Barrel break in/load development

powdergun

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He's a question for you fellas. You have a new gun and you are in the process of breaking it in. Considering the prices of components and/or ammo you want to economize. So the question is:

While breaking in can you also be shooting for groups and have valid data ?

I know that groups will improve with proper break in but will the best groups during the break in be the best groups after ?

Just thinking that this may be a way to reduce the number of shots used for development of a load. two birds with one stone etc....
 
The key is you have to be sure and inform your gun when you are breaking it in, as opposed to when you are just shoting it.
Also, be sure and tell it when break in is complete, so it can then act as a normal rifle.
 
With new hunting rifles, I generally fire three, well spaced shots, being careful not to heat up the barrel. Then I clean and repeat this procedure for the first couple boxes of ammo. Wizardry? Smoke & Mirrors? Snakeoil? Who knows. It's just what I do, your mileage may vary.
 
I always break-in my new riflescopes by repeatedly fogging up the glass and then wiping it off. Makes a big difference,

Patrick
 
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Use your break in for pressure testing. Work up to where you want to be speed wise. Then shoot groups after your finished your break in. I've never been one for the one shot and kleen, though I do shoot sets of three for a while. My guns shoot and clean up easy.
 
The key is you have to be sure and inform your gun when you are breaking it in, as opposed to when you are just shoting it.
Also, be sure and tell it when break in is complete, so it can then act as a normal rifle.

Well put. This right here is the quote of the week fellas. :D:DLMAO!
 
OK, now don't you guys tell anyone and I'll let you in on a little secret. Won't tell? It is how barrel break in got started.
It is at a gun writers convention and the theme for that evening is, "What the hell are we going to write about next?"
One little guy with thick glasses stands up and says, "We could write about barrel break in." When the roars of laughter quieted down, he went on to explain. "No, it's an ideal thing to write about. We can come up with as many theories of how to do it as anyone can think of. It's new, no one else has written about it and the guys reading it out there, who think they know everything about rifles, will take over and give the subject legs to go on. The best part of the whole thing is no one can prove it is right or wrong. We can't be wrong about it!"
This time there was genuine applause from the room full of gun writers.
The chairman rose and said, "Casper, I think you've got somethnig there. Everybody in favour of making barrel break in our new theme to write about?" "Carried."
 
I think H4831 hit the nail on the head.

That said, if you are cleaning after every shot, you may not be getting valid accuracy data because many rifles require at least one fouling shot.
 
The key is you have to be sure and inform your gun when you are breaking it in, as opposed to when you are just shoting it.
Also, be sure and tell it when break in is complete, so it can then act as a normal rifle.

Never quite heard it put that well, I agree, quote of the week.:dancingbanana:
 
OK, now don't you guys tell anyone and I'll let you in on a little secret. Won't tell? It is how barrel break in got started.
It is at a gun writers convention and the theme for that evening is, "What the hell are we going to write about next?"
One little guy with thick glasses stands up and says, "We could write about barrel break in." When the roars of laughter quieted down, he went on to explain. "No, it's an ideal thing to write about. We can come up with as many theories of how to do it as anyone can think of. It's new, no one else has written about it and the guys reading it out there, who think they know everything about rifles, will take over and give the subject legs to go on. The best part of the whole thing is no one can prove it is right or wrong. We can't be wrong about it!"
This time there was genuine applause from the room full of gun writers.
The chairman rose and said, "Casper, I think you've got somethnig there. Everybody in favour of making barrel break in our new theme to write about?" "Carried."

lol!!
 
The advice the rest of the guys have given is accurate.But you may find if you have a rough barrel,it may take more than one shot to foul it up enough to shoot well.(20 or more) So cleaning to see how smooth it may be worth well. After that cleaning should be done when accuracy drops off.
 
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