Barrel break in

[4xforfun]

I am a ferm believer in breaking in ANY new tube, factory or custom. I have 4 new bbls either already installed or on the way....all Kriegers.

My 6-6.5-47L that I got in late october has 300 rounds through it already....Bangin on steel...big fun, but another topic.

The break in process with this one was the shortest I had seen up to that time. I cleaned it to get the junk out of it and shot one shot and cleaned....pushed 3 wet patches through two times each........push a brush through 5 or 6 times...let sit for 10 min....patch dry, and patch in some Sweets. If I got ANY BLUE, I repeated the processes...over and over, untill the sweets showa NO BLUE. Then shoot and repeat. After 3 shots I switched to a nylon brush, and after the fifth shot....and now, even after 75 shot strings...it is 6 wet patches...that is it....CLEAN....NO COPPER. Now, I may be starting to get some carbon buildup. I don't yet own a bore scope. I feel NO RESISTANCE with the patches, but I am sure there must be some carbon.

Second tube....Krieger 6mm Dasher...just screwed it on today.......after 3 shots..it is a 6 patch deal...AGAIN.......no copper....CLEAN....AWSOME!!!

My question is this....do you think I am done with the breakin? I have always followed the single shoot/clean process with 4 shots/clean for 5 groups, followed by 7 shots (fouler and two 3 shot groups) for 3 -5 groups. BUT.....I have never, ever had tubes that cleaned up this easy. For the ones that cleaned up fast it only lasted 50 to 100 shots and the copper mining began.

I sure hope that my two .30 cals, which either just arrived or are due soon, are this good.

 

[jbpmidas]

My Brux .308 is EXTREMELY easy to clean. My break-in process is a little different than yours, but it was very short. That barrel was no different cleaning after a 70+ round match Saturday than a normal 15-20 round range session, and no copper.

 

[4xforfun]

My Brux .308 is EXTREMELY easy to clean. My break-in process is a little different than yours, but it was very short. That barrel was no different cleaning after a 70+ round match Saturday than a normal 15-20 round range session, and no copper.

So, my question still stands...if it were yours, would you call the breakin process compleat?

Thanks, Tod

 

[jbpmidas]

I did on mine. If it's as easy to clean after 75 rounds as it is after 15, you're not getting any build up. That's the goal isn't it? Without that build up, accuracy should be better maintained.

 

[watercam]

Your initial break in is done. Your barrel should show even more improvement after 100-200 rounds. For what it is worth, I am lucky enough to shoot with several Palma team members and NONE of them break in their custom barrels (Kriegers every one). I scored for one gent with more trigger time under his belt than twenty of the rest of us in our lifetimes and his first rounds down the bore were in a 1000 yd. Long Range match. 10s and (mostly) Xs only once he got on paper. In a fish tail wind to boot. That's when I stopped 'breaking in' custom barrels from reputable makers. I also watch this gentleman shoot when ever I can and learn anything I can...

 

[fdshuster]

I've broken in many custom lapped barrels over the last 10 years, and they are all different.

Recently had a Kreiger that coppered heavily for the first 20 rounds, then stopped & has been copper free & very quick & easy to clean.

The next Krieger, about 4 months later, showed minimal copper from the first shot fired. Immediately went to 3 shots & clean, still no copper, went to 5, none, done!

All bore conditions verified with my Hawkeye Borescope, so I'm not depending on what the patch's show.

 

[Jim See]

Barrel break in is not really the process, as it is the "conditioning" of the bore.

A barrel will break in weather you do anything or not.

The purpose of a phisical act of cleaning after every 1 or 3 or 5 rounds is to prevent a build-up of copper that will be more difficult to remove, had you went to the range and shot 25 rounds on a Brand NEW barrel.

Once the barrel is cleaning easy and copper fouling has dropped off to near nothing, that part of the break-in is done., could be as little as 3-5 rounds, and 1-2 cleanings, depending on barrel condition, bullets, and cartriage velocity.

What you will see in many barrels is an increase in velocity at the 50-100 round mark, I have done this; Load up 100 rounds for a new tube all the same, first 10 rounds may for example be 2850 fps, by the last 90-100 shots fired it may be 2930 fps. When the velocities stabalize at the increased speed is when I do my actual load development, but only if the load I started with is not shooting under 1/2moa, or at the speed I expect.

If somebody told me they never break-in their barrels then my next question is; Have you ever shot the gun? Have you ever cleaned it? If they answered yes then they broke in their barrel. Not on purpose but by default.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

What you will see in many barrels is an increase in velocity at the 50-100 round mark, I have done this; Load up 100 rounds for a new tube all the same, first 10 rounds may for example be 2850 fps, by the last 90-100 shots fired it may be 2930 fps. When the velocities stabalize at the increased speed is when I do my actual load development, but only if the load I started with is not shooting under 1/2moa, or at the speed I expect.

+1!

I don't even start messing with the powder load until I see the velocities jump and stabilize. On my past 3 barrels (3 different calibers), this has been at about the 90 - 150 round mark. These were barrels from Broughton, Kreiger and Bartlein. The Broughton took the longest to jump-and-stabilize and the Bartlein the shortest. Not sure if that means anything.

 

[artbosco]

My question is this....do you think I am done with the break in? I have always followed the single shoot/clean process with 4 shots/clean for 5 groups, followed by 7 shots (fouler and two 3 shot groups) for 3 -5 groups. BUT.....I have never, ever had tubes that cleaned up this easy. For the ones that cleaned up fast it only lasted 50 to 100 shots and the copper mining began. I sure hope that my two .30 cals, which either just arrived or are due soon, are this good.

If you've never own Krieger barrels before, you're now in for a treat when it comes to cleaning. And, no need for a lengthy break in.

Factory barrels on the other hand are a different story entirely.

EASY BARREL BREAK-IN

If you want a super easy method for both fireforming and breaking in a barrel follow Joe Krupa's method that he uses with his 6PPC:

"When I get a new barrel, I break it in with 25 pieces of newly turned brass.

I clean the new barrel, and then shoot 10 pieces to both fireform [brass] and break in the barrel. Then I clean the barrel and shoot the remaining 15.

After that, I clean the barrel and start tuning it with the first ten. I am convinced that you break in a barrel by shooting it than by cleaning it."

 

[4xforfun]

What you will see in many barrels is an increase in velocity at the 50-100 round mark, I have done this; Load up 100 rounds for a new tube all the same, first 10 rounds may for example be 2850 fps, by the last 90-100 shots fired it may be 2930 fps. When the velocities stabalize at the increased speed is when I do my actual load development, but only if the load I started with is not shooting under 1/2moa, or at the speed I expect.

+1!

I don't even start messing with the powder load until I see the velocities jump and stabilize. On my past 3 barrels (3 different calibers), this has been at about the 90 - 150 round mark. These were barrels from Broughton, Kreiger and Bartlein. The Broughton took the longest to jump-and-stabilize and the Bartlein the shortest. Not sure if that means anything.

This a new Dasher BBL, so it will get 100 rounds of fire forming before I ever get to the load work stage. I took my "good" tube off and going to save it for the 2012 1K nats. I learned my lesson about hummer tubes....SAVE EM FOR THE BIG ONES.

 

[CZ550]

My best shooting barrel never got the typical break in. I screwed it on fired it out the back door, cleaned it and then shot a 3 shot group with popular load and it shot excellent. It got dark before I could shoot it anymore so I cleaned it and took it to a match the next morning. Got third place that day in light gun and the barrel cleans and shoots better than anything I have ever seen. I have let it go over a hundred rounds and it never gets dirty.

I too no longer shoot that barrel, my gunsmith told me "your gonna miss that one when it's gone." Figured I better save it for something special so I put the barrel, powder and bullets up on the shelf.

Some barrels just clean easy some don't. Some shoot and some don't and I doubt breaking it would have made a shooter out of it.

 

[Hatrick]

My Brux .308 is EXTREMELY easy to clean. My break-in process is a little different than yours, but it was very short. That barrel was no different cleaning after a 70+ round match Saturday than a normal 15-20 round range session, and no copper.

I have been very impressed with my 4 groove brux that is chambered in 308 win. It showed very little copper during break in, cleans up like a dream, and is an absolute hammer.

My break in process is pretty much like what they recommend on Krieger's site, shoot one clean, repeat until no copper shows then shoot 3 or 5, clean repeat until no copper shows, then go to ten at a time. With the Brux it did not take long until she showed no copper. Some people say that this break in process is hoey, but I have barrels with a lot of rounds down them that still shoot well...so I guess if it did no good, it also did no harm.

 

[WyleWD]

I am a ferm believer in breaking in ANY new tube, factory or custom. I have 4 new bbls either already installed or on the way....all Kriegers.

Second tube....Krieger 6mm Dasher...just screwed it on today.......after 3 shots..it is a 6 patch deal...AGAIN.......no copper....CLEAN....AWSOME!!!

My question is this....do you think I am done with the breakin?

IMHO, you're done with the initial break in. As some of the others have noted don't be surprised if something changes in the first 100-200 rounds though. fdshuster's practice of confirming cleanliness with a borescope is a good idea too I think.

As far as barrel break ins go, I ALWAYS follow the barrel manufacturer's recomendations. That way if there is some issue with it in the near future, improper (or not their recommended break in) proceedure won't be the manufacturer's way out of a possible claim. There are almost as many different break in proceedures as there are shooters but in the end, the people that make the barrels are either going to warrant it or not if need be. JMHO

What you're seeing with the Kreigers is the same thing I've seen with them. Some break in really quickly and easily, others will give you fits for nearly a hundred rounds or so. But yes, they ARE nice shooting barrels. WD

 

[geezerhood]

My friend is having similar results with Krieger barrels.

He can't seem to get them to copper foul without a LOT of rounds down the tube. One of them is in 22-250 AI and he pushes it hard, still almost no copper after over 100 rounds.

 

[Leaddog]

Recently broke in a new Hart barrel. Shot 3, cleaned, shot 3 cleaned, done. Best barrel I have. After 400 rounds, I get zero copper fouling.

 

[brian427cobra]

I do barrel break in by shooting, this clean shoot clean shoot thing is just a way for a barrel manufacture to sell more barrels.

 

[johara1]

I have found over the years most copper comes from the throat till polished out by the bullet. One shot and clean till no copper is found. I never use a brush so not to scratch it and i bore scope the whole barrel between shots, on a good barrel 5 rds. or less. The last Kreiger was no copper on the first rd. this barrel has avery good finish inside it looks like a Brux. I use 3 different Barrels Kreiger,Brux and Bartlein and all seem to shoot well if they clean easy,if they don't they go down the road..........jim

 

[4xforfun]

I do barrel break in by shooting, this clean shoot clean shoot thing is just a way for a barrel manufacture to sell more barrels.

...and for people to win national championships.

 

[jkl]

Check out German Salazar's barrel break in article. I have seen him shoot 600 with a big X count breaking a barrel in.

John