barrel break in
- Thread starter disker
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There are many views on this subject. While your experience may not be the same as mine, I'll say not to expect that during the shoot clean, shoot clean process to establish much accuracy. The accuracy on my 300WM seemed to come after at least 3 fouling shots.
Have you got good cleaning equipment, like a bore guide and one piece rod? I'd say that's essential to minimizing the chance of damage during the cleaning process.
Have you got good cleaning equipment, like a bore guide and one piece rod? I'd say that's essential to minimizing the chance of damage during the cleaning process.
Talk about a controversial topic.I clean after every shot for six shots,then after every three for another nine shots or so.Then I clean normally.As has previously been mentioned,it is more important what you use to clean the barrel,and how you clean the barrel.I use a bore guide,a one piece cleaning rod and a good copper solvent,as well as a powder solvent.Don't let anyone near the barrel with one of those cheap multi piece aluminum rods,as they flex and rub on the rifling.
Talk about, "Old women's tales," as we are prone to call the more weirder stories that have gone the rounds of yore, "Breaking in a new barrel," by a system of shoot, clean, shoot clean, every shot, oops, every third shot, should be on the top of the list!
No one will ever convince me this is any different than just shooting the damn thing and give it normal cleaning. If you are a competitive bench rest shooter you likely will have your new barrel lapped before you shoot it, but most everyone else just shoots it. After a time it will be more polished than it was when it came out of the factory, but whether this improves accuracy is highly debatable. The bigger worry seems to be how much can it be shot before it starts to lose its gilt edge accuracy.
If you want to improve the accuracy of your new rifle it is of far greater importance to have it properly bedded.
OK guys, have your fun!
No one will ever convince me this is any different than just shooting the damn thing and give it normal cleaning. If you are a competitive bench rest shooter you likely will have your new barrel lapped before you shoot it, but most everyone else just shoots it. After a time it will be more polished than it was when it came out of the factory, but whether this improves accuracy is highly debatable. The bigger worry seems to be how much can it be shot before it starts to lose its gilt edge accuracy.
If you want to improve the accuracy of your new rifle it is of far greater importance to have it properly bedded.
OK guys, have your fun!
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- British Canuckistan
there indeed is a lot of talk about how to break in a barrel. I'm currently reading the Field & Stream Rifle Maintenance Handbook by Chris Christian ( http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books...79781599210001%27&sterm=9781599210001+-+Books ) and these are his basic thoughts.
shooting round after round will only weld lead & copper to the imperfections/rough spots in the barrel which will wreck accuracy and make it hard if not next to impossible to ever have the barrel truly clean.
he has a system where you clean it it before it's ever fired down to the bare metal, especially so in a factory barrel as it's been test fired and already has some minor fouling in it. he has you clean it several times before it's fired the first time by you. once that's done, you oil it and fire it with a jacketed bullet and then you clean it down to bare metal and repeat until you stop getting blue/green patches after one round down. he says this can take up to 20 shots.
then he has you shift to 2 or 3 round cycles where you stop and clean it down until you've shot 35 - 40 rounds. then you go to 12 to 15 round cycles where you stop and clean between up to around 150 have gone through it.
he stresses the need to clean the barrel after each cycle and to oil it before you start shooting. after you've done that 150 or so rounds, the barrel will be ready to shoot copper jacketed, moly coated and lead rounds without worry.
kinda interesting for reading, being I don't know the practicality of what he says yet. no doubt as commented tho, these kind of concerns are important if you're a match grade shooter. just points out the differences between factory barrels and the custom/match one's you get special made.
shooting round after round will only weld lead & copper to the imperfections/rough spots in the barrel which will wreck accuracy and make it hard if not next to impossible to ever have the barrel truly clean.
he has a system where you clean it it before it's ever fired down to the bare metal, especially so in a factory barrel as it's been test fired and already has some minor fouling in it. he has you clean it several times before it's fired the first time by you. once that's done, you oil it and fire it with a jacketed bullet and then you clean it down to bare metal and repeat until you stop getting blue/green patches after one round down. he says this can take up to 20 shots.
then he has you shift to 2 or 3 round cycles where you stop and clean it down until you've shot 35 - 40 rounds. then you go to 12 to 15 round cycles where you stop and clean between up to around 150 have gone through it.
he stresses the need to clean the barrel after each cycle and to oil it before you start shooting. after you've done that 150 or so rounds, the barrel will be ready to shoot copper jacketed, moly coated and lead rounds without worry.
kinda interesting for reading, being I don't know the practicality of what he says yet. no doubt as commented tho, these kind of concerns are important if you're a match grade shooter. just points out the differences between factory barrels and the custom/match one's you get special made.
He lost me as soon as he mentioned oiling a barrel and then shooting it.I never fire any gun after putting oil in the barrel until the barrel is dry swabbed.
If you want a profesional opinion,check with Shilen,Hart,Kreiger,or the other barrel manufacturers.
- Location
- British Canuckistan
I just double checked to make sure I conveyed his thought clearly, but here's what he says, and I quote, "Once the barrel is stripped clean, give the bore (but not the chamber) a light coat of gun oil, and fire one round of jacketed ammo. Some experts dispense with the oil, but others feel it is important not to run a dry bullet down a new dry bore. I agree with that, believing that a little lubrication helps reduce copper deposits."
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While I have worn out a few SS .308 barrel on my target rifles, I don't worry about wearing out a barrel on my .300WM hunting rifle.
The match barrel I have on my target rifle right now is new this rear. I fired one shot and cleaned it, another and cleaned it and a third shot and cleaned it. Then shot 5 and cleaned it, 10 shots them cleaned it all these shots were with bare bullets.
I noticed very heavy copper fouling for the first 3 shots. Much less after the 5 shot group and almost none after the 10 shot group.
Next I fired a group of 20 moly coated bullets then went a shot a match.
So far I have another 240 moly coated bullets down the barrel and only dry patched it once after the last match because I was shooting in a flipping sand storm. I will not clean it again until the groups open up.
I don't think you will be looking for the type of accuracy from a hunting rifle as I expect from my target rifles ( I know I don't). I don't think a factory barrel would really see much difference if you broke it in or not.
The match barrel I have on my target rifle right now is new this rear. I fired one shot and cleaned it, another and cleaned it and a third shot and cleaned it. Then shot 5 and cleaned it, 10 shots them cleaned it all these shots were with bare bullets.
I noticed very heavy copper fouling for the first 3 shots. Much less after the 5 shot group and almost none after the 10 shot group.
Next I fired a group of 20 moly coated bullets then went a shot a match.
So far I have another 240 moly coated bullets down the barrel and only dry patched it once after the last match because I was shooting in a flipping sand storm. I will not clean it again until the groups open up.
I don't think you will be looking for the type of accuracy from a hunting rifle as I expect from my target rifles ( I know I don't). I don't think a factory barrel would really see much difference if you broke it in or not.
The accuracy thing is almost impossable to benchmark as most accurate barrels are just that right from the gitty up.
But the longevity between cleanings certainly can be affected by breaking in or not breaking in a barrel.
Since I've began a very short but ritualistic break in procedure on my new barrel rifles, I have indeed noticed the longevity to the point where accuracy begins to fall off.
Start clean, shoot and clean for the first 3 shots, then shoot a 3 shot group and clean, followed by another 3 shot group and clean. Then fly at it till accuracy falls off, or until you figure it should be cleaned.
X2 on the proper equiptment,(bore guide, coated one piece rod, proper solvents, and easy on the use of brushes)
But the longevity between cleanings certainly can be affected by breaking in or not breaking in a barrel.
Since I've began a very short but ritualistic break in procedure on my new barrel rifles, I have indeed noticed the longevity to the point where accuracy begins to fall off.
Start clean, shoot and clean for the first 3 shots, then shoot a 3 shot group and clean, followed by another 3 shot group and clean. Then fly at it till accuracy falls off, or until you figure it should be cleaned.
X2 on the proper equiptment,(bore guide, coated one piece rod, proper solvents, and easy on the use of brushes)
on a new factory rifle i will shoot about twenty before cleaning. three shot groups with lots of cooling time. i find if a rifle is accurate cleaning it does't seem to help. most of my rifles that were not initially acurate had bedding or trigger isues. when i get my 375 back with its new barrel i may be more tempted to clean during breakin due to the cost of the barrel not that i'm sure it will help. if it shoots good initial groups i will tend to follow my factory rifle proceedure.
I always do a 15 "shoot one and clean" break-in. Subsequent to the break-in, I clean the barrel after every outing. I always "neutralize" the copper solvent with rubbing alcohol, and leave the barrel with a light coat of oil between outings. When the "benefit" argument comes up ... ask yourself.... given the choice of two used rifles that are identical in every respect, except that one was subjected to a "break-in procedure .... which one would you select?
Match barrels are usually lapped by the maker. They break in quickly.
Factory barrels are function tested and proofed. After these5 shots they are not fully cleaned. Clean rifle before shooting the shoot-clean regime.
The big advantage of breaking in a barrel is that it will foul less thereafter.
I second the warning about needing a good rod and guide. I always leave solvent in over night, storing rifle muzzle down on a paper towlpad. Amazing how much gunk comes out.
Factory barrels are function tested and proofed. After these5 shots they are not fully cleaned. Clean rifle before shooting the shoot-clean regime.
The big advantage of breaking in a barrel is that it will foul less thereafter.
I second the warning about needing a good rod and guide. I always leave solvent in over night, storing rifle muzzle down on a paper towlpad. Amazing how much gunk comes out.
