Barrel break-in - needed or myth

KJS - ND

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2015
Posts
95
Likes
4
Points
98
Thoughts?

Is the whole shoot/clean, shoot/clean, shoot 3/clean or whatever manufacturer recommends really important or just waste of time/ammo/barrel life?

Seems like I try to normally follow what the mfg recommends on other items, but opinions on this seem to vary widely.

Sure it’s been hashed here before but the search gave me too many topics to wade through.

Thanks.
 


7mmMag

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2015
Posts
951
Likes
129
Points
228
Location
SE ND
This is how Len Backus from Longrangehunting does it.

[FONT=&quot]Barrel Break-in:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We know that a custom barrel like the Brux Barrels we use at Long Range Rifles break-in faster than factory/production barrels. So what exactly is a broken-in barrel? A barrel is broken-in at the point where it has obtained its maximum accuracy, minimum copper fouling and stabilized velocity readings.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The process of break-in is initiated by shooting just 3-5 rounds and then cleaning your rifle's barrel to remove the copper fouling. Normally repeating this step 2-3 more times will complete the process of reducing copper fouling. During this process, you will notice the barrel is cleaning much easier at every step. With 3-4 cleanings after 3-5 rounds each in the first 25 rounds, go ahead and use the rifle normally, as this part of break-in is complete.[/FONT]
 

raider

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Posts
3,397
Likes
45
Points
256
Location
williston
depends on who you are as a shooter and what your expectations are... if you want to be able to pick left or right ass cheek on a prairie dog at 300 yards, do the break in and work up a custom load for each rifle... if you want to put meat on the grill, decent equipment and marginal practice will get you there most of the time...

quick story - 40 years ago i had the opportunity to go deer hunting with a local legend in my area... i had a new rifle and new load worked up - 300wm that would shoot sub moa up to 600 yards...

i met him opening morning, he grabbed a dusty rifle out of the back window of his pickup, and said he had to check the scope... we drove out into a field where he nailed a paper plate into a round bale and we backed up to what we figured to be 100 yards... he shot 3 rounds - we went and checked - 2 hit the paper plate... he looks at me and says "old bessie is good to go"...

that man with that rifle has shot more big white tails than i have seen...
 

Achucker

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Posts
2,006
Likes
101
Points
283
Location
Bismarck
It's like wearing a mask. Do what gives you the warm and fuzzies.
 


Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
You want to clean a new barrel often as the rifling will take a lot more brushing to get clean when new.

- - - Updated - - -

If you don’t clean a new barrel until after a box of shells or so you can use wipeout in the barrel and let it sit overnight. That will make the rod push through much easier.
 

AR-15

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2016
Posts
2,311
Likes
210
Points
288
Shoot and Holler Shit, run a bore snake after 20 or 30 round
 

Kentucky Windage

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2015
Posts
5,323
Likes
465
Points
368
Location
Wendy Peffercorn’s Bedroom
Here’s what I do from new: clean it and then shoot 5 rounds, cleaning after each round, shoot 10 rounds, cleaning after every 2. Shoot 10 rounds cleaning it after 5 rounds. Shoot 10, clean it. Done deal. 14 cleanings total.

- - - Updated - - -

I also use the break in period for sighting in and beginning load development
 

Jiffy

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2018
Posts
1,682
Likes
800
Points
343
Location
West Fargo
I shoot it until I'm done shooting for the day, put it away, then take it back out and shoot it some more, put it away....repeat

I clean it when I'm bored, have all my socks sorted and have watched all the paint dry I can handle.
 


guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,637
Likes
3,845
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
Here’s what I do from new: clean it and then shoot 5 rounds, cleaning after each round, shoot 10 rounds, cleaning after every 2. Shoot 10 rounds cleaning it after 5 rounds. Shoot 10, clean it. Done deal. 14 cleanings total.

- - - Updated - - -

I also use the break in period for sighting in and beginning load development

Does anal retentive have a hyphen?
 

duckman1302

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Posts
342
Likes
31
Points
140
Location
Dickinson
quick story - 40 years ago i had the opportunity to go deer hunting with a local legend in my area... i had a new rifle and new load worked up - 300wm that would shoot sub moa up to 600 yards...

i met him opening morning, he grabbed a dusty rifle out of the back window of his pickup, and said he had to check the scope... we drove out into a field where he nailed a paper plate into a round bale and we backed up to what we figured to be 100 yards... he shot 3 rounds - we went and checked - 2 hit the paper plate... he looks at me and says "old bessie is good to go"...

that man with that rifle has shot more big white tails than i have seen...[/QUOTE]

I feel like there's a generation or more of hunters that fall into this category.
 

Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
A dirty barrel can’t shoot as well because the added friction tears the bullet apart.

- - - Updated - - -

I’m referring to shooting groups on paper. Not a hunting shot.
 


Sub_Elect

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Posts
2,639
Likes
51
Points
273
Location
Bismarck, ND
I have one aftermarket barrel (Brux) and more then a dozen factory barrels (Remington, Winchester, TC, Bergara, Browning, Ruger) My experience with break-in is that is will only make the rifle clean easier later in its life and resist getting dirty longer with a proper break-in. If the rifle is going to shoot well, you will know right away.

By this I mean, a barrel with no break-in will be accurate right away (clean) but may loose accuracy after as few as 20 shots. A rifle that has a break-in will be accurate for 100 shots or more. The aftermarket Brux barrel on my 7mm will shoot great for, well, I have never figured it out. I have put more then 150 rounds down it and finally just cleaned it because I wanted to. I have factory barrels that are approaching that number. I also have barrels that start grouping crappy at around 80 shots and need a cleaning. In particular a Kimber 84L in 270 starts to open badly at around 50 to 60.

I break-in a barrel according to what I see when I clean it. I usually take 1 shot and totally clean it using any powder solvent (Hoppes #9 or whatever) just wet a mop that comes in your cleaning kit and scrub back and forth. I don't use brass brushes anymore because I find that I don't need to. Then 2 wet patches and patch it dry. Then use a good copper solvent (like Butches Bore Shine). The thing about copper solvents is they use ammonia which turns copper blue. Wet the same mop and work it back and forth pushing a wet patch after about 2 minutes of scrubbing with a mop. Do this until there is no blue on your wet patch in between.

Then shoot 3 shots and repeat the cleaning. 90% of barrels are done breaking in after these 2 cleanings. Some may take 3 to 5 cleanings. The big thing is you will see that at some point the barrel will barely get copper fouled after your 3 shots and it will barely take anything to get the copper out of it. At that point the barrel is broken in. My worst rifles needed 5 cleanings to get broken in. My Brux needed 3 cleanings and both Bergara's needed 2 cleanings.

Good luck
 

Kurtr

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
18,240
Likes
1,973
Points
648
Location
Mobridge,Sd
i have had over 500 rounds on my bartlien with no drop in accuracy. I cleaned it but that was just to make me feel good. Unless its wet or starts shooting like shit (have not found that point yet)i dont mess with it. More damage is done to chambers and bbls from people over cleaning than damage to bbls or chambers from under cleaning.
 

Sub_Elect

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Posts
2,639
Likes
51
Points
273
Location
Bismarck, ND
I agree with you fully, but most people don't run aftermarket barrels either. I also started using bore guides a number of years ago which really helps start the cleaning rod down the rifle barrel with out beating up the chamber. My factory barrels do start to open up after some shooting which is why I switched to using a barrel mop instead of any type of brush.
 


Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 161
  • This month: 136
  • This month: 121
  • This month: 110
  • This month: 105
  • This month: 87
  • This month: 84
  • This month: 79
  • This month: 76
  • This month: 76
Top Bottom