Folks are Berry's bullets suitable for breaking in a new bore to get it ready for cast? I have never used plated bullets for this task and i was thinking of ordering a thousand jacketed bullets to break in a new bore and i thought if plated bullets would work i would give them a try. I am not talking about a rough bore mind you...just a new bore. Before someone suggest it i will go ahead and say that i do know about polishing the bore and have done it in the past, but i would rather be shooting.
Berry's bullets suitable for breaking in a new bore?
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armoredman
Member
I have never "broken in" a rifle bore, but I cannot imagine a Berrys bullet wouldn't be up to it. Load in the middle/lower half of the jacketed data, and it will work fine - excellent products.
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Jim Watson
Member
What caliber?
Badger recommends like 10 rounds break-in with jacketed bullets, from 30 to as many as 80-100 with cast.
http://badgerdefense.com/closed/procedure.pdf
I guess plated would work but you sure don't need a thousand.
Internet expertise to the contrary, I broke in two aftermarket barrels shoot and clean in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. That worked out to 13 shots with one and 33 with the other.
Badger recommends like 10 rounds break-in with jacketed bullets, from 30 to as many as 80-100 with cast.
http://badgerdefense.com/closed/procedure.pdf
I guess plated would work but you sure don't need a thousand.
Internet expertise to the contrary, I broke in two aftermarket barrels shoot and clean in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. That worked out to 13 shots with one and 33 with the other.
LiveLife
Member
When I bought my M&P45 last year, I shot several hundred rounds of factory jacketed ammo (230 gr RN PMC/CCI Blazer Brass) to burnish the barrel (I know, it probably wasn't necessary as it came coated like Glock barrels and I don't burnish Glock barrels).
Guess what?
While PMC was true jacketed bullet with exposed lead base, CCI Blazer Brass was plated bullet.
It's now shooting lead bullets just fine.
Guess what?
While PMC was true jacketed bullet with exposed lead base, CCI Blazer Brass was plated bullet.
It's now shooting lead bullets just fine.
First time I shot cast, I had relatively bad leading in 3 different handguns. That was after shooting over a thousand plated bullets. So I don't think they helped to "break in" the bore for cast bullets.
OTOH, after the initial session, subsequent sessions with cast produced very little to no leading.
So I think the proper way to break in a bore for cast bullets is to shoot cast bullets.
OTOH, after the initial session, subsequent sessions with cast produced very little to no leading.
So I think the proper way to break in a bore for cast bullets is to shoot cast bullets.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I have read that barrel break in procedure is a marketing ploy to make you shoot a bunch of ammo through your barrel to shorten the time when you will order a new barrel. A barrel, especially a bench rest barrel has a limited lifespan and shooting a few hundred rounds through it before you start shooting it "for real" will shorten it's lifespan and for no good reason! IMHO of course.
With new handguns, I shoot what I am going to shoot. Barrel "break-in" happens along the way.
With rifles, I follow some of the mumbo jumbo on barrel "break in" such as some extra cleaning, not over heating the barrel and so forth. But I am doing other things like sighting in the sights, checking groups and velocities, etc. to get the most value from the ammunition. I don't just blindly send bullets down range in the name of breaking in the barrel. By following a "break in" procedure, it slows my shooting down for a bit.
I do clean a new barrel from the breach pushing debris towards the muzzle if possible and never bring a patch back from the muzzle to the breach. It may not have benefits, but makes me feel good and seems to make sense. I don't always continue this as the barrel ages.
I agree with ArchAngle, much of the break in stuff is a ploy to wear out the barrel faster.
With rifles, I follow some of the mumbo jumbo on barrel "break in" such as some extra cleaning, not over heating the barrel and so forth. But I am doing other things like sighting in the sights, checking groups and velocities, etc. to get the most value from the ammunition. I don't just blindly send bullets down range in the name of breaking in the barrel. By following a "break in" procedure, it slows my shooting down for a bit.
I do clean a new barrel from the breach pushing debris towards the muzzle if possible and never bring a patch back from the muzzle to the breach. It may not have benefits, but makes me feel good and seems to make sense. I don't always continue this as the barrel ages.
I agree with ArchAngle, much of the break in stuff is a ploy to wear out the barrel faster.
Jim Watson
Member
It is hard to see how I was losing much barrel life when, to quote a usually reliable source (Me!) "I broke in two aftermarket barrels shoot and clean in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. That worked out to 13 shots with one and 33 with the other."
By the time I had gone through those, the rifles were zeroed at 100 yards and I had chronograph readings so I could determine come-ups for longer ranges. That was shooting that I would have done any way. There was NO waste of service life and I won't be replacing the barrel any sooner than if I had not gone through the break-in ritual for that first set of trials.
I never gave a thought to breaking in a pistol barrel.
By the time I had gone through those, the rifles were zeroed at 100 yards and I had chronograph readings so I could determine come-ups for longer ranges. That was shooting that I would have done any way. There was NO waste of service life and I won't be replacing the barrel any sooner than if I had not gone through the break-in ritual for that first set of trials.
I never gave a thought to breaking in a pistol barrel.
Agreed, that is a reasonable number of shots for a recommended break in and other things can be done with the break in rounds.
I have seen procedures that use in excessive of 100 rounds. They go something like...
Shoot one round and clean. Repeat 10 times.
Then shoot two or three rounds and clean. Repeat 5 times.
Then shoot five rounds and clean. Repeat 5 times.
And so forth.
Generally, i have seen these procedures associated with custom rifle barrel makers.
I'm not that patient.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
A good lapping with JB Bore paste will do far more good then shooting some jacketed bullets through a new bore.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1160/Product/J_B_reg__NON_EMBEDDING_BORE_CLEANING_COMPOUND
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=...187_a_7c745_a_7c083065100_d_083065100_d_10167
If the bore is rough to start with, it will just pick up copper fouling, which you then have to remove.
JB Bore paste will polish & smooth all those microscopic burrs in the first place so you can go straight to lead bullets.
rc
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1160/Product/J_B_reg__NON_EMBEDDING_BORE_CLEANING_COMPOUND
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=...187_a_7c745_a_7c083065100_d_083065100_d_10167
If the bore is rough to start with, it will just pick up copper fouling, which you then have to remove.
JB Bore paste will polish & smooth all those microscopic burrs in the first place so you can go straight to lead bullets.
rc
longdayjake
Member
Just curious but what are you getting the berry's bullets for $$$$?
Right now, the best price about anywhere on the web for Berry's is at Powder Valley. That takes into account shipping and state taxes (since PV and I are both in KS). So for me, ordering from PV is still cheaper than a few other resellers, or buying direct from Berry's for free shipping and no tax.
i think they are pretty soft for the job you want them to do. especially if you want to do it in less than 50 or so. they use striaght soft lead, with a soft copper plating. depending on how rough your bore is, it may be a better choice to either fire lap or shoot solid copper bullets from a break in point of veiw.
bigedp51
member
Watch the video below and then realize why barrel break-in on a commercial barrel is a total waste of time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA
Do you really think a bore brush and bore solvent will wear down the ridges below on a new button rifled barrel?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA
Do you really think a bore brush and bore solvent will wear down the ridges below on a new button rifled barrel?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Yes, but so are jacketed bullets.
JB Bore Paste is slightly more abrasive then say, bore cleaner on a cotton patch.
Bench rest shooters use it regularly though.
JB Bore Shine is so mild it would almost qualify as non-abrasive at all.
rc
longdayjake
Member
It's not the brush that would be wearing down the grooves. Its the bullets. The point is to keep it clean so that the bullets can work more quickly on smoothin them out.
bigedp51
member
If a standard bullet jacket is made of soft copper zinc alloy and a bore brush is made of copper zinc alloy how is the soft bullet going to wear down hard steel.
At 43,000 cup the peak flame temperature is just starting to reach the melting point of modern barrel steels. If you notice for "barrel break in" many of the instructions recommend using a faster burning double base powder to increase the peak flame temp.
A bullet doesn't break in a barrel but hot gasses can cause barrel erosion.
There were tests done in the late 1800's that determined soft patch materials (cotton and thin oiled leather) would wear a barrel out in short order if used for target shooting where many shots were expected from a high quality target barrel. Copper jacketed bullets and friction from pressing them into the grooves and shoving them out the barrel at high speeds definitely wears on a barrel. Gas cutting is generally around or just past the forcing cone is it not?
Clark
Member
I believe in breaking in a baseball glove.
I think some rifle barrels may have a break in period and some don't.
I am not ready to accept the concept of breaking in a 9mm handgun barrel.
I think some rifle barrels may have a break in period and some don't.
I am not ready to accept the concept of breaking in a 9mm handgun barrel.
ColtPythonElite
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Best post yet^^^....I agree 100%.
bigedp51
member
I would like to think the steels used in todays barrels are superior to what was used in black powder rifles of the 1800s.
The grit use in J&B bore paste is softer than steel but harder than copper, and that is why it is used to remove copper and carbon.
The grit used on bullets to fire lap barrels is "harder" than steel and is used to smooth the bore.
Below is a photo of a factory barrel, what is a copper bore brush going to do to a bore like this other than be eaten when you "try" to break in your barrel. On a factory barrel you are better off using a foam bore cleaner and remember that more barrels are damaged by cleaning than any other reason.
Below is a custom hand lapped barrel and the type barrel that "some" makers recommend a break-in period.
Below is a very good read on barrel break-in (it is not necessary)
http://www.6mmbr.com/gailmcmbreakin.html
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