much to pay for a .22, and I may have agreed with that a week ago. However, I never want to buy anything that is cheap in quality. Especially when it comes to guns, I expect my guns to last longer than I do. This is my 3rd gun purchase, and I have had the same mindset with all 3 of them. That mindset is “I want to be able to hand this down to my kids when they get older”. How much more true is that of a .22? It doesn’t get much more ideal for a “first gun” than a .22. So, what’s the difference with this one versus the $200 ones? Aside from the fact that it’s an American made Remington, it also has a stainless steel barrel. Stainless steel barrels are a big deal to me. Granted, we can all take care of our guns, regardless of what the barrel is made out of, but I have seen far too many rusty blued barrels to be convinced that those guns would last the long haul.
Remington 597 Review: Quality
Everything about this gun is top notch, with one exception. The magazine. If there was a better quality magazine in it, it would be 100% top quality. However, in the 60 rounds that I fired, I had a few misfires. I am currently searching out replacement magazines for it, but it seems like a pretty common problem. Trigger, barrel, stock, everything else has excellent build quality. The magazine is definitely the weakest link on this gun. I hope Remington steps up their game on the magazine for this. It would make it the perfect .22 in my opinion!
Remington 597 Review: Summary
In short, I would recommend this gun to anyone looking for a quality .22. Both of my rifles are Remington right now and I have been very pleased with both of them.
Hopefully this Remington 597 Review was helpful! Feel free to leave comments and questions!
Honing My Shooting Skills
Since my last hunting trip that didn’t go as well as I had hoped, I have been doing everything possible to get ready for my hunting trip to Texas Hunt Lodge this coming Friday. I don’t want to come home empty handed this time!
Last week, I went to the range with my brother-in-law and noticed that he was a way better shot than I was. This struck me as odd because, although I was a new shooter, I didn’t think he had any experience at all. In a conversation on the way home from the range, he told me that he had a BB gun growing up and probably shot a couple hundred THOUSAND rounds. Total, I had probably shot like 30 rounds (not including my break-in shooting). Through talking with him and my wife, and thinking about it, I realized that I needed to be shooting way more rounds than I have been if I was going to ever become a great shot.
So, last week, I went to the big box outdoor shop and picked up a Remington 597 .22 (Click Here for My Review) for “cheap target practice”. My ammo that I use for my .308 costs me about $2 everytime I pull the trigger which doesn’t exactly encourage me to shoot a lot! So, I figured a .22 and ammo at about 20 cents a shot would be much better!
So yesterday, with my new gun, I headed out to the range again and popped off about 60 rounds of .22. After that, I moved over to my .308 and shot some of my cheaper ammo through it. Even with crazy wind, I was shooting WAY better than my last time out. When I was shooting all of those rounds, I noticed some things I needed to adjust with how I pulled the trigger, which made a massive improvement on my consistency. I would have shot even more but, with the wind, shooting a .22 wasn’t really ideal. Those bullets are so light, I wasn’t getting much consistency at all. Thankfully the .308′s weigh significantly more!
Attached is my target from my last 10 rounds. I may not be a sniper yet, but I am now confident in my ability to hit my target consistently after my last time out yesterday.
I will continue to go out as much as possible and fire as many rounds as I possibly can to get even more comfortable with my shooting and learn from my own experiences.
Can’t wait until this weekend!
Best Shotgun
When it comes to buying a new shotgun, any type of hunter, new or old, wants to be able to buy the best shotgun for their money. There are so many different types of shotguns available these days and with hunting becoming more and more popular over time, different types of shotguns are showing up in gun shops all over the country. So it can be very difficult for many hunters to find the perfect shotgun to suit their own personal hunting needs as well as their budget plan.
I am new to the world of hunting and as a new hunter I want to be able to get my hands on the best equipment out there that will help me be successful in my hunting attempts. Based on the research that I have done, it is obvious that the amount of money that you pay out for a shotgun does not always reflect on the quality or the success that a hunter will have when using it. In order to find the best shotgun out there for a good price you will need to consider what you will be using the shotgun for and your own personal experience level. You will also need to consider the type of game you will be hunting the most so that you will spend your money wisely on the best shotgun that will suit all of your hunting interests.
If you ask some of the hunting experts that you know what they believe the best shotgun currently available on the market is, they will probably mention some of the most popular shotgun brands that are out there because those are the brands that they have used for many years. Going with a well-known brand is usually a good idea because these guns will typically have a very strong reputation for providing the hunter with excellent shooting accuracy, long lasting quality and beautiful craftsmanship.
Just keep in mind when buying a gun that you do not have to have all the costly extras in order to have an effective gun that will provide you with a successful hunting experience. A simple shotgun that is made by a well known manufacturer will usually provide a
hunter with many years of successful hunts while an expensive gun with all the bells and whistles may not even end up shooting accurately and cause you to miss out on killing that trophy buck you have had your eye on. Listen to the experts when it comes to buying the best shotgun for your money and go with a brand that has been around for generations over the latest new invention.
In order to find the best deal on a shotgun, you should take the time to do your own research and find out for yourself what others
have to say about a particular brand or model. There are plenty of customer review websites available where you can read up on reviews from other hunters so that you can narrow down your choices and find the best shotgun for your own hunting preferences as well as you personal budget.
Elk Hunting
Elk hunting is a wildly popular sport much like whitetail deer hunting that can provide you with an exciting occurrence no matter what level of hunting experience you may have. Experienced hunters will tell you that elk hunting is a very complex and demanding sport but it can also be fun and rewarding at the same time. Hunting in a rich elk habitat can be highly rewarding but it can also be difficult especially if you are not fully prepared. There are plenty of steps that you can take in order to make your elk hunting experience much easier and allow you to have a successful hunt. When you have the right type of equipment on hand and you know more about the techniques involved, elk hunting can actually be a less demanding hunting experience and something that you can truly enjoy. It may take a lot of trial and error in order to become a successful elk hunter but once you get the hang of this type of majestic hunting you are sure to enjoy it more and more each time you head out into the open field.
There are plenty of things to consider in order to make your first trip hunting elk a successful one. You will want to do decide if you would like to go at it alone or go on a trip with an elk hunting guide. Using a guide may be a more practical choice especially if you are a new hunter altogether. If you are planning on going elk hunting alone then you will need to scout out the area in order to find a good location where there will be plenty of elk present. This will help to ensure that you will spend less time searching for elk in the early morning hours and more time with your eyes on a trophy bull. Also, you will want to decide if you truly want to hunt for a trophy bull on your first elk hunting adventure or if you would be satisfied shooting a cow elk on your first elk hunting trip. This decision will help to determine some other key factors as well.
Make sure that your rifle is prepared for elk season by being sure that of its shooting accuracy and adjusting the sight so that it is in the correct position. You may want to visit a shooting range if it has been a while since you have shot your rifle or if you are new to shooting, taking the time to practice is always a good idea and will help to ensure that you will be fully prepared when the time comes to make the kill. You may also want to consider using a bow and arrow or a crossbow for your elk hunting trip especially if you will be visiting an area that has gun restrictions or if you are more comfortable using a bow and arrow or crossbow while hunting this large type of game. If you have used a bow while hunting whitetail deer in the past, you may want to consider using the same weaponry while hunting elk as well.
Hog Hunting
There is hardly a hunting experience that can be as fun, exciting and scary as hog hunting. According to those who take part in this sport on a regular basis, hog hunting is one of the most intriguing and unusual types of hunting that there is. I have yet to go on a hog hunting trip of my own but I am interested in finding out more about this unique form of hunting so I wanted to do a blog post on some of the basics that you need to know before you start out on a hog hunting adventure. Knowing a few basic tips is always essential when it comes to any type of hunting so here are a few details that may help other novice hunters enjoy their first hog hunting experience.
One of the main reasons why hog hunting is so popular is because this animal can provide you with a very exciting hunting experience. Hogs love to make the hunter chase them around and the actual hunt itself will require you to have a lot of skill and patience. However the thrill of the hunt is not the only reason why you should be interested in this type of hunting. Hogs are really dangerous animals and can cause a lot of damage to the areas they inhabit. They are notorious for killing other animals including dogs and can erode water holes, dig up roots and just cause a lot of damage overall. They are capable of attacking livestock and can cause a lot of damage to farm crops and fences. By hunting these animals you are helping to keep the population down which will help to put a limit to the amount of damage that wild hogs can do to an area. This will help to ensure that farmers will be able to keep their livestock safe and their farms in tact. So if you are planning on going hog hunting you may want to consider going to an area that has been hit by a large population of wild hogs recently so that you will be able to have a successful hunting experience and help out the local residents at the same time.
The best time to hunt for hogs would be at night time; this is the best possible time to catch the animals off guard. You will need to have a good hunting light on hand if you plan on going hog hunting at night so that you will be able to spot them before they see you. You also may want to consider going hunting with a trained dog which is a popular method for many experienced hunters. This can make your hunting experience much more enjoyable especially if you have a well trained dog by your side. It can also make it much easier to transport the hog to your home.
One of the best things about having a successful hunting experience is the freezer full of meat that you will have once all is said and done. You may want to find a good butcher or slaughtering company in your area before you go on a hog hunt so that you will already have a place lined up to take your kill.
Hunting Gear
Both new and experienced hunters can sometimes become overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right type of hunting gear for their own hunting expeditions. There is such a wide range of hunting gear products out there that it can be nearly impossible to know which products are essential to your hunting needs and which are not necessarily needed. As a new hunter who needs to stock up on hunting supplies it can be very difficult to walk into any outdoor supply store and find all of the hunting gear products that I need in one trip. That is why I like to do plenty of research before I go to make a purchase in order to make sure that I am buying the right gear. There are several essential hunting gear items that any hunter will need to own no matter what type of game they plan on hunting or what location they will be hunting in. Here are a few tips on how to choose the right type of hunting gear in order to get started hunting whitetail deer, small game or large predators.
Hunting is an outdoor activity that continues to grow in popularity and although it can be a very risky sport for anyone who gets involved with it, you can help to keep yourself and your hunting partners safe by having the correct type of hunting gear. Some essential hunting gear items that you will need to have include a large and heavy coat, quality fleece lined gloves, wool or wicking socks that will not draw in moisture and a good pair of waterproof boots. It is very important that you stay warm and dry while you are out hunting. The peak hunting season for most game will be during the cold winter months and it can be very easy to catch hypothermia while you are out hunting especially if you end up getting caught in the rain or if you have to cross over rivers or streams. So be sure to wear plenty of layers no matter what the temperature may be. If the weather is very mild then you can always remove a layer of clothing if you start to get uncomfortable from the heat.
Investing in a good pair of hunting boots will help you to keep your feet warm and dry at all times. It is best to look for boots that are waterproof so that you will not have to worry about any water seeping inside if you have to cross over some water or get caught in a rainstorm. Hiking through snow will also cause your feet to get wet and cold in a hurry if you do not have the right type of hunting boots on. A good pair of wicking socks is also a hunting gear must have item. These socks are designed to wick away moisture and will help to keep your feet dry even if you are not wearing waterproof boots. You should pick up a few pair the next time you are shopping at your local outdoor supply store in order to protect your feet from moisture and cold temperatures.
Coyote Hunting
Coyote hunting has recently grown in popularity in the United States due to the rise of population of coyotes in many areas and also because it is simply an exciting pastime that has a lot to offer both new and experienced hunters. Hunting large predators like coyotes is a completely new and different experience from hunting small game, fowl and whitetail deer. But as with any type of hunting, there is a lot that you will need to know before you get started in order to have a successful coyote hunting experience. It is a good idea to learn about the basic strategies that go along with coyote hunting as well as find out as much as you can about the equipment that is most commonly used, the weaponry that most coyote hunters prefer and some other basic information that you need to know when it comes to hunting predators.
In order to be successful when it comes to coyote hunting you will need to understand the importance of scouting. Basically you can not lure a coyote into your area unless you are in a location where coyotes are readily available to hunt. So you will need to first of all scout out an area in order to find out if it is a good location where coyotes are available. In order to do this you will need to look around for recent coyote tracks and scat that will indicate that there are plenty of coyote in the area. Be aware of the areas where you see the most coyote action so that you will know what area you should return to in the future when you are ready to hunt. You can also look for areas that have a lot of coyote prey present such as rabbits, prairie dogs, mice or deer. If there are plenty of animals present that coyote like to eat, then you are sure to find coyotes to hunt in the area as well.
The way that you position yourself or set up is important when it comes to having a successful coyote hunting experience. You will need to pay a lot of attention to the direction that the wind is blowing in. You should not ignore the fact that a coyote has a strong sense of smell and when you set up in a good hunting location you should position yourself so that the wind is either blowing directly in your face or you are in a crosswind position. Coyotes will oftentimes circle downwind in order to gain a scent advantage. So therefore the experts say that the ideal set up for coyote hunting would be in a crosswind position where you are also in an open area that is downwind so that you will be able to clearly spot any coyotes that may be circling around your position.
I have yet to go on a coyote hunting trip myself but it is an experience that I look forward to pursuing in the future. Being able to kill a large predator like a coyote is something that any type of hunter is sure to remember and share with others for a very long time and that is why I would like to learn as much as I can about the techniques and strategies that I should use when it comes to hunting these large and dangerous predators in the wild.
Duck Hunting
Duck hunting can be a very challenging outdoor sport to take part in but at the same time it is easy enough for anyone to learn if they want to take the time to do so. As a new hunter I am interested in learning about the many different types of hunting and I have heard that duck hunting is one of the most enjoyable ways to take part in the great outdoors. This sport can provide you with a new and complex hunting experience that is very different from hunting whitetail bucks and small game. I wanted to find out some more information on the basics of duck hunting so I took to the internet to look up some duck hunting tips for beginners like myself and wanted to share these tips with my blog readers.
As with any type of hunting, the type of clothing that you wear is very important when it comes to duck hunting. The right type of hunting attire can make all of the difference on whether or not you have a successful hunt. Plus you will be spending a lot of time near the water so you will need to be fully prepared with wading boots and other clothing that will help you navigate through marshes, ponds and rivers. Investing in a good water fowler parka that is made out of a strong material such as gortex, windproof or waterproof material will help out a lot. You will want to find a parka that is made from lightweight materials which are insulated. It is a good idea to find a parka with a detachable lining if possible and a hood that will allow you to remove layers if needed once the temperature starts to rise. You will also want to buy a good pair of fleece lined gloves in order to keep your hands and wrists from freezing while you are out in the cold temperatures setting up decoys near the water.
As far as what type of shotgun to consider when it comes to duck hunting, many experts will agree that you should go with a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun. The chamber for this type of gun will hold enough shells in order to make your hunt a success and the action of the semi-automatic will allow you to get in a second or third shot if necessary without having to constantly reload. You may also want to try a 20 gauge semi automatic which is a much lighter weapon and can be just as effective as long as you are not hunting for large or long range fowl. If you are not planning on hunting anything much larger than a mallard then it would be perfectly fine to use a 20 gauge semi-automatic. There are also plenty of duck hunting experts who say that a pump action shotgun is your best bet. They are inexpensive and the action of these guns can sometimes be more reliable than many of your semi-automatic weapons.
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