Barrel Brake In - Yea or Nay?

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I went to Cabella's this afternoon and ended up walking out with a Savage 10T-SR in 6.5 Creedmoor. I can't wait to shoot it!

Now I have owned a lot of rifles over the years and never did the whole shoot and clean over and over barrel break in. I've always wondered, is this break in necessary? I have heard yes and no from some folks but no one that I would consider an overly qualified source.

Should I go through the whole break in process or should I just go out and shoot?
 
Also did it with my 10TR, but kept it simple.
Clean before start
1 shot clean, 2 shot clean, 3 shot clean, 4 shot clean, 5 shot clean, done

First shot had a bit of metal shavings come out, very subtle but still.
I average 0.6 moa with the 10tr, with a few 0.4-0.5 moa surprise groups, am also in 175gr. what do you use? You can reply PM if you wish since it isn't the topic here
 
I don’t think anyone claims that Break-in (BI) contributes to “accuracy”. Suggest you go to the Kreiger website >Frequently asked questions > barrel break in .... and see what they say. It is possible they have invested a bit more in R & D than most of those giving testimonials?
 
some need it, some not so much. best is to follow manufacturer's instructions. lots of theories our there mostly put out by some who have never looked in a borecope

a single point cut unlapped will build copper like hell if not breaked in properly but I would be surprised it makes much difference on a hammer forged barrel
 
JES is right on - Krieger is the most winning barrel maker in the world and has been around a long time. It would be wise to listen to what they say.

Regards,

Peter
 
10TR owner here aswell. At the time I first purchased my Savage I was unaware of any benefit to breaking in a barrel. Never "properly" broke it in. Cleaned after the first couple sets of rounds with a bore snake and its been a great shooter over the past 2 years. As my interest grew for firearms I had collected info from other members in the community of what there is to break in a barrel and all seem to have there own way of doing so. When it comes to a new firearm the way I go about it is this.

Strip it down, clean everything, lubricate, go to the range and shoot 3 rounds through it, run a patch w/ sweets 7.62 barrel cleaning solvent through it (x2), run a patch of solvent though (x2), run a patch of light lubricant such as G96 though and then another dry patch. Repeat until there is no sign of copper traces/ purple on the patches ( this is ammonia breaking down the left over copper.)

People will run 3 rounds /1 round /5 rounds. I just decided to do what I felt was right. With my most recent "break in" I am shooting the same hole with Barnaul and Norinco 7.62x39 @ 100yrd, a 8" gong at 250yrd w/ an Aimpoint red dot 14/15 shots. This is out of a Ruger Ranch.
 
Companies like Krieger, don't they lap their barrels at the factory?

And companie like savage, i'm sure nothing is done. Without going into a benchrest lapping break in routine, a simple copper break in routine couldn't hurt
 
If you think enough of a new BBL. why not take the time to do the "shoot 1 clean" break in method when the option is there.
I do find that compared to guns that I know have not been broken in, they at least clean up much easier from copper fouling.
 
I just clean before use the every 300 rounds as accuracy drops off. Did that with a loather Walter match barrel, first day out 3 shots in one hole.
 
Over the last year I've adopted a new to me barrel break in procedure, although some br shooters will know or have used something similar. New barrel + flitz/ jb paste + a couple hundred times on a mop in and out..... voila.

Works great. Reduced fouling, cleans way easier than bores I haven't treated this way. Ymmv.
 
Also did it with my 10TR, but kept it simple.
Clean before start
1 shot clean, 2 shot clean, 3 shot clean, 4 shot clean, 5 shot clean, done

First shot had a bit of metal shavings come out, very subtle but still.
I average 0.6 moa with the 10tr, with a few 0.4-0.5 moa surprise groups, am also in 175gr. what do you use? You can reply PM if you wish since it isn't the topic here

I do much the same as the above poster.
 
Never did a barrel break in procedure with my 44 and 45-70 lever action but when I bought my Rem700 308 sps tactical I used 20 rounds for the barrel break in and sighted in my scope.
1 shot clean 10 times. Then did 2 shot clean twice then 3 shot clean twice and sighted in the scope at the same time. Last shot was a fouler for a total of 21 rounds.

I'm happy with my results with the cheap blue box factory federal 150 gr ammo.
 
In all these brake in procedures always say sight in your scope while doing it. Never could figure out how it takes 20 rounds to sight in a gun. Never done a brake in and my rifles have no problem producing results
 
Officially, if the breaking proedure is not needed, there is no problem about doing it anyway. But the real problem is: We do more damage in the cleaning operation than everything else... It takes a good bore guide and a fibre cleaning rod as a minimum!
Bore snake should be thrown away, as an gunsmith told me. Should be used only once and just for dust removal in emergency situation...

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