Any truth to this?

[barnesuser28]

So i was looking for some reccomended break in procedures and came across one from pacnor, and they said to "never shoot a dry bore as it greatly promotes copper fouling". Heres a link- PAC-NOR Barreling, Inc. - Barrel Care I have never heard that one before! Any truth to this?

As for a break in procedure on my 7mm Brux, i think i will follow a method similar to Jim See's. I will post it here:

Shoot one round, remove all copper with Boretech Eliminator, one dry patch, one wet patch of Kroil, one dry patch. Do ten times.
Shoot five rounds, remove all copper with Boretech Eliminator, one dry patch, one wet patch of Kroil, one dry patch. Do three times.
Shoot fifteen rounds, remove all copper with Boretech Eliminator, one dry patch, one wet patch of Kroil, one dry patch. Do two times.
Total rounds for break in = 55


Riley

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

Is this a heavy bench gun? That is ALOT of shooting just to break in a barrel.
Were it me, when it was ready to shoot the first time. I would clean it with kroil , then run a couple dry patches thru it then take it out and shoot a 3 shot group with it. If its grouping real well then maybe Ide start babying it..

 

[Greyfox]

My experience has been that there is truth to this. The break in process appears to be faster and the barrel, once broken in has minimal copper build up and cleans quickly. I like Montana Blend Bore Conditioner but have used other lubricants like Kroil with equal results. I do this through the life of the barrel, but you do need to clear it with a couple of rounds to settle accuracy.

 

[lloydsmale]

Im no barrel expert but oil in your barrel will definately effect point of aim and do they expect a guy to run a wet patch down there barrel after ever shot? First shot is surely going to push or burn any oil out the barrel you put in there and the second shot will be dry.

 

[Greyfox]

Im no barrel expert but oil in your barrel will definately effect point of aim and do they expect a guy to run a wet patch down there barrel after ever shot? First shot is surely going to push or burn any oil out the barrel you put in there and the second shot will be dry.

In my case this doesn't apply once the barrel is broken in, and not performed after every shot. At this point, the residue left by the fired shot "seasons" the barrel, and should create a barrier to the raw steel. After cleaning, how ever many shots have been placed down the barrel, I run a patch of bore conditioner to coat the cleaned barrel. This has worked for me and seems to promote barrel life and the number of accurate shots possible between cleanings. IMO.

 

[BrentM]

I am with Greyfox on this. I always run a wet patch of lube and then a dry patch. That leaves enough oil but not too much. This applies to both my stainless and non. During break in I shot 1x, cleaned, lubed. It took about 12 singles and then I did a couple of 3 shot groups while finding accuracy nodes etc. After each 3 shot I did the cleaning method. I am pretty amazed at how well my barrel cleans up and how many rounds it takes to show visible signs of it being dirty at this point. I have been cleaning after 20 rounds fired, have about 200 through it now, and it is super easy.

I remember seeing a video where the instructor would go 100 or so before cleaning....perhaps more. I would have to look at that video again. I am not sure I could handle the thought of that. : )

 

[dig]

Uh, after your first shot the bor is dry. Not realalistic for a hunting or competition situations.

 

[sj-pratt]

I feel break in is important part of your new barrels, but not every barrel is the same.
I have seen some barrels from one manufacturer broke in after 5 shots and the very next barrel from the same manufacturer take 25 and still be fouling more than I like.
The break in procedures written by the others an this thread seems to be close to what we do with our rifles.
Shoot one and clean and remove all copper and then a patch of kroil.
We do this untill its not leaving copper then we will shoot 2 or 3 depending on how the barrel is cleaning. If the barrel is taking 30 minutes and a bag of patches to clean you wouldn't start shooting more rounds.
Once the barrel is broken in I run a wet kroil patch then a dry patch and the gun is ready to go to work, the fouling rounds lay down a carbon trail and you would not oil between shots.
My hunting rifles are cleaned check for zero and left fouled until after the hunting season so I'm not shooting a clean bore I think it makes them a little more predictable.

 

[lloydsmale]

got to agree. Is not a pourus cast iron skillet your conditioning. I can see how any residue from the minute ammout of oil your leaving in there if you run a oil patch then a dry one is going to remain after a copper bullet gets swadged up the bore followed my the intense heat of gun powder burning. Sounds about like one of those witches brew bottles of oil additive you put in your engine to restore it. I think ive got a bridge It may help reduce fouling by keep that first bullet from fouling but thats about all i buy.

Uh, after your first shot the bor is dry. Not realalistic for a hunting or competition situations.

 

[TOM H]

So i was looking for some reccomended break in procedures and came across one from pacnor, and they said to "never shoot a dry bore as it greatly promotes copper fouling". Heres a link- PAC-NOR Barreling, Inc. - Barrel Care I have never heard that one before! Any truth to this?

As for a break in procedure on my 7mm Brux, i think i will follow a method similar to Jim See's. I will post it here:

Shoot one round, remove all copper with Boretech Eliminator, one dry patch, one wet patch of Kroil, one dry patch. Do ten times.
Shoot five rounds, remove all copper with Boretech Eliminator, one dry patch, one wet patch of Kroil, one dry patch. Do three times.
Shoot fifteen rounds, remove all copper with Boretech Eliminator, one dry patch, one wet patch of Kroil, one dry patch. Do two times.
Total rounds for break in = 55


Riley

I'm not shooting factory barrels and I've had pretty good luck with this

Bartlein Barrels, Inc. - Break In/Cleaning

Lot of good ways to do it.

 

[BrentM]

I think most folks who run the oil process are doing break in only, 1 shot at a time. I tend to run the wet patch to pick up any extra debri, cleaning fluid etc. Piece of mind perhaps. I dunno, seems to work either way. Probably similar to how people break in car engine. Some people don't do anything, some people have a magic process.

 

[Truc]

After cleaning my Benchrest barrels w/ a copper cleaner, I always run a patch of oil down the barrel and then follow up w/ several dry patches to make sure there is not anything but a very thin coat. Impact is always where it is supposed to be. If shooting a dry barrel (not oiled) impact was always off. I see no reason to change for my hunting rifles

 

[7stw]

In my case this doesn't apply once the barrel is broken in, and not performed after every shot. At this point, the residue left by the fired shot "seasons" the barrel, and should create a barrier to the raw steel. After cleaning, how ever many shots have been placed down the barrel, I run a patch of bore conditioner to coat the cleaned barrel. This has worked for me and seems to promote barrel life and the number of accurate shots possible between cleanings. IMO.

Greyfox, your method seems to make more sense then some I have read, and it is amazing how they all differ. I, too am about to break in a new Brux, from my good friend Truc, and am very interested in doing it right, but not over doing it.
I have a Schneider barrel, on one of my STW's that broke in , in about 25 rounds, and I can shoot about 15-20 rounds through it now, before noticing build up, and accuracy to fall off. Good read!!lightbulb

 

[DPO]

After i had my first brux in 280 ackley done i went over there and asked them what i needed to do to break in my barrel. they told me that i could do what ever my normal break in was or just shoot it. Then telling and showing me their lapping process. So i put it to the test no break in. I clean it once a year im over 800 rounds and that barrel will shoot almost anything i feed it. 2nd Brux in 7wsm no break in, crazy accurate. 3rd on the way i will not do a break in. Not saying one shouldnt break in at all. This is just what i did