Need barrel break in advice

[Hirschi1]

Okay, so the smithy called and said my 6.5-284 is almost done, in fact it will be done this coming Friday. I have heard that it takes near 100 rounds for a rifle barrel to achieve its final barrel speed if you know what I saying. For example; my first 20 round of a load recorded 2854 avg. The next 20 round fired of the same load had an 2871 avg. Get the point? So my question is, am I wasting my time trying to develop a load while braking in a barrel? Will the barrel harmonics be consistent or not?
Steve

 

[J E Custom]

Okay, so the smithy called and said my 6.5-284 is almost done, in fact it will be done this coming Friday. I have heard that it takes near 100 rounds for a rifle barrel to achieve its final barrel speed if you know what I saying. For example; my first 20 round of a load recorded 2854 avg. The next 20 round fired of the same load had an 2871 avg. Get the point? So my question is, am I wasting my time trying to develop a load while braking in a barrel? Will the barrel harmonics be consistent or not?
Steve

In my experience I have found that a top quality barrel will normally take 7 to 10 rounds before they clean up with just one or two solvent and patch cleaning. After that by the time you reach 20rounds following the procedure I like, velocity will have stabilized in 20 rounds and you will not see much change in it.

Centerfire Maintenance - Lilja

Some use a different procedure, but I like this one because it is a shoot and clean for the first 8 to 10 shots and does a great job of brake in fast. If you shoot more than one shot without cleaning the copper fouling slows the brake in process.

I normally fire form during brake in and after 10 or so rounds a good barrel will settle down and
if I start developing loads it is normally after 10 to 15 rounds and I clean between each group to help consistency (Each load starts with the barrel conditions being the same to give me a good comparison). I also use a chronograph and if the SD are beyond my limits I stop that test and clean and go to the next test (No reason to shoot any poor loads in a new barrel).

Just the way I brake in a barrel.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Hirschi1]

Thanks J E Custom.

 

[Hirschi1]

What if the best cleaning solvent? Wipeout?

 

[Jcub]

I break my barrels in by shooting them....

I just received my 6.5-284, I shot 3 times to get it on paper and confirm zero at 200.

Shots 4,5 and 6 went into a .9" group at 200.

I continued to my load development for 30 rounds, then cleaned it. I will foul it out with 3 more shots then confirm my next few groups of this test load.

After that I won't clean my barrel until at least 200-250 rounds which in my experience is where my accuracy starts to drop.

I don't buy into the shoot 1, clean it, for 10-15 rounds.

YMMV.

 

[Hirschi1]

Thanks Jcub

 

[Sargesniper]

I break my barrels in by shooting them....

I just received my 6.5-284, I shot 3 times to get it on paper and confirm zero at 200.

Shots 4,5 and 6 went into a .9" group at 200.

I continued to my load development for 30 rounds, then cleaned it. I will foul it out with 3 more shots then confirm my next few groups of this test load.

After that I won't clean my barrel until at least 200-250 rounds which in my experience is where my accuracy starts to drop.

I don't buy into the shoot 1, clean it, for 10-15 rounds.

YMMV.

200-250 rounds in a 6.5x284 before cleaning?
You may not have to clean it but 3 times before re-barreling then. The carbon ring is going to eat you alive so to speak. That cartridge is excellent until the erosion takes over. I had to re-barrel after 780 rounds. It now is a .260. Mine was a great shooter and I cleaned it thoroughly every 20 rounds.

 

[J E Custom]

I don't buy into the shoot 1, clean it, for 10-15 rounds.

YMMV.[/QUOTE]


I to used to subscribe to this philosophy and felt that I had very good shooting rifles.

When I started building rifles using Custom barrels I thought break in was a waste of time and
normally cleaned when the shooting session was over.

After reading about the advantages of a good brake in from the barrel makers, I was still skeptical
But decided to try it first on a factory barrel that had around 200 rounds through it. The accuracy was right 1 moa (good for most factory barrels at the time) No matter what load I tried in it.

So first I cleaned it back to bare metal and started the shoot 1 and clean procedure. the barrel felt
very rough in the beginning but after about 15 rounds I could begin seeing the improvement in cleaning/removing the fouling (Fewer patches) and the barrel felt smooth when I pushed a patch down the bore.

I also noticed that it was shooting better groups Even though I was shooting at the same point of aim. so I started shooting 5 shots at different spots and the more I shot the better the groups got.

After 30 shots (A really long and tiring time) I decided to shoot 5 shot groups and then clean to see how it did and It was consistently better than it had ever been. I called my favorite barrel maker and ask him why the rifle shot better even though it already had 200 plus rounds through it. His reply was that the copper fouling had protected the barrel and prevented it from braking in faster. I then told him it was a factory barrel and not one of his custom barrels, he sounded relieved that one of his barrels took that many shoot an clean shots before it began to show promise.

The next barrel I tried brake in on was a custom barrel from another barrel maker and it only took
12 shoot and clean cycles to get very good at coming clean.

Armed with this information, I tried one of his barrels from the beginning (New) and after 7 rounds It only took one solvent brush and one patch to come clean. (All of these test use the same solvent and brush procedure to make sure I was not doing something different skewing the results.

Even though it takes most of the day to brake a barrel in I believe it is worth it and not a waste of time because of accuracy and clean up. I do brake in on all rifles new or used if it hasn't been done
even though it takes a lot of time. and surprisingly enough barrel life seems to be extended.

Now I start barrel break in and as soon as the clean up improves, I shoot 3 and clean several times and then 5 and clean. normally within 20 to 25 rounds the barrel is shooting its best. I am not happy with a rifle that wont shoot 1/2 MOA or better and when the proper brake in is done on a custom barrel accuracy is normally less than 1/4 MOA with good ammo and in many cases less than 1/10th MOA.

I am not trying to change the way some deal with copper fouling, only trying to explain why I believe in brake in. Its kind of like buying a Jewell trigger, Once you do it, you wont do anything
else.

Just My opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I don't buy into the shoot 1, clean it, for 10-15 rounds.

YMMV.

I to used to subscribe to this philosophy and felt that I had very good shooting rifles.

When I started building rifles using Custom barrels I thought break in was a waste of time and
normally cleaned when the shooting session was over.

After reading about the advantages of a good brake in from the barrel makers, I was still skeptical
But decided to try it first on a factory barrel that had around 200 rounds through it. The accuracy was right 1 moa (good for most factory barrels at the time) No matter what load I tried in it.

So first I cleaned it back to bare metal and started the shoot 1 and clean procedure. the barrel felt
very rough in the beginning but after about 15 rounds I could begin seeing the improvement in cleaning/removing the fouling (Fewer patches) and the barrel felt smooth when I pushed a patch down the bore.

I also noticed that it was shooting better groups Even though I was shooting at the same point of aim. so I started shooting 5 shots at different spots and the more I shot the better the groups got.

After 30 shots (A really long and tiring time) I decided to shoot 5 shot groups and then clean to see how it did and It was consistently better than it had ever been. I called my favorite barrel maker and ask him why the rifle shot better even though it already had 200 plus rounds through it. His reply was that the copper fouling had protected the barrel and prevented it from braking in faster. I then told him it was a factory barrel and not one of his custom barrels, he sounded relieved that one of his barrels took that many shoot an clean shots before it began to show promise.

The next barrel I tried brake in on was a custom barrel from another barrel maker and it only took
12 shoot and clean cycles to get very good at coming clean.

Armed with this information, I tried one of his barrels from the beginning (New) and after 7 rounds It only took one solvent brush and one patch to come clean. (All of these test use the same solvent and brush procedure to make sure I was not doing something different skewing the results.

Even though it takes most of the day to brake a barrel in I believe it is worth it and not a waste of time because of accuracy and clean up. I do brake in on all rifles new or used if it hasn't been done
even though it takes a lot of time. and surprisingly enough barrel life seems to be extended.

Now I start barrel break in and as soon as the clean up improves, I shoot 3 and clean several times and then 5 and clean. normally within 20 to 25 rounds the barrel is shooting its best. I am not happy with a rifle that wont shoot 1/2 MOA or better and when the proper brake in is done on a custom barrel accuracy is normally less than 1/4 MOA with good ammo and in many cases less than 1/10th MOA.

I am not trying to change the way some deal with copper fouling, only trying to explain why I believe in brake in. Its kind of like buying a Jewell trigger, Once you do it, you wont do anything
else.

Just My opinion

J E CUSTOM[/QUOTE]

This is the same procedure I use. I just shot my new Lilja last week for the first time. One shot clean for the first 6 shots. Never did get any copper to speak of. Then moved to 3 to 5 shots and clean. No copper. Next range session I will do full load development. Will see how many shots that takes, but intend to just clean when done. I may clean in the middle just to be sure the barrel is not fowling.

Steve

 

[Hirschi1]

I have started breaking my rifle barrels in 15+ years ago. My method is; clean, 1 shot, clean, 2 shots, clean, 3 shots, etc until 55 shots. I have noticed that those barrels clean easier and use less patches.

I have never thought of reviving a used barrel though. Using this method. I will try it.

The 6.5x284 rifle i referenced to start the thread has a Shilen match grade 5r. It shouldn't take 55 rounds for a proper break-in correct?

I'm going to ask the question again. What solvent is recommended for breaking in a barrel and what solvent is best recommended to cut and break down carbon rings in the barrel?

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge!
Steve

 

[J E Custom]

I have started breaking my rifle barrels in 15+ years ago. My method is; clean, 1 shot, clean, 2 shots, clean, 3 shots, etc until 55 shots. I have noticed that those barrels clean easier and use less patches.

I have never thought of reviving a used barrel though. Using this method. I will try it.

The 6.5x284 rifle i referenced to start the thread has a Shilen match grade 5r. It shouldn't take 55 rounds for a proper break-in correct?

I'm going to ask the question again. What solvent is recommended for breaking in a barrel and what solvent is best recommended to cut and break down carbon rings in the barrel?

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge!
Steve

Most custom barrel are lapped and should break in with less that 15 to 20 rounds. a factory barrel should/will take 2 or 3x that because they are not lapped and typically have more tool marks.

I recommend Butch's Bore shine for break in and Bore Tech Eliminator for regular cleaning.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=butch's+bore+shine

Bore Tech Bore Cleaning Solvent - MidwayUSA

If you are going to brake in a used barrel it is important that you clean to bare/bright metal and have no copper fouling.

J E CUSTOM