Unusual barrel break-in.

[jamesdmock]

I am going to install a new barrel on my old BAT next week and I am considering using a break-in method that I learned from the late Skip Otto. With a new barrel, Skip would place a coating of oil (he used 3-in-1). He would fire a round forcing the oil into pores. He would repeat this process for several cycles and would then thoroughly clean and compete with the barrel. For those who did not know Skip, he was very opinionated and a good BR shooter. He was the first man to shoot a "zero" at 200 yards in a registered match. He shot only Panda actions and Shilen barrels (mostly 15 twist). He and I had some great discussions about BR matters. I miss seeing him at the matches. What do you think of Skip's method. James Mock

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I am going to install a new barrel on my old BAT next week and I am considering using a break-in method that I learned from the late Skip Otto. With a new barrel, Skip would place a coating of oil (he used 3-in-1). He would fire a round forcing the oil into pores. He would repeat this process for several cycles and would then thoroughly clean and compete with the barrel. For those who did not know Skip, he was very opinionated and a good BR shooter. He was the first man to shoot a "zero" at 200 yards in a registered match. He shot only Panda actions and Shilen barrels (mostly 15 twist). He and I had some great discussions about BR matters. I miss seeing him at the matches. What do you think of Skip's method. James Mock

I think skip was a genius but that break in method is a little more than most do these days with the better barrels. He would be in hog heaven these days

 

[JRS]

I watched him remove a bulged barrel using the oil trick The oil doesn't compress.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Skip opinionated? Nah. He started making bullets and asked me at Super Shoot if I would try them out. I said I'd need enough for an aggregate so he gave me 29 bullets. He said to shoot one sighter and five for record on the first four targets. I wouldn't need one on the last target because I should know where they're going by then. Twenty nine is all you need.

 

[agr516]

I think it sounds like a good way to bulge and ruin a perfectly good barrel. As stated above, oil does not compress.

 

[alinwa]

I am going to install a new barrel on my old BAT next week and I am considering using a break-in method that I learned from the late Skip Otto. With a new barrel, Skip would place a coating of oil (he used 3-in-1). He would fire a round forcing the oil into pores. He would repeat this process for several cycles and would then thoroughly clean and compete with the barrel. For those who did not know Skip, he was very opinionated and a good BR shooter. He was the first man to shoot a "zero" at 200 yards in a registered match. He shot only Panda actions and Shilen barrels (mostly 15 twist). He and I had some great discussions about BR matters. I miss seeing him at the matches. What do you think of Skip's method. James Mock

I thought he used ATF??

 

[Liven The Dream]

Go to Krieger Barrels web site .
Copy his Barrel Break In and live happily ever after ...j

 

[butchlambert]

Breaking in a quality barrel is a joke.

 

[Stan Taylor]

Breaking in a quality barrel is a joke.

Amen

 

[msinc]

Breaking in a quality barrel is a joke.

Now that you brought this up.......the best shooting barrels I have ever had...and that is about 4 that really stand out, shot fantastic from shot one. I paid for them, received them, put them in my lathe and did the work, loaded some decent ammo and pulled the trigger. I did nothing else besides clean them.
I have had several that needed a lot of cleaning to keep them shooting good groups, but I don't know if I would classify any of those barrels as real top notch "high quality".

 

[Twicepop]

Several years back i took up with some guys that were competitive bench rest shooters, they advised me on how to break in a new barrel. Start with a thoroughly clean barrel, fire one shot and thoroughly clean, do this for three shots. Then go to two shots fired and thoroughly clean as before, do this for a total of 6 shots. The following sequence is three shot per string for three cycles. When you stop showing copper on your cleaning patches, the barrel is broke in and seasoned. I followed this advice and it worked for me. I had a Kreiger that quit showing any copper after the fifth shot, and two Douglas' that stopped showing copper, one after the seventh shot the other after the ninth.

 

[Drop Port]

I watched him remove a bulged barrel using the oil trick The oil doesn't compress.

Hydraulic immediately came to mind, I guess it was a little more than a thin coat!

"Breaking in a quality barrel is a joke."

My last Bart got the shoot and clean every shot, by the 3rd round with nothing coming out I had to re-think break in and just shoot it.

 

[savageshooter86]

My current barrel which is new. I cleaned prior to shooting. Then started shooting It seems to be working. Cleaned easy and after 50 rds the patches had two small streaks of blue after soaking and cleaning the barrel

 

[Forum Boss]

My best 6BR barrel did three rounds then wet patches through round 15. All fired into berm with no concern for accuracy. No brush, no Iosso, no voodoo. Then rounds 16-19 shot for group. It was a measured 0.168" for four shots. I just shot it after that, and it does 1/4 MOA for five consistently. Put me in the camp of a believing that a really good barrel shoots good right away, and doesn't need elaborate break-in rituals.

 

[JohnKielly]

Isn't break in about cleaning up any rough edges created during throating the chamber & crowning the muzzle?

 

[JimPag]

Go to Krieger Barrels web site .
Copy his Barrel Break In and live happily ever after ...j

That way is a joke. Nothing but a sales gimmick to ruin and sell more barrels. Just go out and shoot the thing. Like Kielly said above, your only wearing down any rough edges during throating the chamber. As they say up here in Maine, put the wood to her some hard, that'll break the b-arch in.

 

[JRS]

Hydraulic immediately came to mind, I guess it was a little more than a thin coat!

"Breaking in a quality barrel is a joke."

My last Bart got the shoot and clean every shot, by the 3rd round with nothing coming out I had to re-think break in and just shoot it.

Skip pushed a generous amount of oil through the barrel He was always experimenting with different things, and was quite frugal.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I have been living a Joke . No more Barrel Break In.
Thanks

 

[jamesdmock]

Tony Boyer used a term "hummer barrel" indicating one that seemed to shoot better in windy conditions than one should expect. I am not sure if I have had a "hummer" or not, but my best slow twist barrel was a Krieger 14 twist and my two great fast twist were a Brux 8 twist, and a Bartlein gain twist (8.25-7.75). These three barrels seemed to make me a better shooter than I deserved. I broke them in with the 1 shot, clean, for ~4 cycles, then 3-shots, clean until I had about 20 rounds. Neither showed copper fouling after about 4 rounds. Have you had the pleasure of owning a hummer? Good shooting......James

 

[butchlambert]

Tony Boyer used a term "hummer barrel" indicating one that seemed to shoot better in windy conditions than one should expect. I am not sure if I have had a "hummer" or not, but my best slow twist barrel was a Krieger 14 twist and my best fast twist was a Brux 8 twist. These two barrels seemed to make me a better shooter than I deserved. I broke them in with the 1 shot, clean, for ~4 cycles, then 3-shots, clean until I had about 20 rounds. Neither showed copper fouling after about 4 rounds. Have you had the pleasure of owning a hummer? Good shooting......James

James, I have had only three in my lifetime of a great amount of barrels. It sure had nothing to do with a shoot and clean process. As mentioned above, the only thing you need to address with a custom barrel is the fluff in the throat from chambering. Address that and your barrel is broken in.