Here's a question some might find stupid. How are you breaking in a new rifle? I was raised shooting guns and never cleaning them. After I started buying my own it seemed like a good idea to clean them once and awhile to keep them nice. Now that I'm getting into shooting a little better and talking with a couple long range guys they have a strict break in method they use for their custom rifles. To be honest I didn't even know that was a thing. So how's everyone else doing it?
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What's a Break In?
- Thread starter DustyRoads91
- Start date
Everyone is going to have their own method. And honestly, no one is wrong. It's what makes you feel good about how your rifle is maintained. With that said, here's what I do:
1 shot and clean (clearing copper out until no blue on patch). I do that about 3 times. Then 3 shots and same cleaning. Again, about 3 times. Then 5 shots and clean. But this can all vary. I want to get to a point where the copper comes out in one swipe. Higher end, big name barrels usually don't take that long and that process could be abbreviated.
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1 shot and clean (clearing copper out until no blue on patch). I do that about 3 times. Then 3 shots and same cleaning. Again, about 3 times. Then 5 shots and clean. But this can all vary. I want to get to a point where the copper comes out in one swipe. Higher end, big name barrels usually don't take that long and that process could be abbreviated.
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Shilen on their website has something similar to the above gentlemans's method. Shoot 1 clean 1 five times. Then shoot 5 and clean once until you have 50 rounds down the tube. But not taking copper out of the barrel. The copper will be filling in any imperfections and machine marks from the barrel.
What i I do is shoot the thing. I've come to the conclusion that cleaning can harm almost as much if not more than help ur chamber and throats even if your careful. And 2. Who wants to clean clean clean. Shoot it. When u see it start opening up from your aim. Clean it (250 rounds or so, older barrels usually need more cleaning in between) your barrel will speed up after so many. And 50 rounds just to break in is a waste.
Shoot it. When she's dirty. Clean it. Use a bore guide. Have fun.
What i I do is shoot the thing. I've come to the conclusion that cleaning can harm almost as much if not more than help ur chamber and throats even if your careful. And 2. Who wants to clean clean clean. Shoot it. When u see it start opening up from your aim. Clean it (250 rounds or so, older barrels usually need more cleaning in between) your barrel will speed up after so many. And 50 rounds just to break in is a waste.
Shoot it. When she's dirty. Clean it. Use a bore guide. Have fun.
Citius, this is kind of how I've been doing it for awhile now, cleaning when the gun first shows up and then shooting a couple boxes and cleaning then. A guy I work with breaks it in similar to Stag' method. I was curious if anybody has tried both and actually saw a difference between a meticulous break in or a shoot till it's dirty approach. Thanks for the feedback
Even though I have a certain way of doing it, I can honestly say it probably doesn't make that much difference in terms of life of the barrel or accuracy. It's more peace of mind and OCD satisfaction. Maybe a metallurgist could prove one way or another but who knows.
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Stag it would definitely be nice if there wasn't much of a difference. I'm just curious why the break in started at all then. I like to keep my guns clean and in good shape but don't feel like wasting my time  if it doesn't make a big difference
If you have time, look up a video on YouTube posted by Long Range Shooters of Utah interviewing the founder/owner of Krieger barrels. He speaks on the break in (or lack there of) and what is actually happening in the barrel when it's new. It's a good watch and sheds some light.
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I've done it both ways, now I just shoot'em, I can't tell any difference. Maybe that says more about my shooting than it does about breaking in a barrel. 
I clean when I first get it or replace the barrel. Then only when accuracy starts to open up or if there has been significant water that has gotten in the barrel.
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Dark I've always tried to clean the barrel after hunting in wet conditions as well that's a good practice I think.Â
Ive had the opportunity to look through bore scopes from time to time, but never had access to one with regularity until recently, when I finally bought one. Recently I chambered a good shooting .260 barrel to 6.5 creedmoor. So the interior of the barrel was fire cracked from 1500 rounds of .260. The throat was shiny since it was freshly cut. I took it to the range and shot about 35 load developement rounds without cleaning. Normally I clean after the first range session to see how the bore is doing. This time I stuck my new bore scope down it. I was shocked to see that the throat was still shiny as can be. Not even a hint of copper, and just the faintest of powder residue. I was certain the lead area of the lands, which have light radial marks from the reamer would have picked some jacket material up.
I just did a 6x47L using an old barrel. When i go to do the initial firing, i'm going to take the borescope as well and see if can take pics in between the first few rounds.
There was a time I did break-ins. Always a bitch to clean those first few shoot and cleans, then the barrel starts to pick up less and less copper, which you see through the cleaning process. Then one time didnt do the break-in, and when I got home, the barrel cleaned up great, just like it did at the end of a normal break-in. From then on, no more wasting range time, ammo, and elbow grease.
I just did a 6x47L using an old barrel. When i go to do the initial firing, i'm going to take the borescope as well and see if can take pics in between the first few rounds.
There was a time I did break-ins. Always a bitch to clean those first few shoot and cleans, then the barrel starts to pick up less and less copper, which you see through the cleaning process. Then one time didnt do the break-in, and when I got home, the barrel cleaned up great, just like it did at the end of a normal break-in. From then on, no more wasting range time, ammo, and elbow grease.
Most barrels I have owned didn't need a break in, but I have had one or two with a rough throating job. Shoot and clean, shoot and clean, rub a little JB paste in there too.
Stag556 hit it on the nose! I think when I watched that Long Range Shooters of Utah interviewing the founder/owner of Krieger barrels that gave me the confidence to stop breaking barrels in. Here's another one that Frank did with Bartlein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW6SF-jlbkg
Super thanks for sharing that is the kind of info I was hoping to get out of this thread. It'll be interesting to see some before after pics when you get a chance.
I don't think it hurts to run a couple patches through after your first box just to see how they look, but the results on paper should matter more than any OCD ritual one goes through. Now if the ritual leads to better results on paper, run with it.
SRP I agree with you, I honestly thought I was going to get different responses from people on breaking in then what I'm getting just based on the conversations I've had with long range guys before. Good to know that there aren't as many guys out there going too overboard on it as it seemed.
The same guys talked to George Gardner of GAP Rifles, where discusses barrel "break in", which he calls "seasoning the barrel" and makes much more sense to me. One thing I learned from him is that he doesn't use bronze brushes in his barrels, only nylon. Said he only uses bronze to clean the cha,bear when necessary.
I've done the "proper" break in procedures on a couple and didn't see any real difference. I clean it before taking it out, shoot it and clean it at the end of the day.
From there i only clean out with carbon cleaner. No copper cleaner unless accuracy starts to degrade. I've found that most of my rifles shoot better when fouled.
From there i only clean out with carbon cleaner. No copper cleaner unless accuracy starts to degrade. I've found that most of my rifles shoot better when fouled.
maybe someone will want to post some from the old site
http://www.scout.com/military/snipe...research-on-barrel-break-in-procedures?page=2
http://www.scout.com/military/snipe...research-on-barrel-break-in-procedures?page=2
Thanks Lefty, I saw that video helps relieve a guy when a barrel maker says you don't necessarily have to break a barrel in by doing what I was originally suggested which is cleaning it till you never want to shoot it again.
Dusty the video was referenced in post #8. I didn't realize there were so many posts afterwards or I would've said that when I posted.
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My experience, factory tubes need break in, and most need a little copper to shoot somewhat better than shot guns. Quality Custom Barrels no but, if the guy chambering it uses a reamer that should have been junked one rifle back then it too needs the throat broken in. A quality barrel chambered with a good reamer an coolant system used correctly by a guy that knows what he is doing, does not need broken in. I have learned to never allow a "House" reamer to be used on any barrel I've had installed. I will buy a reamer and send it with the barrel. The last two 300wm's I've had re-barreled, have never shown copper at all. The cost of a quality reamer an go gage, is more than worth the cost.
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Gunfighter. Never thought of that. That sounds like a good idea. Will probably do that later.
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