Question on centerfire barrel seasoning

[Bart B.]

Never worked up a load huh? They all shoot their best with the same loads?

Yes. 20- to 30-shot groups were less than a 10% spread across them. Statistically significant enough for me. First few-shot strings in each had about 4X spread in size; initial one not always the smallest.

 

[Shynloco]

If you are trying out different loads , factory ammo , does switching from one brand to another , Federal to Wichester for example , does it require a group or two for barrel to season to the change ?
Or should a barrel be cleaned before changing manufacturers ?
Or does it matter ? Thanks , Kenneth

I'll have to go with HogPatrol on this one. You've got too many variables when shooting factory ammo, no matter who makes it. But I wholeheartedly agree with what many have said, anytime you change loads/powders, gotta clean the barrel. And all that after a barrel has been "seasoned" or "broken in." Rimfire is even more restrictive in terms of MUST CLEAN whenever changing from one Rimfire Ammo to another. But overall with Centerfire, much depends on the discipline, the rifle itself and even the various types of loads (bullets and powders) used in the manufacturing of cartridges commercially. Personally, if I were wanting to test a commercially manufacturer load in any rifle, I'd want a clean barrel to do it in, especially if its ultimate accuracy you are chasing in a particular rifle.

Alex

 

[Bart B.]

How much do you think a 30 caliber magnum's groups' centers move and size changes if one had a 200 grain bullet over 64 grains of powder and the other load had 190's over 65 gains of the same powder?

The two loads I used 15-shot groups at 1000 yards had almost an inch difference in elevation center and a half inch in group sizes.