This is my general procedure for non chrome lined bores:

Quite a few gun professionals recommend that the barrel of most guns be "Broken-in". The main reason is that after manufacturing the dimensions are at their closest tolerance or sometimes known as "tight". There may also be small rough spots and imperfections in the bore left from the machining process.

Because of the tightness of the bore you will tend to get more lead or copper fouling than you will after the first 50 rounds or so. Keep in mind this is a very general description and you may wish to contact the manufacturer of your firearm to see if they have any recommended procedures.

Always use quality ammunition. For the sake of consistency use the same ammunition for the entire break-in period. This is not to say that a different ammunition may not perform better, just to say that the break-in process should not be the time for experimentation with ammo. However, it may be a good time to start the zeroing of adjustable open sites or that new scope.

Each time you clean the bore, do a thorough job. Run a wet solvent patch with the appropriate size jag down the bore. Run a wet solvent brush through the bore several times. Run a dry patch through the bore. Run another wet solvent patch through the bore, then dry patch till clean. Run one more wet oil patch to lube the bore. Never fire a dry bore, it will greatly increase copper fouling.

The use of a little JB compound is probably a good idea, especially if the bore appears rougher than some of the expensive mirror finish bores you find on more expensive guns. When using JB compound, you want to "scrub" the bore. That is, work the patch with the coupound on it up and down the bore several times. The use of a bore guide will make this easier. You should use one anyway to make sure the cleaning rod stays centered in the bore and doesn't come in contact with the rifling.

1. The first step is to clean the gun before your first round is fired. You will be surprised at the amount of dust and packaging material that can accumulate in the bore of new guns.

2. Fire ONE (1) round then clean the bore again.

2. Repeat this process (one round then clean) for rounds 2 to 10.

3. For rounds 11 to 25 fire THREE (3) rounds before cleaning.

4. For rounds 26 to 50 fire FIVE (5) rounds before cleaning.

5. For rounds 51 to 100 fire TEN (10) rounds before cleaning.

This process will season and smooth the bore, resulting in easier cleaning and greater accuracy.

After 100 rounds your barrel should be adequately broken-in and you are ready for final zeroing and then a little experimentation with ammunition.

Les Baer's non-chrome barrel breakin procedure:

A new barrel will shoot best if careful attention is given to proper break-in. Differing opinions exist as to what constitutes proper break-in, however, we recommend that no more than 20 rounds be fired at one time before cleaning the barrel - for the first 60 rounds.Each time the barrel is cleaned for the first 120 rounds, it must be thoroughly cleaned, removing all traces of copper and fouling.

(Ed. Note: these barrels are extremely high quality barrels that have much smoother bores than a typical rifle and this is probably why you can get away with this procedure rather than the far more intensive one above).

Recommended procedure for thorough cleaning: In all cases it is vital that cleaning tools (brushes, patches, etc.) be pushed from the breech toward the muzzle and then removed from the rod at the muzzle end. DO NOT drag anything back through the muzzle.

Clean the bore with a good bore cleaner.
Decopper the bore with a copper solvent.
Clean the bore again with JB Bore Cleaner paste as follows;
1. Work the JB paste into a new patch.
2. Wrap the patch around a worn bore brush.
3. Push it through the bore for ten strokes. Replace the patch every five strokes.
4. Run a dry patch then an oil patch if storing the rifle.
After the barrel is broken in , clean the bore immediately after each shooting session.
Decopper the barrel every 300-400 rounds.
Clean the bore every 1,000 rounds with JB Bore Cleaner.

Bushmaster's recommendations for stainless steel barrels:

Start by firing one shot and cleaning the barrel. Do this five times. Fouling between shots should be reduced. If no improvement in fouling is seen then fire one shot and clean barrel for five more times. Then fire a string of three shots before cleaning barrel. Repeat this five times. After that fire a string of five shots before cleaning barrel. Repeat this five times. This should be enough to "polish" out the barrel so that it will have good accuracy and cleaning will be easier. Recommended procedure for thorough cleaning: In all cases it is vital that cleaning tools (brushes, patches, etc.) be pushed from the breech toward the muzzle and then removed from the rod at the muzzle end. DO NOT drag anything back through the muzzle. Clean the bore with a good bore solvent and patch dry. Run an oil patch through the barrel if putting the rifle up for any length of time.

Bushmaster's recommendations for non-chrome lined, non-stainless steel barrels:

Identical to Les Baer's instructions above.

Bushmaster's recommendations for chrome lined bores:

After firing a couple hundred rounds, the chrome lining will "polish out" from its light, flat gray, factory-new look to a brightly reflective, polished appearance. During this break-in period, excessive cleaning with solvent or brush should be avoided as that will only prolong the time (and number of rounds) it takes to achieve the final "bullet polishing" of the barrel.

Browning's recommendations for non-chrome lined bores:

For the first ten shots we recommend, if possible, using jacketed bullets with a nitro powder load. After firing each bullet, use a good copper cleaner (one that has ammonia) to remove copper fouling in the barrel. We do NOT recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated. If you look into the end of the barrel after firing a shot, you will see a light copper-colored wash in the barrel. This must be removed before firing the next shot. Somewhere in the procedure, around shot 6 or 7, it will be obvious that the copper color is no longer appearing in the barrel. Continue applications through shot 10.

If you have any ammunition left, you then may shoot two rounds and clean it for the next ten shots. This is simply insurance that the burnishing process has been completed.

In theory what you have just accomplished is the closing of the pores of the barrel metal which have been opened and exposed through the cutting and lapping procedures.

The same process may be used with firing lead bullets and black powder to do the break-in procedure with the exception that in this case you should shoot 2 bullets before cleaning for the first 30 rounds. You could use harder lead if available. This will accelerate the break-in. This will accomplish the same thing as the jacketed bullets.

After following the procedure, your barrel's interior surface will be sealed and should shoot cleaner and develop less fouling for the rest of its shooting life.

Here is a link to Kreiger Barrels Break-In and Cleaning instructions

Happy shooting
Midiman