Advanced Marksmanship Break-in Load

[MarkLeupold]

So, this isn't a question necessarily about barrel break-in, but after 100 or so rounds, most barrels tend to speed up from what I've read. Do you work your OCW or Ladder Test from the get-go, or do you find a charge that works decently and wait until the barrel settles in to do your real load work up?

 

[lash]

Door #2. I will shoot a known load until the barrel settles in.

 

[vh20]

I've started doing it that way as well, but I used to just start in on development right off the bat.

 

[morganlamprecht]

i do an OCW right off the bat, note the velocity that shoots, and when it speeds up i just drop the charge back down to the velocity i was at previously

 

[MarkLeupold]

Thanks, guys! I think doing an immediate load work-up would give me the most accurate rounds through the barrel. Find the load, shoot a couple small matches, refine the load, then shoot it. And if it doesn't speed up, then I haven't wasted time with a generic load.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I do brass forming for the first 100 rounds, using a ballpark, near-but-under-max load. Once this is accomplished, I do load development. By this time, most, if not all, of the initial barrel wear should be done, and load development performance should be reliable. The wear is gonna happen anyway. Until it's done, load development is likely aiming at a moving target, and development is likely going to benefit from working with already formed brass.

None of this applies to a premium honed barrel. They should not need any special treatment in the form of a break-in; and simply impose a penalty in the form of an unnecessary addition to the barrel's round count.

Greg