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To Break-in or Not Break-in (barrel)

S

steinmaster

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 14, 2013
83
1
Pittsburgh, PA
#1
I ordered a GA Precision rifle and am waiting for it to be delivered. GAP recommends breaking in the barrel for better accuracy. I read a lot of posts that say breaking in the barrel is silly and not needed. I am confused. Do I or don't I break in a barrel?

I recently purchased a Remington 700P LTR .308 and did the GAP recommended break-in procedure (removing both carbon and copper fouling). The rifle shoots .5 MOA at 100 yards. I'm very pleased with the accuracy.

Thanks
 
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#6
I don't suggest or presume that I know more about barrels than George Gardner. In fact, I'm certain I don't. Nor do I own a GAP rifle. So taking GAP's advice is probably the thing to do. That said, if it were my gun I would probably "break it in" by shooting it. YMMV
 
#8
George put that break-in procedure up because he was getting tired of telling everyone the procedure who wouldn't believe him that they didn't need to do a break-in procedure. I'm pretty sure he posted about it somewhere on here a number of years ago.

When I got my first GA Precision Rifle I talked to George himself and asked him what he recommends.........He said "just go shoot it".

So that's what I did and all of my GAP's shoot great!!! None have had a break-in procedure done to them.

Now I will say that some factory rifles benefit from a break-in procedure, because they like to use reamers that are dull. GAP and other custom rifle makers polish their chamber/throats, so its nice and smooth.
 
#9
To Break-in or Not Break-in (barrel)

http://www.6mmbr.com/gailmcmbreakin.html

How to break in a rifle barrel by Gale McMillan.

If you don't feel like reading it the short answer is shoot it forget the shoot/clean method.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think we need a sticky on this. As far as the right way as concerned it's subjective. Many here use the clean/shoot method and many don't. Personally I shoot the thing. As we've discussed in previous threads I'm not sure how a patch with solvent is going to alter a barrel to shoot better.
 
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#13
I want to see this Remington 700P LTR shoot .5 MOA at 100 yards, and if it can do it routinely, then why we do you pay 4-5k to buy a GAP? Just buy another Remington 700 and be done with it.
 
#15
I did it once.....I couldn't be bothered ever going through that shot/clean/shoot/clean and repeat bullshit again. That was an hour aprox of my life I will never get back !
 
#18
Blackops_2 said:
How to Break-in a Barrel

How to break in a rifle barrel by Gale McMillan.

If you don't feel like reading it the short answer is shoot it forget the shoot/clean method.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think we need a sticky on this. As far as the right way as concerned it's subjective. Many here use the clean/shoot method and many don't. Personally I shoot the thing. As we've discussed in previous threads I'm not sure how a patch with solvent is going to alter a barrel to shoot better.
Click to expand...

There is a sticky, and here it is:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...jective-research-barrel-break-procedures.html
 
#24
hi guys new here thought id add my 2 cents. break in is to remove copper fouling from a hand reamed short chamber.

a quality made custom barrel ahould need no break in, as its chamber was precision made.

your gap rifle should certainly be enjoyed right away!
 
#26
The only break in I do is just clean it before the rifle or new barrel goes to the range for the first time. Just to make sure (mostly for myself) that there is nothing still in the barrel/chamber or where ever when it was put together. Just in case. After that I just shoot it at the range as if its another day.
 
#28
JSTARSZ said:
I want to see this Remington 700P LTR shoot .5 MOA at 100 yards, and if it can do it routinely, then why we do you pay 4-5k to buy a GAP? Just buy another Remington 700 and be done with it.
Click to expand...

12:00 shot was before sight adjustment and should not be counted in grouping. I ordered the GAP back in July and just recently bought the Remington on a deal (and for whitetail). Took the rifle out yesterday and was shooting these same groupings. I'm actually surprised about the accuracy.
 

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#30
steinmaster said:
12:00 shot was before sight adjustment and should not be counted in grouping. I ordered the GAP back in July and just recently bought the Remington on a deal (and for whitetail). Took the rifle out yesterday and was shooting these same groupings. I'm actually surprised about the accuracy.
Click to expand...
I would say that is a keeper!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#31
This is a group I shot today with a rifle that was cleaned prior to round 1 to remove any potential debris from the build then I shot 274 rounds before the second cleaning. The rifle has 1400 rounds on it now .260Rem. I had shot about 550 rounds since the last cleaning. Shot 1 left was cold clean bore then you see shots 2-4.

ajenany6.jpg
 
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#32
turbo54 said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRRahHX9Zkg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Click to expand...

Ew - he did that all wrong. You notice how, with the longer-range shots starting around 2:10, it seems to hit consistently to left? That's because he only did the break-in on the left side of the barrel, and now that rifle is going to pull shots to that side because of the asymmetric compressive work-hardening done to the barrel. It's very important that this process be performed with perfect symmetry.
 
#34
steinmaster said:
12:00 shot was before sight adjustment and should not be counted in grouping. I ordered the GAP back in July and just recently bought the Remington on a deal (and for whitetail). Took the rifle out yesterday and was shooting these same groupings. I'm actually surprised about the accuracy.
Click to expand...

Why is it that some people feel the need to call others out because they never seen it them selves? I have had the opportunity to shoot a lot more rifles than most due to what I use to do, and I can testify that there are factory rifles that shoot .5 MOA right out of the box. Some shot even better, like the Remington 5Rs, but there's no garantee from the factory. With a $4000.00 you get to chose everything. You don't settle for color, stock, trigger, barrel, action, ect. Let's not forget the careful hand work that goes into building it. Plus the ever so important garantee of MOA accuracy.

That's why we order custom rifles.

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, just want others to realize that their comments are plain insulting to some whom they don't even know, and offer nothing in the why of help. It hurts nothing to do a little break in of any barrel if it makes you feel good. I have a personal rifle chambered in 6.5 Ceedmoor that got no break in. I forgot my cleaning things at home on its first day out. I was not going all the way back home for that stuff, or not shooting that rifle that day. So away I went. About 500 rounds later, it still shoots the same ragged hole with Hornady factory ammo.
 
#37
STR said:
Why is it that some people feel the need to call others out because they never seen it them selves? I have had the opportunity to shoot a lot more rifles than most due to what I use to do, and I can testify that there are factory rifles that shoot .5 MOA right out of the box. Some shot even better, like the Remington 5Rs, but there's no garantee from the factory. With a $4000.00 you get to chose everything. You don't settle for color, stock, trigger, barrel, action, ect. Let's not forget the careful hand work that goes into building it. Plus the ever so important garantee of MOA accuracy.

That's why we order custom rifles.

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, just want others to realize that their comments are plain insulting to some whom they don't even know, and offer nothing in the why of help. It hurts nothing to do a little break in of any barrel if it makes you feel good. I have a personal rifle chambered in 6.5 Ceedmoor that got no break in. I forgot my cleaning things at home on its first day out. I was not going all the way back home for that stuff, or not shooting that rifle that day. So away I went. About 500 rounds later, it still shoots the same ragged hole with Hornady factory ammo.
Click to expand...

Nicely said Gunny!
 
#39
The reason people buy Gap, JP, any custom gun for that matter is not just because of accuracy, it is because they are hand made, hand put together, and built with quality parts.
 
#40
Break in is a myth. Do you truly think any of us rifle users truly have better skill at finishing the bore of a rifle over a fellow who has been making high quality custom barrels for 10-20 years? I truly doubt it. The truly good barrel makers know precisely what kind of interior finish and machining marks they want left (or don't want left) in the throat, chamber or anywhere else, and that is how they ship them.

For me to believe I can improve on the finish a high end, professional barrel maker puts into his product would be the height of arrogance.
 
#41
To break in or not to break in is definitely a matter of personal preference. I looked at similar information and posts as those in this thread and decided not to perform a break-in procedure on my brand new Remington 700 ADL Varmint in .308 (I won't mention it, but most of you know where it came from, but the $399.99 price made me do it!). ALL of my rifles have gone through the one shot -clean, two shot - clean ad-nauseum. They all shoot 1 moa or less (including my Modern Sporting Rifles). This time I just did an initial cleaning and took her out and zeroed the cheapo scope that came with it at 100 yards. My first 100 yard 3 shot group (with my mass-produced 147 FMJ load) measured 1". Then I fired 3 Federal 168 GMMs and got a 3/8" group! The 200 yard 5 shot group was 5/8". I measured center to center. All of this with an X-mark trigger that pulled somewhere around 5 pounds, and the really sad 4-12 X 40 scope that came with it. I am convinced that the barrel break-in myth is just that. However, that doesn't mean anyone should undertake to shoot a new rifle, or new barrel without some precaution to ascertain proper function before putting a dozen or so rounds down range.
 
#43
stay away from bore brushes
some quality cleanin patches, one piece rod like tipton or dewey, bore guide, and some butch's bore shine,hoppes,kroil,sweets,shooters choice etc. wipe-out(any one) will do you just fine
people diminish their barrel life and accuracy from too much cleaning rather than too little
get a procedure that you like and go with it
 
#44
Ebryant. I agree with ya. Wondered why he did'nt drop it on the other sides LOL. In all seriousness though I just clean the barrel before I shoot it and then take it to the range and commence load development for my break in. After the 20-30 round load development I clean the barrel with boretech eliminator and call it good. I had 8 rounds down a brand new brux barrel chambered in 6br. Loaded up 25 more rounds and shot five 5 shot groups at 600 yards. The largest group was 1.7 inches. Took it to a 600 yd fclass match the next day and shot a 200 16x. It was a fun break in.
 
#45
STR said:
Why is it that some people feel the need to call others out because they never seen it them selves? I have had the opportunity to shoot a lot more rifles than most due to what I use to do, and I can testify that there are factory rifles that shoot .5 MOA right out of the box. Some shot even better, like the Remington 5Rs, but there's no garantee from the factory. With a $4000.00 you get to chose everything. You don't settle for color, stock, trigger, barrel, action, ect. Let's not forget the careful hand work that goes into building it. Plus the ever so important garantee of MOA accuracy.

That's why we order custom rifles.

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, just want others to realize that their comments are plain insulting to some whom they don't even know, and offer nothing in the why of help. It hurts nothing to do a little break in of any barrel if it makes you feel good. I have a personal rifle chambered in 6.5 Ceedmoor that got no break in. I forgot my cleaning things at home on its first day out. I was not going all the way back home for that stuff, or not shooting that rifle that day. So away I went. About 500 rounds later, it still shoots the same ragged hole with Hornady factory ammo.
Click to expand...
STR, I guess that comment was directed at my need to see the LTR that shoots 1/2 MOA so I will respond and not try to obnoxious about it. After shooting for over thirty years I have not seen a whole lot of factory rifles shoot 1/2MOA out of the box as they are normally 1-2 MOA and if I did find one I would never let it go. The reason I did go with customs is exactly what you said, I get to customize what I want and the gunsmith corrects the manufacturer flaws with the mass manufacturing of receivers and barrels. As you spent a large part of your life gunsmithing you know if Remington could mass-produce a rifle that would consistently shoot 1/2MOA the amount of gunsmiths in America would dwindle to a very small number. So, yes, when I see someone tell me a Remington LTR, not a 5R which costs a whole lot more than an LTR, shoots 1/2 MOA I want to see it. I am not being malicious or condescending to my fellow member I honestly want to see it. And, I have paid thousands upon thousands of dollars for people of your ilk to build me rifles that flat out shoot but if I could find a LTR that shot 1/2 MOA out of the box consistently I would have saved my money for more accessories and ammo to shoot.
 
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#46
To Break-in or Not Break-in (barrel)

STR,

Accuracy guarantees have nothing to do with accuracy and everything to do with marketing. If factory rifles shot half-MOA or better out of the box there wouldn't be such a large custom build market.

I suppose that it 'doesn't hurt' to do a Voodoo dance three times around your rifle either, but doing that won't improve its accuracy, and neither will a 'guarantee'.
 
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