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zullo74 said:I concur with both Alf and Tenring. I don't break in match grade barrels. I just go right into sight in and load development.
Hey hang on a second!
Some stainless match barrels need hardly any break-in, but going straight into shooting strings on others will lead to serious copper fouling problems, and equally serious hard work in subsequently removing it.
Yes, it's true that good barrel blanks are lapped (polished) as a final step after boring and rifling, but the need for barrel break-in comes from the chamber throat. The reamer inevitably leaves tiny grooves in the throat at 90-degrees to the bore / bullet travel, and that's what you're running in with a break-in procedure. There are a few manufacturers / gunsmiths who polish these out, but they're an exception to the rule.
Your first few bullets remove this slight roughness, but lose some jacket material in the process. Some of this is left in the area just ahead of the chamber and with powder fouling will make a hard ring if left there. Most of the lost copper is vapourised and pushed down the bore by the powder gases eventually condensing on the relatively cool section in the last few inches behind the muzzle, where it's clearly visible to the naked eye.
The usual procedure is to clean after each shot using a strong copper remover. You normally find patches come out a really dark blue for the first five or six, then a couple with less colouring, then virtually none in which case you can reckon you're done, maybe just decoppering after fair size strings if still needed.
However, every barrel / chambering job is an individual and anybody who deals with a lot of new barrels finds the running-in requirement varies enormously. While some stop coppering after three of four shots, others suffer from the problem for up to 100 rounds. In the latter case, a 1-shot/clean regime is impractical. so the procedure is to use it for the first 10 shots maybe, then afterwards after some strings of five, then 20 or 25.
Sure you can ignore all this, but the risk is a heavily fouled barrel that won't clean properly, and which doesn't deliver full accuracy.
While an absolute pain in the rear, shoot/clean doesn't stop you doing load development. I've had some superb groups from brand new barrels undergoing this process.
Laurie,
York, England
Here is one other thing to keep in mind. Generally, a brand new barrel will speed-up and finally settle down long about 125 shots (in that vicinity somewhere).. I have had barrels speed up as much as 100 f.p.s. by the time it settles down. I have had them speed up as little as 20f.p.s. However, they normally settle in and the speed-up runs about 40-60f.p.s. So you CAN start load development right out of the starting gate, however, you will only get "some idea". Until that barrel stops speeding up, are you REALLY doing ACCURATE load development? So getting the barrel to stop "coppering up" is only the FIRST aspect of "breaking in" a barrel..
LA50Shooter, I have heard of MANY 28 Nosler and RL-33 stories about their accuracy! Obviously they are not just "stories" but verifiable fact! If this level of accuracy keeps up, they will have a "storied" legend indeed!!
YMMV. I just broke in a new Shilen select match barrel using a moderate load of CFE. I'd say it was done in 10-15 shots. I was cleaning with Boretech Eliminator which usually shows blue on the patches rather easily. As a matter of fact, after about 100 rounds since then, I'm still not seeing any blue. I use CFE for fireforming (223ai) and Varget for my target loads. My next barrel will be from Shilen.Will the use of CFE 223 (copper fouling eraser) during the "barrel break in period" have any advantage or will it minimize copper fouling problem?
Well.......because "I" don't make barrels, I've always deferred to the recommendations from the people that do make them.
This is what Kreiger has to say about it.
https://kriegerbarrels.com/faq#breakin
Here is one other thing to keep in mind. Generally, a brand new barrel will speed-up and finally settle down long about 125 shots (in that vicinity somewhere).. I have had barrels speed up as much as 100 f.p.s. by the time it settles down. I have had them speed up as little as 20f.p.s. However, they normally settle in and the speed-up runs about 40-60f.p.s. So you CAN start load development right out of the starting gate, however, you will only get "some idea". Until that barrel stops speeding up, are you REALLY doing ACCURATE load development? So getting the barrel to stop "coppering up" is only the FIRST aspect of "breaking in" a barrel..