How to break in a new Ruger barrel?

[Steel Striker]

Greetings;

I acquired 2 (new) New Vaquero's, blued, 5.5" and have read some thoughts on Beartooth Bullets site re: barrel break-in.   I intend using hardcast lead exclusively, no jacketed pills.

Anxiously awaiting comments from those intelligent shooters guided by experience.  What say you sages? 

Wally

[Trailrider]

Just shoot it! Unless you are planning to "Elmer Keith" some big game at 600 yds, the barrel isn't going to need any break-in! And even then, I doubt you could shoot any better than the barrelled gun right from the box!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Shoot it & clean regularly and in about 50 years it will be broken in

[PJ Hardtack]

"Barrel break in", rifle or pistol, is one of those current gun myths. It does successfully market a lot of gun cleaning tools and products, however. "Rifle" magazine author John Barsness did an article refuting it. Other authors have similarly debunked it.

Some barrel makers void their warranty if they find out you used any of the various compounds and techniques being promoted. Their advice: just don't over heat the barrel when new and clean with proper technique as necessary to remove copper/lead fouling.

I've watched a guy at the range going through the ritual of 'X' number of rds followed by a timed cooling period, then a bore scrubbing, followed by another round of "Y" number of rds, more bore scrubbing with the magic elixir, repeated ad nauseam. He couldn't shoot fer sh!t, but he was having fun with his new toy and believed that he was doing all he could to take care of it.

I clean my pistol bores when accuracy drops off and my high power rifle barrels after 100-200 rds. I don't own a magnoon and only shoot at standard velocities. I expect my barrels to outlast me.
Read an article review of a new .223 varmint rifle where the author fired 300 rds without cleaning. It was shooting better at the end of the test than at the beginning.
I've known target rifle shooters (a superstitious crowd) that cleaned at the end of the season. Go figure .....

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

PJ;  I have heard the "Pot Hunters" talk about each pass of the cleaning patch or jag as removing another bullseye from the barrel.

[Mustang Gregg]

I've never broken-in any auto pistol or six-gun barrels. 

I have done a break-in procedure to some varmint rifle barrels and NRA high power match barrels. 
I'm not sure it really was worth the hassles, though. 

MG

[Blackfoot]

Get a bunch of ammo and shoot it.  Clean the barrel every 3 or 4 months if it needs it.

Lafitte

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

I broke my Rugers in by going to CAS shoots and shooting them.   

[Jayhawker]

Barrel break in is , for all intents and purposes a myth....just shoot the darn thing and enjoy yourself...