Is it OK to do barrel break in at the same time as a ladder test?

[stubbicatt]

Or is it better to do your OCW research from a fouled barrel?

I will be breaking in my 6.5x47 probably some time in October, maybe next year, which. Will I obtain reliable data from ladder testing while breaking it in?

Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Stubb

 

[watercam]

Really good question. You probably will get some indication of the barrels accuracy nodes but not it's accuracy potential. Like any ladder test it will give you load indications for further analysis. Some where down the road with 100-200 rounds down the tube you will see it's true potential.
Post again with your results.

 

[Erik Cortina]

If it's a match hand lapped barrel don't worry about breaking it in, just start working up loads. I clean my barrels for the first time when they have about 100 rounds through them weather they need cleaning or not.

 

[TonyR]

The rounds fired during break-in can be helpful if they are shot over a chronograph and there is some idea about where the velocity node is likely to be. Shots on a clean barrel don't tell much but I do increase the charge progressively as I shoot one and clean until I get within say 50 fps of where I expect the barrel to shoot. By that time, I consider the barrel broken in. I always do my ladder tests on a dirty barrel, 10 shots minimum to foul after a cleaning. But those break-in shots do give me a pretty good idea what powder charges to start the ladders with.

As watercam says, sometimes it can take 100-200 rounds for a barrel to settle in. I have seen that more often with button-rifled barrels than cut-rifled barrels. Sometimes, a barrel will just speed up after 100-200 rounds and it has to be re-tuned.

 

[Raythemanroe]

I would guess you don't have any bullets fire formed if your still breaking in the barrel. I would take it out and use some fairly mild loads to break it in and take your casings back and do all the prep work on them that needs to be done. Then come back to the range for some real data, maybe set up your chrono while your doing the ladder testing.

 

[CZ550]

If your lucky enough to have the correct load the first 5 out of a new barrel will shoot as good as it will after 50.

And virgin brass with proper prep has shot 1 1/2 inch groups at 600 yards for me so I'm not convinced it worth wasting components fireforming either.

 

[Steve Blair]

As watercam says, sometimes it can take 100-200 rounds for a barrel to settle in. I have seen that more often with button-rifled barrels than cut-rifled barrels. Sometimes, a barrel will just speed up after 100-200 rounds and it has to be re-tuned.

[br]
This is what I've seen, too. My barrels are not velocity stable until they have about 150-200 rounds fired. They always require load changes when velocity stabilizes.

 

[stubbicatt]

Thanks all. I have so much to learn.

 

[ShootDots]

I am an "old-head" shooter, where barrel break-ins were never even thought of. About 20 years ago, after shooting with Jim Myers, Gene Buckys and the like, they started a new thing called "barrel break-in".. Well that started me on my way to cleaner barrels. I found, back then, that BOTH factory barrels as well as "custom" barrels needed breaking in. I had a Hart barrel in 220 Swift that took 3 full days of shooting and scrubbing to get it to the point where it would not copper up very easily! Having said that, in the last 5 or so years, I have found that excellent custom barrels, especially the "cut rifling" variety, take few, if any, rounds to "break-in".. The last 2 barrels I "broke-in" did not copper foul from the start! I am beginning to "re-think" barrel break in procedures as unnecessary! T-Rust me, anyone who knows me, knows that changing my opinion takes some doing! So for me to even consider this, tells me the barrels are W-A-Y better today than even 10+ years ago. My opinion is that if you stay with the "cut-rifle" crowd, Bartlein, Brux or Krieger, you might just as well start shooting right out of the starting gate as breaking a barrel in may just be a waste of time. However, I have found that barrels "settle down" after about 200 or so rounds and they really start shooting to their potential..