Barrel Break-In Recommendations
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R.W.Dale
Member
shoot the pee out of it, clean periodically between range trips and repeat and enjoy
MIL-DOT
member
I'm still on the fence about barrel break-in, or "seasoning", as lots of knowledgable,experienced guys swear by it, and lots of others think it's non-sense. Either way, below is a link that spells the process out pretty well.
http://www.cabelas.com/story-123/arterburn_seasoning/10203/Seasoning+Your+New+Rifle.shtml
http://www.cabelas.com/story-123/arterburn_seasoning/10203/Seasoning+Your+New+Rifle.shtml
R.W.Dale
Member
and also goes to great lengths to sell you the necessary equipment
rangerruck
Member
If you have a Douglas bbl, then by God and all that is holy, call or email Douglas bbls!!!! they will know best.
rangerruck
Member
just in my opinion, a Douglas bbl should be so finely made, that it proly needs little or no break in at all.
moooose102
Member
i agree, call douglas barrels. it is their baby, nobody will know what is better for it than them! go by what they tell you. otherwise, if you have a problem (doubtful), they can blame you for doing something wrong.
P97
Member
I agree. If the Barrel Maker doesn't know whats best, who does?
Old Grump
Member
clean, shoot, clean, shoot, repeat
Tarvis
Member
I read somewhere that an unnamed barrel maker suggested a lengthy barrel break-in, something like cleaning the bore 30-40 times. The major reason for this was to wear out the barrel (rod rubbing on the lands) to reduce barrel life and sell more barrels.
An excerpt from Dan Lilja:
"It is important to break-in a barrel though. The jacket material must be removed after every shot during the initial few rounds. If this isn't done the areas of the barrel that fouled will tend to pick up more fouling and it will build on itself. It is important to get a layer of powder fouling on top of the lands & grooves. This hard deposit will prevent the copper from stripping off the bullets. However, if the internal finish of the barrel is too rough the barrel will never be completely broken-in and fouling will always be a problem. Some barrels can't be broken-in.
A similar phenomonon can exist if the shooter uses an abrasive-type cleaner too often. The abrasives are very effective at removing all traces of both powder and jacket fouling. I mentioned that a barrel can be too smooth. The abrasives can get a barrel too clean as well and in effect the shooter is rebreaking-in the barrel again every time he cleans. This can end up in the dog-chasing-his-tail scenario. The shooter thinks the barrel is a fouler, as evidenced by the copper accumulations in the barrel. He works hard at removing the copper, resorting to using an abrasive cleaner. But when he does he removes the desirable layer of carbon fouling left by the powder and exposes fresh steel ready to grab some more copper off the bullet on the next shot. The cycle repeats itself. Like the dog the best way out is to go lay down and take a nap."
"It is important to break-in a barrel though. The jacket material must be removed after every shot during the initial few rounds. If this isn't done the areas of the barrel that fouled will tend to pick up more fouling and it will build on itself. It is important to get a layer of powder fouling on top of the lands & grooves. This hard deposit will prevent the copper from stripping off the bullets. However, if the internal finish of the barrel is too rough the barrel will never be completely broken-in and fouling will always be a problem. Some barrels can't be broken-in.
A similar phenomonon can exist if the shooter uses an abrasive-type cleaner too often. The abrasives are very effective at removing all traces of both powder and jacket fouling. I mentioned that a barrel can be too smooth. The abrasives can get a barrel too clean as well and in effect the shooter is rebreaking-in the barrel again every time he cleans. This can end up in the dog-chasing-his-tail scenario. The shooter thinks the barrel is a fouler, as evidenced by the copper accumulations in the barrel. He works hard at removing the copper, resorting to using an abrasive cleaner. But when he does he removes the desirable layer of carbon fouling left by the powder and exposes fresh steel ready to grab some more copper off the bullet on the next shot. The cycle repeats itself. Like the dog the best way out is to go lay down and take a nap."
R.W.Dale
Member
from Shillen
How should I break-in my new Shilen barrel?
Break-in procedures are as diverse as cleaning techniques. Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal. All our stainless steel barrels have been hand lapped as part of their production, as well as any chrome moly barrel we install. Hand lapping a barrel polishes the interior of the barrel and eliminates sharp edges or burrs that could cause jacket deformity. This, in fact, is what you are doing when you break-in a new barrel through firing and cleaning.
Here is our standard recommendation: Clean after each shot for the first 5 shots. The remainder of the break-in is to clean every 5 shots for the next 50 shots. During this time, don't just shoot bullets down the barrel during this 50 shot procedure. This is a great time to begin load development. Zero the scope over the first 5 shots, and start shooting for accuracy with 5-shot groups for the next 50 shots. Same thing applies to fire forming cases for improved or wildcat cartridges. Just firing rounds down a barrel to form brass without any regard to their accuracy is a mistake. It is a waste of time and barrel life.
How should I break-in my new Shilen barrel?
Break-in procedures are as diverse as cleaning techniques. Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal. All our stainless steel barrels have been hand lapped as part of their production, as well as any chrome moly barrel we install. Hand lapping a barrel polishes the interior of the barrel and eliminates sharp edges or burrs that could cause jacket deformity. This, in fact, is what you are doing when you break-in a new barrel through firing and cleaning.
Here is our standard recommendation: Clean after each shot for the first 5 shots. The remainder of the break-in is to clean every 5 shots for the next 50 shots. During this time, don't just shoot bullets down the barrel during this 50 shot procedure. This is a great time to begin load development. Zero the scope over the first 5 shots, and start shooting for accuracy with 5-shot groups for the next 50 shots. Same thing applies to fire forming cases for improved or wildcat cartridges. Just firing rounds down a barrel to form brass without any regard to their accuracy is a mistake. It is a waste of time and barrel life.
BADUNAME37
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Not doing any of that hasn't affected the accuracy of my Savage 110 22-250.
But then, maybe it has! Maybe the bullets would all be going through the same hole had I done everything listed below!
However, that being said, I'm not complaining AT ALL about the approximate 1/4" group I'm getting at 200 yards off the bench (on a perfectly still, calm day).
Woodchucks around here haven't got a chance.
But then, maybe it has! Maybe the bullets would all be going through the same hole had I done everything listed below!
However, that being said, I'm not complaining AT ALL about the approximate 1/4" group I'm getting at 200 yards off the bench (on a perfectly still, calm day).
Woodchucks around here haven't got a chance.
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NCsmitty
Member
As it has been noted before, the more expensive barrels are usually hand lapped to perfection and IMO, need far less "break in" as it were, and are worth the extra bucks. Barrels such as the A&B series are sometimes great and other times not so good and it's the luck of the draw often times. Those barrels are the ones that need a little TLC and a more thorough break in to smooth them out. But they will shoot if given a chance. I should know.
NCsmitty
NCsmitty
Wildfire
Member
You asked.
Hey There:
We have been here and done this time and Time again.
But still I mean no offence to the question.
These guys are right ! GOOD Barrels do not need any break in.
We no longer break in new cars. We just drive them. In fact, on the test drive, most will take the car for a ride to see what she has.
Just shoot it. It may get better as you go but that you can live with.
Hey There:
We have been here and done this time and Time again.
But still I mean no offence to the question.
These guys are right ! GOOD Barrels do not need any break in.
We no longer break in new cars. We just drive them. In fact, on the test drive, most will take the car for a ride to see what she has.
Just shoot it. It may get better as you go but that you can live with.
kcmarine
Member
This has to be the most civil thread on this issue I've ever seen.
RugerOldArmy
Member
Shoot it. Pay extra attention to removing copper the first few trips. Use a bore guide.
View barrel break-in instructions with skepticism.
View barrel break-in instructions with skepticism.
Bartkowski
Member
I would just shoot it, thats all I ever do.
Has anyone ever done a test? Such as taking two factory rifles, following a break-in for one and just shooting the other; then compare accuracy and ease of cleaning.
Has anyone ever done a test? Such as taking two factory rifles, following a break-in for one and just shooting the other; then compare accuracy and ease of cleaning.
rangerruck
Member
yes, their was a very comprehensive test done about 6 months ago, by shooting times I think , on a pretty big variety of new and used rifles, in various cals, to see how cleaning affected groups. Some rifles, like the ruger in 7mag, or was it 338, never improved, never changed, some rifles did good after cleaning, like a used winny 30.30, and a couple of the new ones, would shoot great groups, after a cleaning, and a waiting period of at least a day. a cleaning and soon reshooting did not help as much. a savage, a t/c icon, and a howa/wetherby ended up tops IIRw, in cals such as 243, 223, and 270.
but that was about cleaning, and how well, and how soon after cleaning, do your groups get reall good again, and how close are they to the first shot out of the cold bbl, and how close the remainder group, is to that first shot.
By and large, very large, rifles cleaned well, and let set at least a day, first shot ended up closest to the origional POA, and the subsequent group ended up closest to that first shot, except that damn ruger, couldn't do a ting with it.
Again, none of this has what I consider enough to tell us about bbl break in.
Again, I would call Douglas , or the appropriate bbl maker.
but that was about cleaning, and how well, and how soon after cleaning, do your groups get reall good again, and how close are they to the first shot out of the cold bbl, and how close the remainder group, is to that first shot.
By and large, very large, rifles cleaned well, and let set at least a day, first shot ended up closest to the origional POA, and the subsequent group ended up closest to that first shot, except that damn ruger, couldn't do a ting with it.
Again, none of this has what I consider enough to tell us about bbl break in.
Again, I would call Douglas , or the appropriate bbl maker.
As another cynic, I've wondered if the extensive break-in directions with my DPMS barrel (as an example) aren't just a back door disclaimer. They know there will be some variance in their barrels and some will shoot better than others, and they KNOW that 99% of the buyers won't jump through all the hoops to break them in as they describe. So if you get a rifle that from the factory shoots 2 MOA when it should have shot 1 MOA and you complain to them about it, its easy enough for them to ask, "did you break it in according to our instructions?" - and bingo, its your fault.
I know, its a hair away from a conspiracy theory, but I've spent enough time in Corporate America to know that it's done every day.
I know, its a hair away from a conspiracy theory, but I've spent enough time in Corporate America to know that it's done every day.
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