New Rifle Barrel Break-in for Accuracy?

[Dwesson]

Even Nosler recommends a similar procedure to mine...
Custom Rifle Barrel Break-In Procedure
as does Browning...
What is the recommended procedure for breaking in a new barrel?

A barrel manufacturer that makes money off you buying barrels recommends a procedure that shortens the life of your barrel by getting you to shoot it more. Ok.

I wonder how many rounds they recommend to do load development..

I'd like to see some testing on barrels broken in with their procedure vs not to support their argument that (From Nosler's website):

"However, this hard work results in a barrel that shoots better, and is significantly faster and easier to clean over its working life."

They literally make barrels, this should be easy to prove for them and at the very list the second claim (faster barrel) EASILY measured regardless of shooter.

 

[G8rHunter]

Nah, the OCD comment was made in reply to another poster. (Note: I am bad with housecleaning).

Again, disregarding break-in... The problem: lead/copper fouling. What is it? It's when the bullet passes down the bore and the lands and grooves cause material to build up in the barrel. IMO primarily in the grooves. When "stuff" builds up on the lands, it increases the deformation of the bullet, decreasing accuracy. When "stuff" builds up in the grooves, it can cause the edges to be not as effective, decreasing accuracy. How often will that happen? Depends on the barrel, the barrel material, the shooting/cleaning routine at the range, and on the individual loads used.

Since I'm lazy, I clean my .22lr when I feel like it. Which might be at the end of the season, or might be when it starts to be even less accurate then it already is. I clean my varmint rifles every time I come home. And my hunting rifles get cleaned before verifying zero every year. YMMV

So... the decision is made then. I'd say we can stop talking about this then, but that NEVER happens. We're like a bunch of old wimen around here. (No offense to the OldBroad contingent!!!)

You often remind me of Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove, "Well, I'm glad I ain't scared to be lazy." When it comes to house chores, I may be lazier than most; or maybe I'm representative of the typical male!

 

[G8rHunter]

A barrel manufacturer that makes money off you buying barrels recommends a procedure that shortens the life of your barrel by getting you to shoot it more. Ok.

I wonder how many rounds they recommend to do load development..

I'd like to see some testing on barrels broken in with their procedure vs not to support their argument that:

"However, this hard work results in a barrel that shoots better, and is significantly faster and easier to clean over its working life."

They literally make barrels, this should be easy to prove for them and at the very list the second claim (faster barrel) EASILY measured regardless of shooter.

I don't see where following this break-in procedure greatly reduces the life of the barrel. As I understand it, the strict methodology is for 100 rounds. If it's going to make my gun more accurate, I'm all for being a better shot!!!

 

[Mooseman]

You should do this anytime you clean a gun so you minimize damage to the crown.



Your groups shrink as the copper jacket fills in imperfections in your rifling. This isn't "break in". You can experience this joy over and over again if you use a copper solvent that strips copper like Sweets or Butch's Bore shine.



Yes, but cleaning your barrel after every shot, overy other shot, every 3 shots, every 5 shots if the moon is waxing but only ever 2 shots when it's waning until 20, 30 or 100 shots total is all nonsense. What you just described can be accomplished by shooting the rifle.

I've owned a Krieger, Bartlein, White Oak, and Shilen. My break in procedure is to shoot them. They all group well if I do my part.

Put me in the barrel break in is voodoo camp.

Actually you are doing a final polish "burnishing" when you break a barrel in , it stops the fouling tendency for copper to grab onto the microscopically rough surface, copper does NOT fill the imperfections once the polishing is complete and you have a barrel that fouls less and cleans much easier if its properly broken in. I build custom rifles and I know what works for me and My Customers.
I use bore snakes now exclusively since it speeds up the process and then I can wash them and reuse em over and over. 1 pull = 120 patches and i use a spray solvent on the brush area .

 

[Dwesson]

I don't see where following this break-in procedure greatly reduces the life of the barrel. As I understand it, the strict methodology is for 100 rounds. If it's going to make my gun more accurate, I'm all for being a better shot!!!

That depends on your caliber. Take a look how many rounds you get out of a hot rodded .243 or 6.5-284 for competition's sake. A barrel that has maybe 2K rounds worth of life in it before needing to be set back and you want to use 100rds to "break it in" and how many more for load development?

 

[G8rHunter]

Actually you are doing a final polish "burnishing" when you break a barrel in , it stops the fouling tendency for copper to grab onto the microscopically rough surface, copper does NOT fill the imperfections once the polishing is complete and you have a barrel that fouls less and cleans much easier if its properly broken in. I build custom rifles and I know what works for me and My Customers.
I use bore snakes now exclusively since it speeds up the process and then I can wash them and reuse em over and over. 1 pull = 120 patches and i use a spray solvent on the brush area .

Fella's, I don't know about you, but I like this Moose man guy!

 

[Kruel J]

Actually you are doing a final polish "burnishing" when you break a barrel in , it stops the fouling tendency for copper to grab onto the microscopically rough surface, copper does NOT fill the imperfections once the polishing is complete and you have a barrel that fouls less and cleans much easier if its properly broken in. I build custom rifles and I know what works for me and My Customers.
I use bore snakes now exclusively since it speeds up the process and then I can wash them and reuse em over and over. 1 pull = 120 patches and i use a spray solvent on the brush area .

So if you're not soaking the bore to remove copper during your break in process, exactly what are you doing to help the process? Cleaning out carbon fouling? A boresnake isn't going to remove much copper, if any at all. Doesn't make sense to me........

 

[Dwesson]

Actually you are doing a final polish "burnishing" when you break a barrel in , it stops the fouling tendency for copper to grab onto the microscopically rough surface, copper does NOT fill the imperfections once the polishing is complete and you have a barrel that fouls less and cleans much easier if its properly broken in. I build custom rifles and I know what works for me and My Customers.
I use bore snakes now exclusively since it speeds up the process and then I can wash them and reuse em over and over. 1 pull = 120 patches and i use a spray solvent on the brush area .

If that were true your groups wouldn't open back up after using a copper solvent, then close back up after a series of fouling shots. This happens on a barrel that's been "broken in" using some elaborate procedure, or not.

 

[Kruel J]

Fella's, I don't know about you, but I like this Moose man guy!

This topic isn't about who likes who. It's about facts vs myths.

 

[bbbass]

You often remind me of Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove, "Well, I'm glad I ain't scared to be lazy." When it comes to house chores, I may be lazier than most; or maybe I'm representative of the typical male!

Ah, one of my favorite mini-series and the best character besides the pretty young blond (the gal).

Uh oh, your sexism is showing. I think the millenials are changing all that... gonna clean up the entire planet too. I can't wait till they get to Russia and China, gonna have a slight chore there! LMAO

 

[Mooseman]

A barrel manufacturer that makes money off you buying barrels recommends a procedure that shortens the life of your barrel by getting you to shoot it more. Ok.

I wonder how many rounds they recommend to do load development..

I'd like to see some testing on barrels broken in with their procedure vs not to support their argument that (From Nosler's website):

"However, this hard work results in a barrel that shoots better, and is significantly faster and easier to clean over its working life."

They literally make barrels, this should be easy to prove for them and at the very list the second claim (faster barrel) EASILY measured regardless of shooter.

I can assure you that breaking a barrel in does NOT decrease its life expectancy it may actually maintain accuracy over a longer period of time , but that also depends on the ammo used, the velocity of said ammo, the bullets used, and how much you heat aand cool the barrel. I learned a LONG , LONG time ago the ABC's of Guns. A affects B which affects C !

 

[G8rHunter]

Ah, one of my favorite mini-series and the best character besides the pretty young blond (the gal).

Uh oh, your sexism is showing. I think the millenials are changing all that... gonna clean up the entire planet too. I can't wait till they get to Russia and China, gonna have a slight chore there! LMAO

"Lorie, darlin'!"

 

[G8rHunter]

I can assure you that breaking a barrel in does NOT decrease its life expectancy it may actually maintain accuracy over a longer period of time , but that also depends on the ammo used, the velocity of said ammo, the bullets used, and how much you heat aand cool the barrel. I learned a LONG , LONG time ago the ABC's of Guns. A affects B which affects C !

Damn, I love an argument that remains civil!!!

 

[Mooseman]

If that were true your groups wouldn't open back up after using a copper solvent, then close back up after a series of fouling shots. This happens on a barrel that's been "broken in" using some elaborate procedure, or not.

Hate to tell you , but after cleaning, and firing 1 cold shot , my barrels go right to shooting cloverleafs , they don't "open up".

 

[Dwesson]

I can assure you that breaking a barrel in does NOT decrease its life expectancy it may actually maintain accuracy over a longer period of time , but that also depends on the ammo used, the velocity of said ammo, the bullets used, and how much you heat aand cool the barrel. I learned a LONG , LONG time ago the ABC's of Guns. A affects B which affects C !

This makes no sense. Breaking in a barrel requires shooting it. Shooting it causes wear on the throat. Thus shooting a rifle for "break in" causes wear.

All the rest about velocity, ammo makes sense.

 

[Dwesson]

Hate to tell you , but after cleaning, and firing 1 cold shot , my barrels go right to shooting cloverleafs , they don't "open up".

Great, who makes your barrels?

 

[Mooseman]

Fella's, I don't know about you, but I like this Moose man guy!

Thank You ! Ever get down to SE Oklahoma look me up and we will go shooting at the range across the road from my Ranch !
Rich

 

[Mister Bisley]

This topic isn't about who likes who. It's about facts vs myths.

Actually, it's about opinions. Show me scientific data that backs up the notion that breaking in the barrel is bad and make me a believer. Links that are someone's point of view or opinion don't count.

If breaking in a barrel is a myth, why do bench rest shooters do it?

 

[G8rHunter]

This topic isn't about who likes who. It's about facts vs myths.

My point exactly--gunsmith and competition shooter who knows more than most about the inside of guns! Aren't we talking about a break-in period of 100 rounds, and then regular cleaning of the rifle bore? Or is there more to it?

 

[G8rHunter]

Thank You ! Ever get down to SE Oklahoma look me up and we will go shooting at the range across the road from my Ranch !
Rich

Lived in Ardmore about 40 years ago.