Breaking in a barrel question.

[moondog]

Just starting to break in a new 300PRC barrel. Normal routine for me is shoot one, clean, for 5 shots. Then, 3 shots,clean. I do look at the machining marks after every shot with a Borescope to see the progression. I'm 5 shots into it now and tried running a patch with Kroil after seeing it here. 3 shots just a few moments ago in the back yard and Wow! Cut the fouling down to almost nothing.

 

[Clancy]

I clean a barrel thoroughly before and after the first shot. I clean it again after the 10th shot. After that I just settle into my normal every 40-50 round cleaning regimen.

I have often thought of polishing the throat a bit after the barrel is chambered, but I bet that first bullet does a decent job so I don’t worry about it too much.

I would accuse anyone that says they send bullets down a dry bore of pulling your leg.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I clean a barrel thoroughly before and after the first shot. I clean it again after the 10th shot. After that I just settle into my normal every 40-50 round cleaning regimen.

I have often thought of polishing the throat a bit after the barrel is chambered, but I bet that first bullet does a decent job so I don’t worry about it too much.

I would accuse anyone that says they send bullets down a dry bore of pulling your leg.

I have never sent a bullet down a bore with anything in it besides graphite sometimes. My last patch is always a carb cleaner patch. Seen too much oil getting into chambers to dare oil a bore

 

[Clancy]

I have never sent a bullet down a bore with anything in it besides graphite sometimes. My last patch is always a carb cleaner patch. Seen too much oil getting into chambers to dare oil a bore

It’s February 14 not April 1st….

 

[Dusty Stevens]

It’s February 14 not April 1st….

I think its pretty well known no benchrest shooter oils their bore before shooting

 

[newbieshooter]

I clean a barrel thoroughly before and after the first shot. I clean it again after the 10th shot. After that I just settle into my normal every 40-50 round cleaning regimen.

I have often thought of polishing the throat a bit after the barrel is chambered, but I bet that first bullet does a decent job so I don’t worry about it too much.

I would accuse anyone that says they send bullets down a dry bore of pulling your leg.

Sunday Gunday: Glenn Kulzer Sets 8 1000-Yard Records in 2021 « Daily Bulletin

Kulzer Sets Eight New IBS 1000-Yard IBS Benchrest Records with 6 BRA Rifle Report by Alex Wheeler 2021 was a banner year for 1000-yard Benchrest. Glenn Kulzer of Dillon, Montana had a season that will go down in history. Glenn set eight IBS records in 2021 at the Deep Creek range in Missoula...

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

video #3 @ 1:10 - sends them down a dry bore?

 

[Clancy]

I think its pretty well known no benchrest shooter oils their bore before shooting

2-3 drops of kroil or a patch of lock ease/store bought graphite is all I have ever heard of or been instructed to do. To use the old cliche, if it’s good enough for Tony it’s good enough for me.

You’re really telling me that you clean them with carb cleaner (which would remove even the trace amount of solvent that some rely on) and fire that gun with the bore thoroughly clean and bone dry and it doesn’t eat half the hide off that first bullet?

I have literally done this test, standing in the floor of one of the best smiths in the country, and with no surprise a bore cleaned with brake cleaner turned solid copper after the first shot. We laughed about it, spent an hour cleaning it and chalked it up to yea…. That’s why you don’t send a bullet down a dry bore.

 

[Clancy]

Sunday Gunday: Glenn Kulzer Sets 8 1000-Yard Records in 2021 « Daily Bulletin

Kulzer Sets Eight New IBS 1000-Yard IBS Benchrest Records with 6 BRA Rifle Report by Alex Wheeler 2021 was a banner year for 1000-yard Benchrest. Glenn Kulzer of Dillon, Montana had a season that will go down in history. Glenn set eight IBS records in 2021 at the Deep Creek range in Missoula...

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

video #3 @ 1:10 - sends them down a dry bore?

Noteworthy for sure. Can’t argue with his results.

 

[Clancy]

I have never sent a bullet down a bore with anything in it besides graphite sometimes. My last patch is always a carb cleaner patch. Seen too much oil getting into chambers to dare oil a bore

I wouldn’t ever have to worry about this because literally the last thing I do before firing that rifle is thoroughly clean the chamber, for exactly that reason.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

2-3 drops of kroil or a patch of lock ease/store bought graphite is all I have ever heard of or been instructed to do. To use the old cliche, if it’s good enough for Tony it’s good enough for me.

You’re really telling me that you clean them with carb cleaner (which would remove even the trace amount of solvent that some rely on) and fire that gun with the bore thoroughly clean and bone dry and it doesn’t eat half the hide off that first bullet?

I have literally done this test, standing in the floor of one of the best smiths in the country, and with no surprise a bore cleaned with brake cleaner turned solid copper after the first shot. We laughed about it, spent an hour cleaning it and chalked it up to yea…. That’s why you don’t send a bullet down a dry bore.

We use lock ease sometimes

 

[Bob3700]

Bob, after posting about using bullets with abrasive, I doubt you would understand what Dave uses. He ain't going to waste typewriter ribbon posting his method.

Butch, I felt that you reply was unjustified (harsh) given that I did not attack Dave. I was just interested in his reply as we use different techniques to address the same problem. Dave is polishing the just machined throat to remove machine marks just like I am, (and several others based on their replies) he is just using fine steel wool instead of a polishing paste. You may disagree with the use of abrasives in a bore, fine.
When someone explains what they are doing to address a problem or even asking a question, for anyone to reply on how wrong or basic someone is but not offer their solution/education is not what I thought this forum was about.
If my "Waiting" reply offended anyone, I apologize for the remark. Just trying to get those who were downplaying my method to educate me with how they approach the problem.

Bob

 

[Bob3700]

Thanks for the defense Butch.
Here's what I do.
Let's say 30 caliber. I take a subcaliber brush. 7MM or 6.5MM Wrap it with 0000 steel wool until I get snug fit in the bore. That may raise eyebrows but I use 0000 steel wool on furniture and wood stocks. Then I pop the throat about 10 times. Depending on reamer condition I can feel a change during that brief polishing. As well as polishing the trailing edge and the leade, most don't realize there is also an edge rolled up in the groove where the freebore transitions to the leade. This varies from reamer to reamer and is/can be age dependent. The throat area on a reamer is the most important and is the first to wear. Throat wear dictates when I take a reamer out of service.
Here's a hypothetical for you. It's not hypothetical here as I've seen it many times and I'm sure others have as well. The reamer FB diameter is on the min side. Meaning less than .0005" over nominal groove diameter which most reamers are these days. Groove diameter is on the plus side. That sets up a condition where a portion of the land extends back to the neck. Not good. You have an initial 45 degree forcing cone not 1'-30".

Dave, Thanks for spending your tipwritter ribbon even if Butch didn't think I was worth the effort.

I know that smallbore shooters use the steel wool method to remove leading in the lead of their bbls. That 0000 wool will certainly polish the throat area without hurting the bbl steal. Like I posted, we use the abrasive paste (pretty fine stuff) to remove the faze and keep the throat polished. There are those who don't believe in abrasives and I respect that. Like I said, there are many ways to skin a cat , and in the end the cat is still skinned.
We shoot HP at MR and LR and have not seen any detrimental effects on bbl life. In fact, the combination of polishing the throat and utilizing salt bath nitriding has given us very good bbl life, especially in "Bbl burners" like 6.5x284s, 243 SLRs, and 6XCs.

Thanks again for the post, appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

Bob

 

[tobnpr]

The throat area on a reamer is the most important and is the first to wear.

Obvious, yet this simple fact eluded me for too long. The most important section of the reamer sees the most wear- it's cutting from the very start to the finish.

I use a rougher (or finisher that's seen a "few" chambers) after pre-bore until the very end of the chambering process for commonly used reamers. I'll switch to the "real" finisher when I get close to the depth where I'm cutting the actual throat. Minimal use only at the tail end of the work keeps it razor sharp longer.

 

[butchlambert]

2-3 drops of kroil or a patch of lock ease/store bought graphite is all I have ever heard of or been instructed to do. To use the old cliche, if it’s good enough for Tony it’s good enough for me.

You’re really telling me that you clean them with carb cleaner (which would remove even the trace amount of solvent that some rely on) and fire that gun with the bore thoroughly clean and bone dry and it doesn’t eat half the hide off that first bullet?

I have literally done this test, standing in the floor of one of the best smiths in the country, and with no surprise a bore cleaned with brake cleaner turned solid copper after the first shot. We laughed about it, spent an hour cleaning it and chalked it up to yea…. That’s why you don’t send a bullet down a dry bore.

Where have I shot with you?

 

[Cbashooter]

I am a real stickler with barrel break in.
I start off with a reduced load and get the bullet only going 1/4 down the bore. And I knock it out (from the muzzle end) I then do another one 1/2 down the bore and then knock it back out. Then I go 3/4 down the bore and knock it back out. After each of these shots I swab the bore 11 times. Then finally I let one go all the way out the end. Then after the last one that goes through I scrub the bore 33 times. I do this 9 more times.Then every day subsequent for 6 days I swaddle the barrel in a blanket and drip a Hoppies #9 through a baby bottle down the muzzle With a diaper collecting the messies at the chamber.. You may argue that it doesn't work but I did this with 2 barrels and shot a couple of nice groups. The people that sell cleaning supplies have guaranteed me that if I don't do this my gun will not be capable of 25 minutes of angle

 

[WayneShaw]

I never shoot a dry barrel.

 

[Clancy]

Where have I shot with you?

I doubt very seriously that we have ever crossed paths. Relevance?

 

[Clancy]

I think if something works for a guy then they should do it. I’m positive and cannot be swayed that sending a bullet down a bore with no lubricant whatsoever is a recipe for some hellacious fouling. Whether you want to use kroil, lock ease or another favorite is up to you, but a chemically dried bore is a bad thing. This can be tested in a matter of seconds as long as you’ve got the time to clean afterwards. To each their own, I guess.

 

[butchlambert]

I am a real stickler with barrel break in.
I start off with a reduced load and get the bullet only going 1/4 down the bore. And I knock it out (from the muzzle end) I then do another one 1/2 down the bore and then knock it back out. Then I go 3/4 down the bore and knock it back out. After each of these shots I swab the bore 11 times. Then finally I let one go all the way out the end. Then after the last one that goes through I scrub the bore 33 times. I do this 9 more times.Then every day subsequent for 6 days I swaddle the barrel in a blanket and drip a Hoppies #9 through a baby bottle down the muzzle With a diaper collecting the messies at the chamber.. You may argue that it doesn't work but I did this with 2 barrels and shot a couple of nice groups. The people that sell cleaning supplies have guaranteed me that if I don't do this my gun will not be capable of 25 minutes of angle

Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle

 

[butchlambert]

I doubt very seriously that we have ever crossed paths. Relevance?

Clancy, being from Texas and with your post I thought you were a competition shooter.