Barrel Break-in...thoughts?

[JeffRaines]

I am with form and part of the "no break in needed" crowd.

I have yet to see anything substantial enough data-wise to support needing to break in a barrel. I do believe that in some cases tooling marks or whatnot are left in the barrel and are worked out, but I don't think you need to do the BS "shoot one clean one" etc. to hasten that process.

I think, like many have said(and I've personally experienced) after 50-75 rounds the barrel begins to shoot better regardless of break in or not. My Kimber in 308 was like this - first 40 rounds or so the groups were 'so-so' then it just started shooting like it should. I also bought a Bergara B14 in 300, that one was shooting a good group by round 15(and likely would've shot a good group before that had I discovered earlier how to hold it right).

 

[deerkiller]

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

you just read a "professional's" report right above yours …...

 

[deerkiller]

Clean with #9. Some interesting thoughts here.


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because you like the smell ?

 

[Bobbyboe]

Just bought and shot a new Tikka today. I went to the range with 40 rounds and began shooting. First three shots were at about 1.5”. After that the gun began settling in. The last 5 shots of the day measured .5”.

I don’t and will not ever break in a barrel. In addition, I will not clean a barrel unless the season is over and the gun will be sitting for months.

PS: I can’t believe how accurate and easy Tikka’s are to shoot! I wish I bought one sooner........

 

[deerkiller]

interesting to me is WHO is telling you to break in or clean barrels ? I was a real estate home inspector, after retiring from the fire service, for 11 + years right up to and through the '08 crash - We had to do quite a bit of continuing education, I got tired/bored with the inspectors' association "Saturday group classes" so sought out remedial education and such through PCC, found an "inspection ONLY" contractor, meaning they did inspections and no repairs of any kind period - Quite a different take on siding and stucco problems from them than ANY other sources, who typically had "their" way … My point ? It became questionable to me when a barreling/rebarrelling gunsmith(s) was always advising methodology for cleaning and breaking in barrels and never "just shoot it", especially after watching a lengthy tutorial by a former military sniper on HIS take on the topic - I was always "careful" when cleaning my PD rifle barrels (as many as 5 on each trip of 4 -7 days) common "knowledge" being you HAD to clean each evening - No way to prove it but I KNOW I did way more damage "carefully" cleaning my rifle barrels each night than another 2,000 to 4,000+ rounds down the pipe would have caused and I don't EVER remember cleaning a barrel that had "lost accuracy" but always depended on my gunsmith to let me know when one "needed" replacing - I've not "broken in" a barrel on my or another's new barrel in a long time but accuracy and barrel life has not changed unless for the better, to date (sorry for the "story")

 

[Braaap]

My buddy that is concerned about break-in thinks his barrel will wear out quicker and be less accurate if not broken in with the typical break in procedure. I sent him this thread and Formidilosus's pics of groups. He doesn't think Form shoots long range with those groups and with his lack of barrel cleaning.

He just broke in his new Browning X Bolt by cleaning between shots. It took him 47 rounds. His gun is not shooting well. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that it's the gun and not his skills.

Can that break in procedure do harm?

My Tikka wasn't broken in at all and has been amazing from the beginning.

 

[amassi]

My buddy that is concerned about break-in thinks his barrel will wear out quicker and be less accurate if not broken in with the typical break in procedure. I sent him this thread and Formidilosus's pics of groups. He doesn't think Form shoots long range with those groups and with his lack of barrel cleaning.

He just broke in his new Browning X Bolt by cleaning between shots. It took him 47 rounds. His gun is not shooting well. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that it's the gun and not his skills.

Can that break in procedure do harm?

My Tikka wasn't broken in at all and has been amazing from the beginning.

Definitely can do some harm
Once your buddy fouls that barrel enough to shoot well hes going to clean it which will change the barrels velocity and pressure and his groups will open up. Then hes going to spend money and time on solvents and ammo getting back to a fouled condition where its shooting well just in time and he will clean and groups open up again. Eventually he will blame moruku and swear off x bolts all together
Barrels wear out from bullets and other object clanging down them. Your buddy will use 20% of that barrel life cleaning and refouling when he could be out shooting and clanging steel.

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[KChunter71]

because you like the smell ?

ballistol is even better!


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[BeastOfTheTrees]

So most people here don’t clean your Rifles after each usage..... that seems like blasphemy to me

 

[KClark]

So most people here don’t clean your Rifles after each usage..... that seems like blasphemy to me

After I spent effort, time and money to season it? No way, I want it to keep shooting it's best and not have to start over.

 

[mt100gr.]

So most people here don’t clean your Rifles after each usage..... that seems like blasphemy to me

I gave up the ritualistic cleaning after shooting some years ago and haven't looked back. Makes shooting even more fun.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

I don’t understand how does a dirty rifle make it work better? Clean functional weapons make them last forever and work smoothly that’s like the first thing anyone learns about rifles.... even mountain men in the accounts of them cleaned their rifles after a battle..... I’ve just never heard of leaving it dirty and never cleaving it that seems wild

 

[204guy]

Going into the field with a clean bore is an unpredictable disaster waiting to happen. Always, always go a afield with a fouled bore.

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[Mashthegas]

I am in the just shoot it crowd. That being said, I generally follow the manufacturer's recommendations or my gunsmith's recommendations. That way if there are accuracy issues there's no excuses.

 

[menhaden_man]

you just read a "professional's" report right above yours …...

I don't disagree those are slick groups by a guy that obviously has more trigger time than myself... I'm just offering my opinion and sharing what the guys at Nosler and other manufacturers recommend. I also know guys that don't change their oil like they should... I don't judge 'em, just won't do that with my pickup.

 

[justin davis]

I know cooper recommends a break in period. They have some very accurate rifles

 

[deerkiller]

There are "shooters" who see a rifle as a necessary "tool" that only needs to be treated with respect and there are "shooters" that see the world of rifles and shooting as a "hobby" like washing your Corvette on Saturdays, etc …. AND there are shooters who also take note and record what happens as those "tools" are used as tools should be used, some of us learn from "those" shooters, some do not - so is the way of the world (grasshoppa)

 

[Formidilosus]

I don’t understand how does a dirty rifle make it work better? Clean functional weapons make them last forever and work smoothly that’s like the first thing anyone learns about rifles.... even mountain men in the accounts of them cleaned their rifles after a battle..... I’ve just never heard of leaving it dirty and never cleaving it that seems wild

Work better= static zero.


How does Mountain men with black powder muzzle loaders (though you just discovered where our “knowledge” of cleaning comes from) have anything to do with modern firearms and non corrosive ammunition?

Here’s a type of question that everyone should ask when given advice-

How many weapons have you shot and used enough to truly wear out or break? If you have truly worn some out by shooting, did they fail due to a dirty bore? If the answer is “zero”, then your beliefs come from folklore.
What actual damage occurs if I shoot 20 rounds of modern ammunition through a centerfire rifle and do not clean it?

 

[Muley Buck]

I truly enjoy and appreciate Forms pragmatic view and approach concerning firearms and shooting. It is simple, enlightening and logical.
For most, (including myself) we need to unlearn a bunch of B.S. we were taught. I notice we tend to do things just because "its always been that way" or "my dad and grandpa taught me" or I know a guy that's an "expert". Even though there is no evidence or practical knowledge backing those methods. Form provokes a logical thought process to a realistic conclusion. It is much appreciated by me, and I'm assuming many others.

 

[deerkiller]

I truly enjoy and appreciate Forms pragmatic view and approach concerning firearms and shooting. It is simple, enlightening and logical.
For most, (including myself) we need to unlearn a bunch of B.S. we were taught. I notice we tend to do things just because "its always been that way" or "my dad and grandpa taught me" or I know a guy that's an "expert". Even though there is no evidence or practical knowledge backing those methods. Form provokes a logical thought process to a realistic conclusion. It is much appreciated by me, and I'm assuming many others.

not only "pragmatic" but actually TESTED, there is the biggest difference to my mind