Barrel break in, does it matter?

[Longleaf]

It can make a difference, the idea is to achieve copper equilibrium by cleaning out the carbon so the projectile has clean contact with the rifling during the first rounds. Once you build up the copper, accuracy improves. That’s why you should not use copper cleaner.

You may never see the difference unless you’re shooting m24 PRS style rifles.

 

[woods89]

Yes. Then I make sure it shoots at 100 and 300 yards acceptably and load in bulk. I’m not saying I am a master reloader, I’m not, I’m a caveman reloader. I’m saying that is what I do, and I have zero issues getting 1 moa or less ten round groups at 300 yards out of the LR/comp rifles doing so. I’m not interested in finicky loads just like I’m not interested in finicky rifles. If .020 off land shoots great, but .025 doesn’t- am I going to constantly muck with seating depth to keep it in tune? I’d rather watch paint dry. Same for charge weight, if 42.2gr shoots like crap, but 42.5 is great- what happens when it gets colder (or hotter) and the MV drops?
I can take the 223/TMK load with 8208, and load rounds anywhere from 22.5-24gr at AR mag length, in a winchester, federal, or LC cases, most any SR primer, put it in any one of the half dozen 223 bolt guns here, and be sub 1.3-1.4 Moa for ten with any of those combinations, and not be more than .2mil off zero. The last load I did for 6.5 CM with 130gr TMK and RL16. Went max charge weight, and loaded at SAMMI and one at max mag length. They shot the same. That load has shot less the 1.2 moa for ten in four 6.5 CM rifles. Maybe I don’t shoot picky cartridges and rifles.

Side note since we're off topic already-Have you shot a bunch of animals with those 130 TMKs? I asked you about their performance in tissue last fall if I remember and then used them on 2 whitetails. Results were messy and definitive!

 

[HighUintas]

Side note since we're off topic already-Have you shot a bunch of animals with those 130 TMKs? I asked you about their performance in tissue last fall if I remember and then used them on 2 whitetails. Results were messy and definitive!

I was wondering about the 30cal 175tmk on elk. Whether it'd be really messy or not

 

[Formidilosus]

Side note since we're off topic already-Have you shot a bunch of animals with those 130 TMKs? I asked you about their performance in tissue last fall if I remember and then used them on 2 whitetails. Results were messy and definitive!

Not what I would consider a bunch, but enough. Definitive is about right. They are too much for deer. Should be solid for 600+ yard elk though.

 

[Formidilosus]

I was wondering about the 30cal 175tmk on elk. Whether it'd be really messy or not

They are. The 77gr version is legitimately almost too much for even big deer, and if you hit bone, they are too much. They kill fantastic however.

 

[Stu]

Tikka 6.5 CM
Got some Reloder 16 in a couple of weeks ago. Drug this gun out today after sitting in the safe for about 6 months. This one has had over 7 lbs of H4350 (over 1100 rounds) through it without cleaning. Only 5 rounds, but seems ok to me. Went on to hammer steel to 650 yards with no issue. Weird.

 

[woods89]

View attachment 334258

Tikka 6.5 CM
Got some Reloder 16 in a couple of weeks ago. Drug this gun out today after sitting in the safe for about 6 months. This one has had over 7 lbs of H4350 (over 1100 rounds) through it without cleaning. Only 5 rounds, but seems ok to me. Went on to hammer steel to 650 yards with no issue. Weird.

But are you ''1/4 minute all day long if I do my part''?

Nice shooting!

 

[Stu]

For anyone interested, another 800-1000 rounds. That’s over 4K without a patch.

Edit: this is my factory tikka 233, not 6.5CM

 

[Formidilosus]

View attachment 373819

For anyone interested, another 800-1000 rounds. That’s over 4K without a patch.

Edit: this is my factory tikka 233, not 6.5CM

Not possible Stu.

 

[Stu]

Not possible Stu.

I even switched bullets

 

[Formidilosus]

I even switched bullets

Next thing you know you’ll be saying that you shot more than a hundred rounds through a suppressor without cleaning it….

 

[Wrench]

The thing about comparing everyday Joe to Frank is that frank has to warranty his product and has measuring equipment most of us can't afford. He has guys who win or lose on the third decimal point where most of us are more in the thing hitter club than dial caliper group.

Carbon rings and such can be a real thing, but is it something that a guy shooting a 8 pound gun off a backpack can pick up? Usually no.

Benchrest practices are cool and they certainly can produce results, but sometimes the juice isn't worth the squeeze in the field.

Most of us will gain more from shooting a 1 moa gun a whole bunch of times in shitty conditions at a distant rock then we would shooting a .2 moa gun at paper on a perfect day.

 

[Stu]

The thing about comparing everyday Joe to Frank is that frank has to warranty his product and has measuring equipment most of us can't afford. He has guys who win or lose on the third decimal point where most of us are more in the thing hitter club than dial caliper group.

Carbon rings and such can be a real thing, but is it something that a guy shooting a 8 pound gun off a backpack can pick up? Usually no.

Benchrest practices are cool and they certainly can produce results, but sometimes the juice isn't worth the squeeze in the field.

Most of us will gain more from shooting a 1 moa gun a whole bunch of times in shitty conditions at a distant rock then we would shooting a .2 moa gun at paper on a perfect day.

Wrench, I see where you're coming from.

And just for the record, I'm not willing to tell anyone that they shouldn't clean their gun, or that there aren't any possible advantages. I'm just sharing my experience. Something I wish would have been shared with me a long time ago.
I really don't care if someone cleans their barrel or not. But had I known that the stainless barrels that I cleaned in the past would continue to shoot just as well at 2,3, 4k, etc., rounds as in their first few hundred, not had to deal with any changes in velocity or impact from cleaning, and not have to go through the time consuming process and cost associated with cleaning barrels, i would have quit a long time ago. If i'd dedicated the time I spent cleaning barrels to working a real job, I would have earned enough money to buy another barrel or three.

Maybe it's enough of a difference to stay competitive in bench rest. I don't know, or claim to know. All I know is the two rifles that I didn't do break in procedures and stopped cleaning after their first few hundred rounds shoot just as good, if not better, than they did in their first few hundred rounds. Granted, this is a small sample size, but based on how some people talk, not cleaning results in group sizes getting progressively bigger and/or dangerous pressure spikes. But I haven't seen the precision or velocity change, and I've never blown a primer, had a sticky bolt or any other signs of such. Heck, I've reloaded my first batch of 6.5CM Lapua brass over 10 times and it's still good.

I know for a fact that my Tikka 6.5 has had over 1500 rounds through it.

I know for a fact that my Tikka 223 has had over 4500 rounds through it, and thats a conservative estimate.

 

[roosiebull]

Im constantly fighting the urge to just not clean. There’s not many that say never to though. I don’t know, my 223 went 700 rounds without a patch and still shot acceptably. Specifically in competition circles you always hear of carbon rings.

And 8k rounds on that barrel…. Man I need more bullets. I just got a backup barrel in case it goes, but I’m a long ways from 8k

i'm going with the "just don't clean" approach now, unless accuracy changes, i'm not messing with it.... i'm not concerned with premature barrel death for the test subject, because i realistically shoot between 200-300 rounds per year from that particular rifle, and it's a 6.5 creed... not exactly a barrel burner, haha.

i know i'm not going to learn anything with this test, but it sounds more practical than what i have done in the past, by cleaning infrequently and randomly, and only knowing when it's time to clean based on a day of boredom.

i wish ammo was easier to access and i could shoot 1k rounds out of my hunting rifles every year or more, and see the tiny shifts in accuracy if it were to occur, but for me, cleaning the barrel, or especially breaking in a barrel would not do me any good.

so much of this discussion is based on theories and second hand info, that was probably also a theory passed down (at least in the context of hunting rifles)

 

[VernAK]

For run of the mill new barrels, I shoot 1-2 David Tubbs Final Finish bullets first.......then clean and go to shooting.

 

[RayRayG19]

I typically clean my guns after shooting, but there's been a lot of times that I haven't, And it really doesn't affect anything to be honest I feel like it is quite subjective in my opinion, I know that there are a lot of Manufacturers that recommend that you don't clean it, that you just shoot and others say differently. I say do whatever makes you feel good.

 

[mtblackdog]

I was finally able to shoot my 6.5 PRC Bighorn Carbon 6 build. She's awesome! So glad I went with a build! Especially with the Trigger Tech diamond set to super light. I really love light triggers.

Anyways I've looked into barrel break in before and it seems people either just shoot them or do the shoot a group, clean it with Holy Water, do a Sun Dance and shoot another group and repeat.

I thought I saw Erik Cortina say to just shoot it.

I'm a box in so far so I'm probably past the point of no return to do anything.

Any input?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I broke in my CA Mesa 6.5 PRC Mesa cleaning 1 shot for 3, 5 shots for 3, 5 shots for three and then 10 shots for 1. Ran two paches of Butches bore shine between followed by one dry patch. It shoots .4 MOA with my load work up.

 

[Stu]

Brand new 20” Bartlein 223 1:7.7 twist. Ran a patch through it before firing. Went through 55 rounds today, 45 of which were what I already had loaded for other guns, to see what it does. No break in today and I’ll try and keep good records to share in the future.

 

[Stu]

162 rounds down the tube. No cleaning, no break-in. This is just one group, but it’s the best yet. I’ve got two other ten round groups with the same primer and powder. None have exceeded 0.7”

 

[Formidilosus]

162 rounds down the tube. No cleaning, no break-in. This is just one group, but it’s the best yet. I’ve got two other ten round groups with the same primer and powder. None have exceeded 0.7”

The 6XC with a T3 lite barrel contour is at 220’ish (221 if my count is correct) without cleaning, and in 6-7 ten rounds groups shot rapid fire the “worst” is .93 moa. I very other ten round group is .6-8 moa.