German, Your Barrel Break in

[deadlyswift]

Here is a good article that might shed some light?

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/how-to-break-in-a-barrel/

Me I do agree with this article as too custom hand lapped barrels. My custom hand lapped Broughton Broke in so quick it was hard for me to grasp! The Hawkeye bore scope had to prove it to me, for me to believe it!

Even with what the article states. I'm still not sure it applys to Factory barrels? Then again after my Broughton doing what it has done. I'm not sure I'll own another factory barrel after the current barrels burn out!
Mark

 

[bozo699]

I won't argue with the likes of German, McMillian, and other top shooters and smiths. they have forgot more than I will ever know. But it has been my experience that barrels clean easier when a standard breakin procedure has been done. I am not saying they shoot any better I am saying I can see a definite improvement in cleaning.I like to do my load development with fire formed brass, so I can kill two birds with one stone. I do complete prep work on 20 pieces of brass, with that I can get my opc and other work out of the way with that first 20 shots. Then do my load work. @ any rate from shot # 1 I am doing what I love to do, (SHOOTING MY NEW RIFLE). And as stated earlier by someone I sleep better.
Wayne.

 

[bozo699]

I forgot to mention I don't bother breaking in factory barrels anymore as I believe almost all of them are JUNK and I don't waste my time on them, they usually get replaced right away with a hart, shilen, krieger or some other custom precision barrel. And even though they are hand lapped they clean better for me after the breakin.
This has been my experience anyway FWIW.
Wayne.

 

[GermanS1]

Wayne, I definitely won't argue with anyone who believes a barrel break-in is useful, I'm sure that belief is backed up by experience. It's one of those things that we each decide how important it is to us.

About 7 or 8 years ago, I decided to do a barrel break-in on a 6.5-08 barrel that I had just received and planned to shoot that weekend. The only problem was my work schedule and the small fact that the range was 200 miles from home. I found a small indoor range that was open at night and allowed centerfire rifle shooting and did it there. It was in Miami, not the glitzy part you see on TV, but the seedy underbelly. Let me tell you, that range's clients, 9mm hosers to a man, couldn't understand why the weird guy (me) with the really weird rifle would pay the range fee just to clean his rifle all night. It was quite an experience, I should have taken a pistol just for effect.

 

[butchlambert]

In the old days I tried to break them in. I have a fireforming barrel for ea. caliber that I shoot in competition. After fireforming, I put the new barrel on and go to the range to check my loads. Most of us that have shot a lot find that our loads change very little. I clean every 10 rounds checking my loads. You should know in no more than 50 rounds what powder load and your seating depth. Your wearing your barrel out from the first round. It may clean a little better after a 100 rounds or so, but the accuracy is there at the get go.
Butch

 

[bozo699]

Thanks German I appreciate that I guess you must have looked pretty silly to those pistol shooters that clean there pistols every 500 rounds or so with a couple of patches of hoppes.

Butch,
I 100% agree with you on the accuracy from the get go. I bought a new Tikka 7mm-08 a month or so ago. I preped my 20 peices of brass, in 10 rounds it was cleaning great. 13 more rounds to complete load work. Its just a hunting rifle but its consistantly shooting under 1/2" so I didn't look any further. (maybe I should have)
I normally don't bother with barrel breakin on factory barrels but this rifle impressed me from the start so I decided to anyways. The cheap speer hotcores I used for breakin shot under a inch on a completly clean barrel each shot for all ten shots, so I believe you when you say the accuracy is there from the get go. Thanks
Wayne.