How many bullets does it take to........

[mikegaiz]

Trying to get some idea about:

How many bullets do you shoot or should you shoot through a new barrel before you start actual load testing?

I have been shoot around 25 rounds for barrel brake in and cleaning before I start my ladder test. just would like to know if that is a good practice.

 

[MrMajestic]

How many bullets do you shoot or should you shoot through a new barrel before you start actual load testing?

Mike, Every barrel is different. I have had them clean up in 6 rounds and had them go over 100 for Factory barrels.
The idea is to shoot and clean until the copper fouling is reduced.

 

[ReedG]

MrMajestic has it right, Mike. On custom barrels, I shoot and clean for five rounds or less if the copper fouling stops or drastically reduces. Hating to waste rounds, though, I find that even in these early break-in rounds you can get some ideas about the barrel. With a factory barrel, it's usually a crap shoot and I shoot and clean five rounds and then start shooting for groups. Some factory tubes will clean up pretty good and others not so well, but most can be made to shoot respectably if they have a decent throat.

 

[spclark]

Depends on the brand of barrel, quality of chambering job mostly. I typically shoot five rounds loaded for minimum velocity, cleaning well before the very first shot then between each round.

Then I'll do five more at more typical speeds, see what patches look like in between. Usually that's enough.

Some folks expressed dismay over a suggestion I made about running a patch damp with common ATF fluid before each break-in round awhile back. I got the idea from a very capable F-Class shooter & found it does seem to speed up the break-in period. Theory is the ATF fills in micropores in the metal thus preventing early build-up of copper or other fouling that otherwise would be very difficult to remove & potentially leading to faster fouling later on.

Done one new Palma barrel this way, took only the first five rounds to settle in & has never shown a tendency to foul at all since.

 

[WyleWD]

spclark -

Wouldn't advising a wet barrel, run the risk of hydraulicing the barrel?
Is the ATF fluid less aceptable to burnishing then gun oils?

Thanks,
Donovan Moran

Good post Donovan. I'm wondering about the hydraulicing too. There is so much difference in "gun oils" that it is probably hard to say about the burnishing. My wild guess is that someone is recommending the ATF to neutralize the cleaner THEN it is wiped out of the bore with subsequent patches. WD

 

[bozo699]

spclark -

Wouldn't advising a wet barrel, run the risk of hydraulicing the barrel?
Is the ATF fluid less aceptable to burnishing then gun oils?

Thanks,
Donovan Moran

Good post Donovan, I would be very skeptical of this myself.
Wayne.

 

[BuffaloBill]

I recently assembled a 243AI with a Krieger barrel and began load testing after the first 5 sight-in rounds. This was the first use of the PTG reamer. I found almost no copper fouling during the 20 rounds I have down the bore so far.

 

[fdshuster]

About a year ago I had a new chambering done ( 6 BR) with a Krieger barrel. It produced a lot of copper for the first 20 shots, then all of a sudden, stopped coppering.

Just recently had another Krieger chambered ( 30 BR), and after 5 shots fired it was completely copper free.

Today, both barrels are 2 of my easiest to clean/ minimal time and effort, and the results are verified with my borescope.

They are all different, and must be treated as such.

 

[DennisH]

How many bullets do you shoot or should you shoot through a new barrel before you start actual load testing?

After 5 shots on a quality match barrel, I am looking for my load.

After 20 rounds down the tube, I get real serious!

 

[Shynloco]

I really enjoy reading some of the things people do to their new barrels and their ideas of what it takes to "break in" a new barrel. But ATF Fluid is something I've never heard of being used and would be hard pressed to even consider it. Personally, I treat 'general production" barrels (already installed) differently than say a Match Grade barrel that I'd have my Gunsmith ream and install. I've always used a system that has worked well for me on the "general production" barrels that calls for using 40 rds (1 shot - clean barrel X5, then 3 shots -clean barrel X5, then 5 shots - clean barrel X 4) and I'm ready to go. With Match Grade barrels, they should pretty much be ready to go from the git go, but I use the opportunity to fireform my new brass I'll be using in that new barrel and that is usually 40 rounds again. The idea is not to "waste" anymore bullet than necessary and it seems to me that "40" number has worked for me for more than 50+ years in several rifles that have produced some very favorable groups. And for whatever this may be worth, I have continued to clean barrels every 60 rds at the most and more like 40 rounds on most of my rifles and particularly the Benchrest rifles. ATF Fluid...REALLY?

 

[DennisH]

With Match Grade barrels, they should pretty much be ready to go from the git go

I have found this to be the case with every match barrel I have broken in. I pretty well use the same process as Shynloco just to be sure!

 

[4xforfun]

I am not sure what you are asking.......most will tell you that it takes 50 or so rounds before the velocity settles in. I guess that could be considered part of the break in...I'm not sure. As far as what I would call the definition of BBl break in...ie...when the tube starts to clean very easily with little or no copper. My last four bbls were all Kriegers. The first two took a total of THREE shots (shoot-clean-shoot-clean...) before cleanup was just a couple of wet patches.....NO BRUSHING, and no copper remover. The second two were TWO shots each.

I consider these tubes "broken in".

The question remains,,,,when does a tube settle in as far as velocity? When should "serious" load development start? That is what I like to know.

As far as a "wet" bbl. I run a "wet" patch with a very light oil down the tube after each cleaning...weather break in or at the end of the life of a tube. I keep the small for caliber patches in a small baggy...reuse them, and put ONE small drop on the patch each time. I can't imagine that there would be any more than a light film in the bore.

Good luck,
Tod

 

[fguffey]

I built a 270 Winchester, I loaded 60 rounds with 12 different loads with 5 rounds in each group, different cases, powder and bullets, the first group of 5 shot as well as the 5 in the last group.

Before that I went back and forth to the range with a non-Weatherby chambered in a non-Weatherby chamber, 4 boxes of Federal Gold Medal, 80 rounds, changing scopes, rings and mounts and making adjustments, the 74th round was in absolute dead canter, the next 5 went through the same hole at 100 yards.

After the non-Weatherby I took a model 70 Winchester chambered in 300 Win mag to the range, 6 boxes, 120 rounds, the last 3 boxes were loaded in groups of 5, from start to finish the Winchester shot patterns, not groups. Winchester informed me I needed to shoot it more, we had words, I sent the rifle back, then I offered to pick the rifle up from them, they returned the rifle and that is where is sits. I explained to them my dies did not fit cases fired in their chamber, I ask for a chamber that fit my dies or dies that fit their chamber.

F. Guffey

 

[bozo699]

Good Lord! :
Wayne.