barrel break in ?
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kilotanker22
New member
Personally I don't worry about a barrel break in. I clean the rifle and shoot it.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
I began shooting centerfire in 1950, courtesy of my gunsmith uncle.
I learned about "break in" after I signed onto TFL, forty-eight years later.
I had a goodly number of sub-MOA groups without ever done any break-in.
I learned about "break in" after I signed onto TFL, forty-eight years later.
I had a goodly number of sub-MOA groups without ever done any break-in.
kilotanker22
New member
Here is an interesting video with John Krieger. He talks about barrel break in and cleaning and what not.https://youtu.be/3d0-FOEpAuw
Don Dayacetah
New member
I'm obsessive, and a gear nut, so when I get a new barrel, I use some
precautionary measures which probably are not really needed. But I
carefully clean the barrel, before shooting, in order to remove any particles from machining the rifling, or preservative coatings which the manufacturer may have applied, as a rust inhibitor.
Then, before shooting, I like to lightly oil the barrel.
This lays down a coating of oil under the gunpowder, and if nothing else,
makes the barrel a little easier to clean, as you are floating the oil, rather
than scrubbing the dirt.
precautionary measures which probably are not really needed. But I
carefully clean the barrel, before shooting, in order to remove any particles from machining the rifling, or preservative coatings which the manufacturer may have applied, as a rust inhibitor.
Then, before shooting, I like to lightly oil the barrel.
This lays down a coating of oil under the gunpowder, and if nothing else,
makes the barrel a little easier to clean, as you are floating the oil, rather
than scrubbing the dirt.
ice monkey
New member
I totally know where you are coming from @Art Eatman ! And for good reason! Back in the day many manufacturers lapped thier barrels before leaving the shop making breaking in a rather silly endeavor. That’s not so much the case anymore. Moreover, manufacturers have changed thier rifling techniques leaving a clean bore at times, something to be desired.I began shooting centerfire in 1950, courtesy of my gunsmith uncle.
I learned about "break in" after I signed onto TFL, forty-eight years later.
I had a goodly number of sub-MOA groups without ever done any break-in.
Does a Tikka need to be lapped or broken in? Nah. They are all good, but that Marlin 30-30 I got a couple three years ago! Oh my! I lapped that sucker and I’m glad I did.
I could be just getting old and being a little over the top, and I’m but one data point, but in my opinion not all barrels are made with all the love and pride needed to make em shooters. And that’s when a little lapping really goes a long way.
As mentioned, you need to clean the rifle, only. There's no such thing as breaking in a barrel.
"...lightly oil the barrel..." That you really shouldn't do. Oil in a barrel can act as an obstruction.
There won't be any "coating of oil under the gun powder" either. There is and will be no gun powder in the barrel.
"...after I signed onto TFL..." Lotta stuff on the internet like that.
"...lightly oil the barrel..." That you really shouldn't do. Oil in a barrel can act as an obstruction.
There won't be any "coating of oil under the gun powder" either. There is and will be no gun powder in the barrel.
"...after I signed onto TFL..." Lotta stuff on the internet like that.
Clean it and shoot it.
I have come to call this Vodoo fo-science. Not based on facts but on unfounded and totally unsupported belief.
Flames burns oil. Friction burns it and turns it to carbon. Leaving oil in a barrel at best is going to foul it a bit more.
It certainly is not going to float carbon.
Do This Outside: Take a torch, apply to a thin layer of oil. List results.
I have come to call this Vodoo fo-science. Not based on facts but on unfounded and totally unsupported belief.
Flames burns oil. Friction burns it and turns it to carbon. Leaving oil in a barrel at best is going to foul it a bit more.
It certainly is not going to float carbon.
Do This Outside: Take a torch, apply to a thin layer of oil. List results.
reynolds357
New member
I once had a bench rest barrel supplier tell me that he highly recommends break in. He said the 6mm barrels are only capable of winning with 1000, to 1200 rounds down them. After that, they are done. He said, If I can get people to shoot 75 shots and run 300 patches down their barrel, at least 200 shots of barrel life are gone and I sell more barrels.
Dfariswheel
New member
Most Match barrels are lapped by the maker.
However many/most will tell you to fire a few break in shots to smooth up the throat in front of the chamber.
While they lap the bore, the chambering reamer the rifle builder uses to finish the chamber leaves some marks that can be reduced by a break in of a few shots.
My shooting buddy uses Bartlein barrels and then has them nitrided.
He was told to fire a very few shots to break in the throat before having the nitride done.
The nitrider told him to shoot only as few as possible because it's very difficult to get the area totally clean and if not perfectly clean the nitride won't come out right.
After firing the 5 or less shots he cleans the barrel then uses a bore scope to make sure it's clean and smooth.
He's careful...... The rifles he owns cost $15,000 with custom Kelby actions, Bartlein barrels, Schmidt & Bender or Nightforce scopes and titanium silencer.
Of course, he's one of the few people I know who can get that level of accuracy out of a rifle in that range.
If your barrel is not a lapped Match barrel or a hard chrome lined barrel it may well benefit from a moderate break in period.
This will reduce any manufacturing micro-burrs in the bore and the reamer marks in the throat.
Doing a reasonable break in will not harm a rifle and may help both accuracy and clean up time.
However many/most will tell you to fire a few break in shots to smooth up the throat in front of the chamber.
While they lap the bore, the chambering reamer the rifle builder uses to finish the chamber leaves some marks that can be reduced by a break in of a few shots.
My shooting buddy uses Bartlein barrels and then has them nitrided.
He was told to fire a very few shots to break in the throat before having the nitride done.
The nitrider told him to shoot only as few as possible because it's very difficult to get the area totally clean and if not perfectly clean the nitride won't come out right.
After firing the 5 or less shots he cleans the barrel then uses a bore scope to make sure it's clean and smooth.
He's careful...... The rifles he owns cost $15,000 with custom Kelby actions, Bartlein barrels, Schmidt & Bender or Nightforce scopes and titanium silencer.
Of course, he's one of the few people I know who can get that level of accuracy out of a rifle in that range.
If your barrel is not a lapped Match barrel or a hard chrome lined barrel it may well benefit from a moderate break in period.
This will reduce any manufacturing micro-burrs in the bore and the reamer marks in the throat.
Doing a reasonable break in will not harm a rifle and may help both accuracy and clean up time.
All barrels shoot better after a few rounds have been down the tube. Some only need about a dozen rounds to reach optimum accuracy potential. Some may need 200 or more rounds.
But the barrel can't count. Shoot it, clean it when it is dirty and repeat. As the barrel gets smoother it will be more accurate, take longer to get dirty and take less time to clean.
It doesn't matter if you clean it after every 2 rounds or every 200. It might take longer to get it clean if you let it go 200 rounds before cleaning though.
But the barrel can't count. Shoot it, clean it when it is dirty and repeat. As the barrel gets smoother it will be more accurate, take longer to get dirty and take less time to clean.
It doesn't matter if you clean it after every 2 rounds or every 200. It might take longer to get it clean if you let it go 200 rounds before cleaning though.
Having a bunch of Tikkas I have only done barrel break in on one. Could never tell the difference in my others. I just clean all packing greases and oils out and run s few patches with alchohol down the barrel before firing. As Jmr40 stated most of my barrels seem to start tightening up after a 100 rounds or so. Unless I’m planning on putting one away for quite awhile I very seldom do a thorough cleaning until I see accuracy drop off. Barnes bullets and severe copper fouling are my quickest reloads to drop accuracy quicker. After a thorough cleaning on any of my Tikkas I find it takes at least 10-15 rounds to foul out enough to get back to decent accuracy levels.
bamaranger
New member
break in
In the Krieger video, he states a moderate break in, addressing tool marks in the throat. In that same series of videos, David Tubb, world class shot, says basically the same thing. George Gardner, precision rifle builder, also states to do a mild break in. That's pretty convincing to me.
A shoot and clean process for say a dozen rounds, will not hurt anything, and may help. So why not? My own practice for a spanking new rifle, is to clean it, then shoot and clean for the first 5 rounds. Then I shoot 5 and clean, and clean again after the next 5, and then I'm calling it "seasoned" or broke in. Usually, I perform this process as I zero the scope.
With an average barrel, and average ammo, and an average shooter, the difference may not be all that discernible. But if you DON'T do a break in, you won't know if one might have helped either. For the time and patience needed for my 15 shot process, I'll invest in the process and hope for the best.
In the Krieger video, he states a moderate break in, addressing tool marks in the throat. In that same series of videos, David Tubb, world class shot, says basically the same thing. George Gardner, precision rifle builder, also states to do a mild break in. That's pretty convincing to me.
A shoot and clean process for say a dozen rounds, will not hurt anything, and may help. So why not? My own practice for a spanking new rifle, is to clean it, then shoot and clean for the first 5 rounds. Then I shoot 5 and clean, and clean again after the next 5, and then I'm calling it "seasoned" or broke in. Usually, I perform this process as I zero the scope.
With an average barrel, and average ammo, and an average shooter, the difference may not be all that discernible. But if you DON'T do a break in, you won't know if one might have helped either. For the time and patience needed for my 15 shot process, I'll invest in the process and hope for the best.
Jim Watson
New member
Shots I fired in the break in ritual were not a waste of barrel life.
By the time I had fired a maximum of 33 shots, wiping after each, I also had a hundred yard zero and the chronograph readings for calculated come-ups to longer range. Shooting needed anyhow.
By the time I had fired a maximum of 33 shots, wiping after each, I also had a hundred yard zero and the chronograph readings for calculated come-ups to longer range. Shooting needed anyhow.
Without getting into the effectiveness of barrel break-in...
One way to do a break-in is to just shoot normally and clean back to bare metal the first several times the gun is shot.
Normal cleaning doesn't usually get back to bare metal. You need to use a good copper solvent and really keep at it, or use something like a bore paste to get back to bare metal.
The whole idea of barrel break-in is that by maximizing contact between bullets and the bore (as opposed to having the contact between the bullet and fouling buildup) the bore is smoothed.
It can be done rapidly by cleaning between every shot, or it can be done more slowly, but just as effectively by cleaning back to bare metal every time the first several times the rifle is shot.
Using the latter method costs nothing but a little extra time cleaning the first several times the gun is shot.
One way to do a break-in is to just shoot normally and clean back to bare metal the first several times the gun is shot.
Normal cleaning doesn't usually get back to bare metal. You need to use a good copper solvent and really keep at it, or use something like a bore paste to get back to bare metal.
The whole idea of barrel break-in is that by maximizing contact between bullets and the bore (as opposed to having the contact between the bullet and fouling buildup) the bore is smoothed.
It can be done rapidly by cleaning between every shot, or it can be done more slowly, but just as effectively by cleaning back to bare metal every time the first several times the rifle is shot.
Using the latter method costs nothing but a little extra time cleaning the first several times the gun is shot.
Each has his own idea on this subject--just like how some folks treat a new vehicle. Each result may be different. I tend to use common sense on both vehicle and rifle bore break-in.
It's YOUR stuff, treat it as you darned well please BUT don't go telling ME how to treat MY stuff.
It's YOUR stuff, treat it as you darned well please BUT don't go telling ME how to treat MY stuff.
When it comes to Tikka's, i listen to Wendy.
When she says accuracy starts to fall off for her, it means the bullet hole in the target aren't overlapping anymore.
All my rifles were bought previously enjoyed. So break in wasn't an option. Thorough cleaning and shoot.
I have bought 2 E.R. Shaw barrels. Did proper break in on one. Cleaned and shot the other. No real accuracy difference.
But i should note, these are hunting rifles, not F-Class open rifles.
When she says accuracy starts to fall off for her, it means the bullet hole in the target aren't overlapping anymore.
All my rifles were bought previously enjoyed. So break in wasn't an option. Thorough cleaning and shoot.
I have bought 2 E.R. Shaw barrels. Did proper break in on one. Cleaned and shot the other. No real accuracy difference.
But i should note, these are hunting rifles, not F-Class open rifles.
LineStretcher
New member
I half heartedly believe in breaking a rifle in. The more I pay for it the more I try to follow the recommended break-in procedures. Bergarra is kind of funny about it. They say the rifle will shoot at peak performance after 50 rounds. Sure sounds like they're saying "after break-in" to me. I know some brands post break in procedures just to stop all the questions about break in procedure.
The way I look at it is that today, a quality rifle barrel will be lapped prior to rifling and the lapped again after rifling to remove the sharp edges that tend to stand up from the cutting process. Obviously they can't lap the groves themselves so they let the bullets do that which to me means that a bullet will have differences until everything equals out.
So, does that mean that you need follow a specific method for the first, say, 50 rounds? Not sure but I can see how the cleaning between rounds may reduce the amount of time it takes to condition the bore. Hey, here's a thought, lets stop calling it break in and start calling it conditioning.
The way I look at it is that today, a quality rifle barrel will be lapped prior to rifling and the lapped again after rifling to remove the sharp edges that tend to stand up from the cutting process. Obviously they can't lap the groves themselves so they let the bullets do that which to me means that a bullet will have differences until everything equals out.
So, does that mean that you need follow a specific method for the first, say, 50 rounds? Not sure but I can see how the cleaning between rounds may reduce the amount of time it takes to condition the bore. Hey, here's a thought, lets stop calling it break in and start calling it conditioning.
An opinion was asked by the OP, no one is TELLING you (or anyone) what to do. They are expressing their views on the subject.
I go with clean it, shoot it X amount and then clean it again.
As for the one shot and clean and one shot and clean, no, it won't hurt anything. And that is a good way to put it.
To insist it helps? ergh.
As for my HB barrels, they don't care and at 50 rounds max they get cleaned.
Of course I am not as good as Wendy J, mine don't alwyas overlap!
Bench rest shooters clean after every round, my barrel if not my shooting are bench rest, so I go with that. On a cold day I will shoot a round or two to warm up the barrel as the extreme temp difference might make a difference. Can't say it does but doesn't hurt either.