barrel break in pictoral log
- Thread starter taliv
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taliv, this is my favorite thread at present for so many reasons! Excellent shooting on that 540 yard target. How was the wind and what bullet are you using for your 6.5 x47? I would imagine something like a 130gr given your velocities.
I put up an 8" square steel target at 710 yards on Sunday and am looking forward to shooting some 6.5 CM and .338 LM groups on that. I have a 3/4 scale IPSC target at 400 yards with a 4"x4" head and realized that if I can't consistently hit the head at 400 yards there's no point in trying for the 8" plate at 710 yards! I recently bought a couple of 12" gongs from McMillan so maybe will put one of those up at 710 yards as a confidence builder.
I put up an 8" square steel target at 710 yards on Sunday and am looking forward to shooting some 6.5 CM and .338 LM groups on that. I have a 3/4 scale IPSC target at 400 yards with a 4"x4" head and realized that if I can't consistently hit the head at 400 yards there's no point in trying for the 8" plate at 710 yards! I recently bought a couple of 12" gongs from McMillan so maybe will put one of those up at 710 yards as a confidence builder.
very very light wind. almost calm. i kept the same hold for all 10 shots, which was just inside left edge of plate. and I'm shooting a 140 hybrid.
heads on IPSC targets from 300-600 are by far my favorite target. I hung some 45% ones at 350 yards this weekend. lots of fun. you guys probably get more wind up there than we do, but you still have to be on your wind call to hit them. i wish i had a spot to put a mover because shooting a 4x4" head at 400 while moving would be pretty awesome
heads on IPSC targets from 300-600 are by far my favorite target. I hung some 45% ones at 350 yards this weekend. lots of fun. you guys probably get more wind up there than we do, but you still have to be on your wind call to hit them. i wish i had a spot to put a mover because shooting a 4x4" head at 400 while moving would be pretty awesome
horsemen61
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So if I were trying t break in a barrel I should shot once then clean for x number of shoots I was always taught shoot once clean shoot 2 clean shoot 3 clean for the first 5 shoots is this wrong?
horsemen, i am not proscribing a right or wrong way to do it. i'm just showing what i did.
i can't tell you who made up that method or why. maybe they had a great reason or maybe they just made it up.
the difference in that and what i do is:
1. i let the barrel tell me what to do. i keep cleaning if i'm still seeing copper. i stop cleaning when i'm not.
2. i don't want to shoot when there's any copper in the bore. so i clean after every shot
i can't tell you who made up that method or why. maybe they had a great reason or maybe they just made it up.
the difference in that and what i do is:
1. i let the barrel tell me what to do. i keep cleaning if i'm still seeing copper. i stop cleaning when i'm not.
2. i don't want to shoot when there's any copper in the bore. so i clean after every shot
horsemen61
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Ok thanks Taliv I'm starting to understand what your saying right now I'm working with an early 80's model 70 in 243 Winchester that hasn't been cleaned in many years it shoots fine but I am wondering if a good clean barrel might make it shoot better
taliv said:
Yes, it can get very windy up here but that's great practice since I hunt up here too. I have one of those 45% IPSC targets as well. It's the reactive model from JC and all you need is to pound a T-post in the ground and you're good to go.
https://jcsteeltargets.mycustomeven...8&source=search&returncom=productlist&cid=264
For some reason I thought the auto reset MGM target I already have at 400 yards was 3/4 IPSC but it's actually 2/3 IPSC but it does have a 4"x4" head. Here's the target from MGM that I have which I highly recommend to anyone interested in a steel target.
http://mgmtargets.com/auto-poppers-sup-reg-sup/ipsc-silhouette-auto-reset-target?cPath=6&
I've already had to turn it around once since my .338 LM 250gr load will bend the steel at 400 yards!
taliv, I forgot to ask ... no primer issues with your match load? Are you using CCI BR4 primers? As I mentioned before, I load for my gf's 6.5x47 and the load her ex-husband passed on to me was 38.0gr of Varget with a 130gr Berger VLD bullet and BR4 primers. That load is running right at 2,800 fps which seems a little slow compared to yours which is only a few fps slower but with a 140gr bullet. Obviously every barrel and chamber is different and I'm not sure of your OAL. Her load is very accurate though and she's not complaining which means less work for me. I'm in the process of tweaking a hunting load for her using a 120gr Barnes TTSX bullet which is running around 3,045 fps.
1911, no i use fed gm match in small rifle, and wolf in large rifle.
Update:
unfortunately, i think this barrel is done with low SD and ES. I'm at 981 rounds at the moment, and put about 300 rounds on it at a PRS match and a 1 day match.
I tried cleaning it at 805 rounds when i noticed the SDs were getting higher and got a good bit of blue on the second patch.
After that, I chrono'd and results that were similar to post 50, but this isn't exactly apples to apples. I switched to a brake instead of a suppressor.
2770
2774
2776
2767
2770
2785
2778
2768
2767
2767
SD 6
ES 18
at round 875 I chrono'd again (with suppressor) and the average was 2783 again but my SD is creeping up to 8 and ES was 20 fps. The last few times I chrono'd I got SDs in the 6-10 FPS range
I'm pretty sure if I cleaned it, i would see copper.
makes me wonder if the copper fouling reducing agents in some powders might be worth playing with
I suppose I can live with 6-10 FPS given the cost of new barrels, but I'm hoping it doesn't get worse, as I'm only 1000 rounds into what i hoped would be 3000 round life. I'll try to remember to post again around 2000 and 3000 if it makes it that far. It's still shooting very small groups at 100.
I've only had the rifle about a month and a half and have 2 matches on it. With 4 PRS matches scheduled through early May, I guess I should go ahead and order the next barrel.
Update:
unfortunately, i think this barrel is done with low SD and ES. I'm at 981 rounds at the moment, and put about 300 rounds on it at a PRS match and a 1 day match.
I tried cleaning it at 805 rounds when i noticed the SDs were getting higher and got a good bit of blue on the second patch.
After that, I chrono'd and results that were similar to post 50, but this isn't exactly apples to apples. I switched to a brake instead of a suppressor.
2770
2774
2776
2767
2770
2785
2778
2768
2767
2767
SD 6
ES 18
at round 875 I chrono'd again (with suppressor) and the average was 2783 again but my SD is creeping up to 8 and ES was 20 fps. The last few times I chrono'd I got SDs in the 6-10 FPS range
I'm pretty sure if I cleaned it, i would see copper.
makes me wonder if the copper fouling reducing agents in some powders might be worth playing with
I suppose I can live with 6-10 FPS given the cost of new barrels, but I'm hoping it doesn't get worse, as I'm only 1000 rounds into what i hoped would be 3000 round life. I'll try to remember to post again around 2000 and 3000 if it makes it that far. It's still shooting very small groups at 100.
I've only had the rifle about a month and a half and have 2 matches on it. With 4 PRS matches scheduled through early May, I guess I should go ahead and order the next barrel.
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