Nope, Steve-O, doesn't surprise me a bit. You probably shoot more rounds during the season than most folks do for the life of their rifles, and I don't doubt that you can shoot the difference between your barrels and the $15 Remchester tubes on a new stick. I'm willing to wager that the first practice session puts 50 to 100 rounds through the bore? By that time, I think your barrel is probably broken in even if you don't mean to.
Since most barrels will undergo this process regardless of the intentions, I'm gonna side with the non-elaborate break-in folks. I still don't think that it's as potentially damaging as many shooters say it is, but I agree that a long, laborious process isn't warranted. I'll give some anecdotal support for, as Gale put it, cleaning well after every group;
My first "real" rifle was an loaded M1A, NM barrel, yadda. Went through Sinclair's break-in routine...
shoot 1 and clean X 2;
shoot 2 and clean X 2;
clean with Sweets;
shoot 3 and clean X 4;
clean with Sweets;
shoot 3 and clean X 4;
clean with Sweets;
(30 total shots through the bore)
shoot 5 and clean X 3;
clean with Sweets;
shoot 5 and clean X 3;
clean with Sweets;
(60 total shots through the bore)
shoot 5-7 shots and clean ;
clean with Sweets perform the last two steps to 100 total shots through the bore. (And, yes, Art...I did this during the New Moon)
Took at least two trips to the range, a couple of weeks and the thing still fouled like a bear and gave me shotgun patterns, (alot of it was my fault...'nother story). In fact, I don't think I shot that rifle much more until I sold it.
Next came an ADL in 30.06, w/ a sporter barrel. Bought used, and I don't think it was shot more than a few hundred rounds before I got hold of it. Gets some darn impressive sub MOA groups with handloads, but it fouls something fierce. Removing the copper is a multi-day exercise.
Finally get a VS in .308. I want to treat this one right, so I look at Remington's website for some guidance. Doesn't seem too bad, something like shoot one and clean for 5, shoot 3 and clean for 2, good to go from there. 'Course, when I get to the range, I forget about all this stuff since I was going to get the scope sighted in and check out some loads. And since I'm a big believer in an accurate CBS, I shoot one, adjust the scope, and clean out the bore. Finally get on target in 3 or 4 shots, then I move to checking some loads. I wanted to give every load a fighting chance and assess the CBS so I cleaned after every 5 shot group. I think I checked maybe 4 or 5 loads that day.
I've found that the VS doesn't powder or copper foul nearly as much as the ADL. But I didn't INTENTIONALLY go out to do any sort of ritualistic process, or follow the manufacturer's advice. That's just the way it worked out.
Do I believe in Sinclair's process, no. Too time consuming, costs too much in supplies and effort, and the results are spurious and suspect. Do I believe in intentionally performing some kind of ritual, no. I believe that hunters need to know where their CBS is going. A fouled barrel can give false POI's and cost you game. And the only way to find this out is to clean after your groups. It isn't intentional, isn't really ritualistic, but it does appear to be a "break-in" of sorts.
So, all anecdotal evidence aside, go out, adjust your scope for a CBS, and clean between groups. You'll be performing this alleged break-in, following the manufacturers advice, and actually getting some work done at the same time. It was just so much easier to say "follow the manufacturer's advice".
BTW, has anyone seen 45R lately??
FWIW,
S.
