New Barrel Break In?

[LAH]

Rifle is together & fire formed 50 cases [257 Roberts Improved]. Used a Sierra 75 grain HP, 50 grains of Data 85, & a Wolf Large Rifle primer.

Fired once, cleaned.
Fired once, cleaned.
Fired once, cleaned.

Fired twice, cleaned.
Fired twice, cleaned.
Fired twice, cleaned.

Fired 3 times, cleaned.
Fired 3 times, cleaned.
Fired 3 times, cleaned.
Fired 3 times, cleaned.

Fired 6 times, cleaned.
Fired 6 times, cleaned.
Fired 6 times, cleaned.
Fired 6 times, cleaned.
Fired 5 times, cleaned.

The 6 shots were fired in groups of 3 shots, cool & 3 more.

Cleaning with Butch's Bore Shine. I used wet patch after wet patch till all powder fouling was gone. Then one more went patch & allowed the rile to sit in the cleaning vice for 5 min.[appox] Then a clean patch followed by two brush strokes with the same solvent. Allow another 5 min. & dry patched till I got a clean patch. Can't believe how many patches I went through.

Is this any way to break in a barrel? I have no idea. I've read several different ways & came to the conclusion this is good as any if in fact "breaking in" is even needed. I'm just glad it's over. Spent over 8 hours or better at the range.................Creeker

 

[ZeroJunk]

I did about the same with a 280 AI, but I used Sweets. Probably half and half either believe or don't believe any breakin is necessary, but since you needed to fire form the brass anyway it doesn't hurt and may likely clean out any burrs left by the throater a lot quicker than through just normal use.

 

[Art Eatman]

About all I've ever done with a NIB rifle was to clean any factory grunge from the barrel and then go shoot. Generally, just sight-in doings. Then, just a garden-variety normal cleaning. I commonly just spray some WD40 on a patch and run it through a time or so. When it comes out reasonably clean, I then spray a little Rem oil on a patch and run it through.

Every now and then I'll "get serious" and use Hoppe's bore cleaner with the copper remover stuff in it. Haven't needed to do that very often, however.

Since I consistently get sub-MOA groups, these last fifty or so years, I figure that's good enough...

 

[LAH]

I've never tried "barrel break in" before & was wondering. This is a Douglas & a tack driver even while fire forming. Here's the brass:

 

[ZeroJunk]

I can't imagine why anybody would want to just fire form 50 brass without cleaning along the way knowing that many competition shooters believe in a breakin procedure anyway.

 

[James R. Burke]

New I just cleaned and shot. Then cleaned has needed.

 

[Funeralfog]

i read somewhere, can't remember that you dont need to do all that crap. rifles are made to shoot. just clean it after you're done like normal

 

[Shane Tuttle]

Looks like 50 rounds of ammo wasted, the money paid for it, and 8 hours of your life you're not getting back to me.

I fire five shots with a quick patch in between to foul (in the good way) the barrel. All you're doing when cleaning thoroughly is removing the fouling that's filling the peaks/valleys in the barrel. It's counterproductive.

i read somewhere, can't remember that you dont need to do all that crap. rifles are made to shoot. just clean it after you're done like normal

Here's some links for the ones that don't like our search feature:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=415780&highlight=barrel+break+in

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414890&highlight=barrel+break+in

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=409930&highlight=barrel+break+in

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=405567&highlight=barrel+break+in

 

[ZeroJunk]

You guys do understand that he was just fire forming brass and really can't get down to working up loads until he gets that done?

 

[LAH]

Looks like 50 rounds of ammo wasted, the money paid for it, and 8 hours of your life you're not getting back to me.

I fire five shots with a quick patch in between to foul (in the good way) the barrel. All you're doing when cleaning thoroughly is removing the fouling that's filling the peaks/valleys in the barrel. It's counterproductive.

First, I shot the ammo to form cases. I could have done this several different ways. Everyone has an opinion of how this is to be done. The shooting certainly wasn't a waste. The 8 hours is however debatable; though I did fired my well used '06 & Bisley Blackhawk while there.

Second, the bench guys [IBS] clean between rounds of competition with copper solvent for a reason. As to peaks & valleys? Hope there's not many of these in an air gauged premium barrel. But still perhaps all was counterproductive.

Here's some links for the ones that don't like our search feature:

Like I said in the opening post: I've read several different ways.

I have learned one thing though; groups can be very nice even when forming cases with loads using cheap primers & powder.

First 100 yard group, .370

Second 100 yard group, .490

The third group was .830, fourth .1.400 & fifth .390. The larger groups were no fault of the rifle but my bench technique & lack of proper equipment to shoot from.

Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood

 

[Art Eatman]

The question was about break-in, not fire-forming brass. Forget the brass.

Look: This whole deal about break-in is a relatively new thing. It didn't exist, back some twenty or so years ago.

Gale McMillan, a world class rifle maker and benchrest record holder, believed that the break-in instructions were merely to increase the rate of sales of new barrels. He posted that, here at TFL some years ago, before his death.

Seems to me, given the better quality machine tools available to barrel makers in today's world, that there would be less need now for a break-in process than in the old days.

Granted, way back when, guys would shoot some number of medium-power lead bullets through a target rifle in order to do some burnishing. ANY bullet does some amount of burnishing of the barrel, with each and every shot--but the throat will burn before there's enough wear on the bore to matter.

 

[Buzzcook]

This topic comes up at regular intervals.

imho all you need to do is clean the gun up and then shoot it. Clean it after you've shot it and then you're good to go.

If the gun or barrel maker says to break in your barrel then do it. If they don't then don't

 

[Scorch]

Barrel break-in is a controversial subject anywhere you talk to gun nuts. Some believe you should break in a barrel, others scoff at the idea and just shoot them. Whichever you decide, you will find some authority that will support your point of view. For the "no break-in needed" camp, there is the late Dale MacMillan, for the "barrel break-in is good" camp, there is Dan Lilja. Both are/were well-respected barrelmakers, both have a lot more knowledge than you or I, and neither would fault you on your technique.

I look at barrel break-in this way:
I break in barrels, not quite as elaborately as you do, but I do break them in. Barrel break-in seems to provide some benefit, however small, so I like to do it. If it does no good, I have done that much shooting in the process, which is good. If it turns out that it helps the rifle, and I have in some way done a modicum of good for the rifle, so much the better. So I break them in. Typically, after a few dozen shots a new barrel will quit throwing flyers and quit tugging at patches. After that, it's good to go.

 

[jhciv]

Here is Mr. Krieger's take on the subject:

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm

 

[ZeroJunk]

It is not likely that I will do any breakin on a standard cartridge unless it is just nasty and picks up an inordinate amount of copper.

I don't claim to know who is right or wrong about the utility of the procedure.

But, giving the experts that do breakin the benefit of doubt as not being complete idiots, and if having to fire 50 or so shots to fire form some wildcat, I will take that opportunity that is there to do about what the OP did.

 

[Picher]

I bought a new barrel recently and the manufacturer recommended cleaning, leaving a very light coating of oil in the barrel before the first shot, then clean after each of the first 5 shots or so, then increasing the number of shots between cleanings.

I'll do the cleaning for each of the first five, then see how dirty it gets after three shots. If it seems normal, I'll shoot five, then clean, another five. That should take care of the break-in.

I generally shoot three to five shot groups out of sporters, like the one I'm putting together. I never let the barrel get so hot that I can't keep my hand on it.

I don't think shooting a barrel too hot is conducive to great accuracy, either short or long-term.

 

[Shane Tuttle]

First, I shot the ammo to form cases. I could have done this several different ways. Everyone has an opinion of how this is to be done. The shooting certainly wasn't a waste. The 8 hours is however debatable; though I did fired my well used '06 & Bisley Blackhawk while there.

Point taken. I knew you were fireforming cases as well, but didn't think posting an estimated calculated amount of time cleaning versus the actual firing of the gun was really necessary to get my point across.

Second, the bench guys [IBS] clean between rounds of competition with copper solvent for a reason. As to peaks & valleys? Hope there's not many of these in an air gauged premium barrel. But still perhaps all was counterproductive.

More and more I'm seeing benchrest shooters cleaning less and less frequently for a reason. The peaks and valleys I'm speaking of aren't necessarily visible to the naked eye. If you look at a metal surface under a microscope, it has a rough textured surface. The "good" fouling fills in these imperfections and provides a seasoned surface. Continually cleaning out the barrel squeaky clean only strips the barrel of this and cleaning at this frequency, especially with bronze brushes with steel cores, induces premature wear in my opinion. Yes, steel is harder than bronze. But so are rocks compared to water.

 

[taylorce1]

Here is one guys take on barrel break in.

I do not follow his method of breaking in a barrel, but I'm a clean and shoot kind of guy. That said everyone can do their own thing and if you are getting sub 1" groups at 100 during fire forming I can't argue against what you did either.

 

[LAH]

Tuttle8, can't say I disagree with you. Water do wear rocks. Water even wears hair as my head will prove, guess I should have bathed instead of showering all these years. HEE HEE We have an IBS match this weekend & will try to report.

Thanks for all the information guys. Don't believe I harmed the barrel, time will tell. Next, work up some loads. God Bless..............Creeker

 

[weld387]

Broke one in yesturday

I use factory ammo 20 rounds for a bolt gun. first ten rounds cleand each shot. Last ten cleaned every second shot. Used Kano Kroil on my patch cloths. All you are doing is finishing the barrel rifling. Most barrels have slight finish marks in the bore. This just smooths things out. My new .308 did a clover on the second set of my hand loads, after the break in. This was a bolt action rifle. Semi actions take up too a couple hundred rounds before they break nicely. I guess we are all different in just how we do this? Your mileage may vary?