Barrel Break-in...thoughts?

[Yote Klr]

I usually do the 'shot and clean till I don't see copper ' routine, about 15 to 20 shots. It takes a long time.
However, A button rifled barrel I recently installed I decided to use Tubbs Final Finish. Two bullets of each cleaning in between each grit. It worked great.

My new 300Rum barrel did not get any break-in besides cleaning after the first few range sessions. I figure if we are trying to smooth out imperfections from chambering a few rounds from a 300rum should take care of any tiny burrs! And it did. Besides RUMs don't have great barrel life anyway, that would be 20 rounds off barrel life right away.

 

[BlaserR93]

Really hard decision to make as the answers are so divided. My opinion would be go with your own thoughts on this one. I personally break in to a degree, just as a piece of mind. Maybe one day we will have the answer were all after.
Cheers

 

[Shrek]

If this is a high quality custom barrel done by a good smith I’d shoot one and clean one for three to five shots and then just shoot it. I clean every 50-60 shots but I’m sure I could go longer. A factory barrel is another deal. Shoot once clean ten times and then clean every five for another five times.

 

[Broz]

Do a proper brake in by cleaning each shot for a few then after a group for a few. When you notice a big reduction of copper coming out, then shoot 20 or 30 and clean. You wont be sorry. It is also important to use a good bore guide and a good cleaning solvent like BoreTech Eliminator. Be very careful and slow entering the bore and returning after the stroke. Go slow and easy and all is well. Just dry patch after with no oil and shoot. Expect a velocity increase about 150 rounds as the barrel seasons.

 

[bwtitus]

I agree with Broz. I don't know that it ultimately helps with accuracy overall, but I think a break-in procedure helps produce accuracy in less rounds. I've started load development right out of the box and regretted it by eventually settling on one of the first couple loads that didn't shoot initially, just because the barrel was new.

 

[magnum44270]

I just did sight in and a mild break in with 20 rds, cleaning between every shot. Only took 45 mins....next time out i will clean every 5 shots for 20, then every 10 shots for 20

 

[Formidilosus]

This is every group that the newest rifle I am shooting has shot in a bit over 800 rounds the last couple of weeks... barrel break consisted of shoot the last 800+ rounds.

Initial 2x 10 round groups when new (something like .8’ish and .5)





Yesterday after just over 800 rounds-





Today-






The barrel has yet to have a single patch through it BTW....

 

[menhaden_man]

It can’t hurt and professionals recommend it. The worst that can happen is spending another hour at the gun range. Get the trigger time in and clean your gun.

https://www.nosler.com/blog/news-and-articles/2016/2/24/custom-rifle-barrel-break-in-procedure

 

[menhaden_man]

Another quick read

Barrel Break-In Process | Christensen Arms

Barrel break in can be one of the most important and most misunderstood aspects of extracting the utmost accuracy from your rifle.

christensenarms.com

 

[JollyRoger]

This is every group that the newest rifle I am shooting has shot in a bit over 800 rounds the last couple of weeks... barrel break consisted of shoot the last 800+ rounds.

Initial 2x 10 round groups when new (something like .8’ish and .
.....

What rifle is that??


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[KChunter71]

Clean with #9. Some interesting thoughts here.


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[Formidilosus]

What rifle is that??


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Tikka Tac 308.

 

[amassi]

It can’t hurt and professionals recommend it. The worst that can happen is spending another hour at the gun range. Get the trigger time in and clean your gun.

https://www.nosler.com/blog/news-and-articles/2016/2/24/custom-rifle-barrel-break-in-procedure

An interesting angle to consider: remington was the first company to provide break in instructions their initial suggestion was a 2 box breakin similar to the system most major manufacturers use. Seems like a pretty easy way to sell 3 boxes of ammo at the time of sale, this is a great way to move ammo with casual shooters who might only shoot 5-10 rounds out of their hunting rifles every season.


Most professionals reccomend it not as an industry standard but instead a set of "dont call us" instructions. If everyone does it then there's no way to measure its efficacy since you lack a control group.

I've seen more inaccurate rifles that were consistently over cleaned than those that were fouled.

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[Broz]

Some things to consider and the reasons I break in barrels is this. Yes most custom barrels are indeed hand lapped. But when? Before contour and final heat treat? Or after all machine work is done? Most are lapped before final work is done. Then we go in with a reamer and chamber the barrel. There is no way you can chamber a barrel and not leave a bur of some degree at the beginning of the rifling, plus some hopefully light radial tool marks where the reamer pilot rides. These small imperfections may just smooth with shooting, or they may not. But if we clean the fresh copper each shot for a few shots, and after a few groups, then we are allowing the next bullet down bore to do more work and we are also reducing the possibility of a copper build up on these potential copper snags or the beginning of a continuing pile of copper. I have watched the process during break in with a bore scope and I saw what happens. I also have noted on many dozens of new barrels how the retention of copper lessens after a proper break in over 20 or so shots. So in my mind this alone validates the recommended process. By all means you can not be an idiot when you clean a precision rifle. Proper fitting jags / patches, and a quality bore guide are a must for me, as well as a proven solvent. I choose Boretech eliminator. Above all, special care must be taken when entering the chamber end and re-entry of the muzzle. Go slow at both ends to be sure not to make any contact that could scratch or ding the throat or crown of the barrel. Break in is a choice we all have. I choose to pamper the barrel while the bullets seat in and in preparation for the final seasoning over the next 120 or so rounds where the barrel speeds to the final velocity. Things are happening in there. We can choose a proper break in process, or we can let nature take its course. I choose to do all I can to allow the break in and seasoning, over just covering it with copper in hopes that "It will all be ok".

Jeff

 

[Rambler]

Just picked up my 6.5 prc built by S3 gunsmithing out of Loveland, CO. Planning to get out to put some rounds down the tube this weekend.

Thoughts on barrel break in and proper method to do so? Was planning to follow the nosler recommendation on a 30 round break in for starters.


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Shoot it and clean it when it quits.....

 

[JWP58]

This is every group that the newest rifle I am shooting has shot in a bit over 800 rounds the last couple of weeks... barrel break consisted of shoot the last 800+ rounds.

Initial 2x 10 round groups when new (something like .8’ish and .5)





Yesterday after just over 800 rounds-





Today-






The barrel has yet to have a single patch through it BTW....

Blasphemy!

 

[rhusby28]

Proof Research says not to over think it. They recommend: 3 Shots, clean with bore cleaner and copper solivent. 3 more shots, repeat cleaning process. 5 more shots, repeat cleaning process. Barrel is then broken in.

 

[Braaap]

This is every group that the newest rifle I am shooting has shot in a bit over 800 rounds the last couple of weeks... barrel break consisted of shoot the last 800+ rounds.

Initial 2x 10 round groups when new (something like .8’ish and .5)





Yesterday after just over 800 rounds-





Today-






The barrel has yet to have a single patch through it BTW....

Have you or anyone done a test between identical barrels, one with break in and one without? Or one cleaned and one not for a large number of shots fired?

What distance are those groups you posted from?

My buddy is adamant about break-in and I'm seeing a lot of anecdote surrounding it and no data.

Thanks!

 

[Formidilosus]

Have you or anyone done a test between identical barrels, one with break in and one without? Or one cleaned and one not for a large number of shots fired?

What distance are those groups you posted from?

My buddy is adamant about break-in and I'm seeing a lot of anecdote surrounding it and no data.

Thanks!

Either 100 or a bit over yards depending on which group.




Well, not a “test”. A test would require a significant amount of barrels (100+) for each variation. A set of barrels for no break in and no cleaning. A set of barrels for no break in and cleaning every 20 rounds. A set of barrels for no break in and cleaning every 50 rounds. A set barrels for break in with shoot 3 clean for 5 groups. A set of barrels for shoot 5 clean for 5 groups. A set of barrels for break in of shoot 1, clean, shoot 1 for 20 rounds. A set of barrels for break in for..... well hopefully you get the point. Then, how do you account for ammo? Some barrels hate some bullets no matter what you do. Some shoot those same excellently. Then you have each persons witch doctor recipe of how to break in a barrel. Of course when no statistical difference is shown between break in and just shoot, those people will cry it’s because their secret recipe wasn’t done.


However if you are asking have we/do we compare large numbers of barrels with some being “broke in” and some not..? Repeatedly. I/we go through 20+ barrels a year. If there was a difference in performance, any difference we would simply do it. There’s not. The only difference is potentially in “cleaning” time if you try to clean to bare metal. That brings up a whole other conversation- “cleaning”. Is cleaning really doing anything?



It’s all myth and BS. First off 3 shot groups aren’t groups. They’re statistically worthless. Go to any statistician or researcher with a straight face and say “I’m going to give you three random data points, tell me how precise I’ll be”... they will laugh. Second, very few people ever shoot a barrel out, or go through multiple barrels with the same lot of ammo or components. Of the tiny (TINY) percentage of people that do go through many barrels and track it, just about zero will even attempt not breaking in or not cleaning a barrel. Third, next time anyone says to break in a barrel, or clean a barrel- ask them how manny barrels they have not broke in, and not cleaned that shot statistically worse? If they can’t answer that... How would they know?

 

[Newtosavage]

There was a big thread on this a year or two ago, and it was pretty evenly split on whether modern rifle barrels needed a “proper break-in” or not. Personally, I’ve done both (proper break-in and no break-in whatsoever), on probably a half dozen or so rifles, and I’ve never been able to tell the difference. That’s just been my limited experience with it.


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Ditto.

I think every barrel is going to shoot better after 50-100 rounds no matter how you get there.