breaking in
- Thread starter rhino1957
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There is much written on the topic. I personally don't believe you need to do any special break in other than shooting it and cleaning it at regular intervarls. Some people debate whether u should clean it before initial use. More often than not I don't clean it before the first use. Just my opinion and a contraversial topic.
It is a mythological term used by marketers. In actuality it is a "shake down" period to make sure the rifle functions and on semi-autos for any light burring to get worked down. If a barrel is properly constructed there is no need for a "break in" period. It's not like piston rings in a motor that need to have seating time to attain a proper seal for compression. Precision barrels are hand lapped at the factory and are slick while most factory barrels still have a few rough edges and will gather copper fouling because of it. For the average hunter, this will never be a real issue because they don't get out and pound the range 2 or 3 times a week and will probably never fire 500 rounds out of their barrel.
I wonder if they would be a class-1 or class-2 felony?! I guess if it is occupied, it becomes a class-1 felony?!
Seriosuly now. Check Krieger's website and tell me what you read. They have 100% of the answer/information you request.
Link: http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/
Link: http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm
Please copy and post the answer. Be sure to cite the reference per copyright law.
Geno
I get my new rifle out of the box
punch the bore
apply scope
go to the range
shoot it some
then I don't shoot it some days
then I shoot it some more
I might clean it some time
I don't shoot it some more
I shoot it some
and at some point during this process according to internet mythology it gets broken in
When a manufacturer claims a break in period for an entire GUN it's their way of saying they hope you get fed up and unload the malfunctioning piece of junk at a gun show before their specified XXX round break in is up and they have to hear about your warranty claim again.
The old saying is a cheap gun that malfunctions is a POS
An expensive one that does just needs to be broken in
punch the bore
apply scope
go to the range
shoot it some
then I don't shoot it some days
then I shoot it some more
I might clean it some time
I don't shoot it some more
I shoot it some
and at some point during this process according to internet mythology it gets broken in
When a manufacturer claims a break in period for an entire GUN it's their way of saying they hope you get fed up and unload the malfunctioning piece of junk at a gun show before their specified XXX round break in is up and they have to hear about your warranty claim again.
The old saying is a cheap gun that malfunctions is a POS
An expensive one that does just needs to be broken in
Last winter I bought a Weaherby Vanguard in 7mm-08. There was a barrel break instruction. Just for the heck of it and with some time on my hands I did it according to the instructions. Did it make a difference? I dunno because I don't have a "control" for comparision. I'd say if the instructions say so, do it. All I know is that after spending spring/summer working up a recipe it's shooting 120 & 130 grain sub MOA and 140 Fusion factories just under MOA. Maybe I'm not the average hunter because I put in alotta time at the range with all my hunting calibers to keep my MARKSMANSHIP skills honed and probably shoot 100 rounds out each at various ranges from 100 to 350 in several shooting positions.
Shoot, clean, make sure copper is out, If not, get copper out using a copper solvent, I used Hoppes Benchrest, It got the copper out.
Shoot again, repeat, This should help you will all your shooting you appear to do of course, You are a pro Jake1996, from your previous posts im suprised you weren't giving a full guide on how the best way is to break in a .264 magnum with a super keyboard commando crown and a magic .00002 oz trigger that breaks like glass.
Oh wait your a different guy
Shoot again, repeat, This should help you will all your shooting you appear to do of course, You are a pro Jake1996, from your previous posts im suprised you weren't giving a full guide on how the best way is to break in a .264 magnum with a super keyboard commando crown and a magic .00002 oz trigger that breaks like glass.
Oh wait your a different guy
As someone said, A LOT has been written about this. The key is not letting the barrel get too hot while firing the first 30-40 rounds. I clean mine every 4-5 rounds for the first 20 shots and every 7-10 for the next 20. But during that time, I do not fire until the barrel has cooled down from the previous shot. This is from Howa and it makes sense to me:
To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will destroy the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel “walk” when it heats up in the future. We have all seen barrels that, as they heat up, start to shoot high and then “walk” to the right. This was caused by improperly breaking in the barrel (generally by sitting at a bench rest and shooting 20 rounds in 5 minutes or so). If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the barrel in the future.
To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will destroy the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel “walk” when it heats up in the future. We have all seen barrels that, as they heat up, start to shoot high and then “walk” to the right. This was caused by improperly breaking in the barrel (generally by sitting at a bench rest and shooting 20 rounds in 5 minutes or so). If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the barrel in the future.
what are you talking about morris honestly? you are strange person.Shoot, clean, make sure copper is out, If not, get copper out using a copper solvent, I used Hoppes Benchrest, It got the copper out.
Shoot again, repeat, This should help you will all your shooting you appear to do of course, You are a pro Jake1996, from your previous posts im suprised you weren't giving a full guide on how the best way is to break in a .264 magnum with a super keyboard commando crown and a magic .00002 oz trigger that breaks like glass.
Oh wait your a different guy
Pacsd you are by far not the average "hunter" then. Most only pull their hunting firearm out once or twice a year to check zero then off a "hunting" they go. Sad really.
W.E.G.
Member
Ridiculous waste of time.
Clean it real good before you shoot it the first time.
Clean it real good every time you shoot it thereafter.
NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER EXISTS that "break in" does anything for barrels.
Yes, I am well aware of the gobbledy-gook that some manufacturers have posted on their web sites - with NO EVIDENCE.
Clean it real good before you shoot it the first time.
Clean it real good every time you shoot it thereafter.
NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER EXISTS that "break in" does anything for barrels.
Yes, I am well aware of the gobbledy-gook that some manufacturers have posted on their web sites - with NO EVIDENCE.
My uncle started gunsmithing sometime in the 1920s. He put me in the '06 business in 1950. Until sometime in 1999, I'd never heard of "break in" of a rifle barrel.
However, even in my ignorance I'd managed a serious number of sub-MOA groups.
Sure, run a patch through a brand-new barrel, "in case of in case". Go sight it in. Then do a normal cleaning.
FWIW, I never worried about "copper buildup" in my pet '06 until some thousands of rounds through it. Group size started opening up, some. So, Hoppe's #9 with the copper removing stuff. Worked fine. Groups back to sub-MOA. Same deal for my .243.
Personal opinion, but I really think folks worry too much about a solution to a non-existent problem.
However, even in my ignorance I'd managed a serious number of sub-MOA groups.
Sure, run a patch through a brand-new barrel, "in case of in case". Go sight it in. Then do a normal cleaning.
FWIW, I never worried about "copper buildup" in my pet '06 until some thousands of rounds through it. Group size started opening up, some. So, Hoppe's #9 with the copper removing stuff. Worked fine. Groups back to sub-MOA. Same deal for my .243.
Personal opinion, but I really think folks worry too much about a solution to a non-existent problem.
To me, the definition of barrel break in is the process of removing any features that are detrimental to accuracy regardless of how small those "flaws" may be. We can all agree that barrels change each time a bullet leaves the muzzle even though the change may be immeasurable. Some of those changes are desirable such as removing tooling marks in the throat or smoothing out tooling marks or irregularities left by whichever rifling process was used. Some changes are not desirable such as throat erosion. Regardless, barrels change ... sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse ... therefore all barrels undergo some type of break in whether intentional or not.
This process of barrel break in can take months or even years depending on the quality of the barrel and how the rifle is shot and cleaned. If the barrel is from a top tier manufacturer such as Krieger, this process is completed after three or four shoot and clean cycles since the barrel is lapped to 16 microns. The throat is not lapped and tooling marks remain that run perpendicular to the bore. When these marks have been polished down, the owner now has a barrel that simply does not foul even after hundreds of rounds, or my case, thousands of rounds. Obviously, three or four range trips with cleaning in between would achieve the same result as three or four cleanings during the same outing.
Personally, I've found that my interest in following any break in procedure is directly related to my accuracy expectations and the ease with which I can clean the barrel.
This process of barrel break in can take months or even years depending on the quality of the barrel and how the rifle is shot and cleaned. If the barrel is from a top tier manufacturer such as Krieger, this process is completed after three or four shoot and clean cycles since the barrel is lapped to 16 microns. The throat is not lapped and tooling marks remain that run perpendicular to the bore. When these marks have been polished down, the owner now has a barrel that simply does not foul even after hundreds of rounds, or my case, thousands of rounds. Obviously, three or four range trips with cleaning in between would achieve the same result as three or four cleanings during the same outing.
Personally, I've found that my interest in following any break in procedure is directly related to my accuracy expectations and the ease with which I can clean the barrel.
I always ask,
How do you know the brake-in worked or failed?
If you do it, and the rifle shoots, you will say it worked.
On the other hand, if you did not and it shoots you will say its pointless.
both situations apply to the same rifle. This rifle can shoot. So how do you know if the brake in works or not?
So in my mind, if I can not prove it, then its crap.
How do you know the brake-in worked or failed?
If you do it, and the rifle shoots, you will say it worked.
On the other hand, if you did not and it shoots you will say its pointless.
both situations apply to the same rifle. This rifle can shoot. So how do you know if the brake in works or not?
So in my mind, if I can not prove it, then its crap.
J.Boyette said:
If you shoot a rifle, the barrel is going to wear whether you like it or not. The throat, crown, lands and grooves will wear ... this is irrefutable. So if your barrel hasn't reached it's optimum state i.e. if you still have defects in the barrel that can be removed by shooting, then the barrel is still breaking in. This doesn't necessarily mean that a rifle will shoot poorly, and then at some magical point start to shoot well. The difference might be the number of shots before significant fouling occurs, or the cold bore shot might start to group with subsequent shots etc.
d2wing
Member
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On some my my rifles it's taken up to 200 rounds before you see improvement. Others it doesn't seem to matter much. I think it is a good idea to do what benchrest shooters and top barrelmakers say. Also some rifles come with residue like cosmoline in the barrel and action.
i think he thinks you and jake1996 are the same person, having 2 usernames so you could troll when you first started posting on THR, then sign out, then sign back in with your other name and as rediculous as it sounds, and agree with yourself.
to your question, if serious, ive never taken any extra measures to break in a barrel, other than shoot a few hundred rds, then thoroughly cleaning the bore.
ive never had ill results or short lived barrels as a result.
ive also never owned any super accurate centerfire rifles (unless you consider 3/4" @100yds super accurate)
if i ever purchase a barrel capable of extreme accuracy like 1/4 moa or something, i might reconsider but i will cross that bridge when i get there
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dirtykid
Member
i like using bore-snake's on new rifles,take a box of 20 out to the range, pull bore-snake thru first shot then every other shot after that breech-to-muzzle waiting for barrell to cool in-between shots,, take it home,, give it a bath with your favorite solvent,wipe it clean add oil for storage and call it good ,,,seems to have worked on all my rifles as they all seem to shoot the direction i point them in !!
From Weatherby: Shoot 10 rounds clean between each shot. Shoot 10-3 shot groups clean between groups. for a total of 40 rounds. What you are doing here is burnishing the tool marks just ahead of the leads in the chamber where the lands and groves start. The theory being that when the bullet hits these rough spots some copper is sheared off and it turns to a gas in the heat of the powder burn. As this supper heated gas moves down the bore behind the bullet it will of course cool off some. As the gas cools the copper condenses on the side of the bore along with carbon depositions. This fouling will destroy accuracy according to Weatherby. I have 11 new rifles off all calibers from 22/250 -through 30/06 -300 magnums -375H&H -375-378 and they all shot like stink until I got the leads burnished. After cleaning and shooting I noticed that they all seemed to all at once get accurate, and I mean accurate, the 375&H and the 300 Weatherby shoot all bullets touching at 100 yards. The 22/250 shoots 5 shot groups you can cover with a dime. I use Barnes CR10 or WipeOut to get the copper and carbon out of my bores. I clean my rifles no matter how many rounds I shoot at the range or in the field. I never ever put a gun away dirty even with only one shot down the bore without cleaning with a good copper cleaner. 20 years in the Military taught me this and my old man who was a 20 year M/Sgt US Army taught me the same thing, so I just cant help myself when it comes to being a fanatic about having a clean rifle. What you are doing here is nothing more than what other posters have suggested on this topic. Shoot it, clean it and don't let the bore overheat.
Cheers & TIghter Groups: Eaglesnester
Cheers & TIghter Groups: Eaglesnester
Eaglesnester,
no disrespect but Weatherby has a vested interest in telling the customers this. Due to the over bore calibers they make and the low barrel life they have. By running a cleaning rod down the barrel that many times you will do nothing to the tooling marks but destroy the barrel if not done right.
The bullets fix this. You can not take a soft brush or a cotton patch and fix steel marks, try it on the back of a spoon in your kitchen and tell me how it works out.
The idea is a way to wear barrels faster, and to make people buy more guns, barrels and so forth.
With the idea of a rifle with such tool marks, I would not buy it. If its that jacked up from the factory they can keep it.
Its just a myth
John
no disrespect but Weatherby has a vested interest in telling the customers this. Due to the over bore calibers they make and the low barrel life they have. By running a cleaning rod down the barrel that many times you will do nothing to the tooling marks but destroy the barrel if not done right.
The bullets fix this. You can not take a soft brush or a cotton patch and fix steel marks, try it on the back of a spoon in your kitchen and tell me how it works out.
The idea is a way to wear barrels faster, and to make people buy more guns, barrels and so forth.
With the idea of a rifle with such tool marks, I would not buy it. If its that jacked up from the factory they can keep it.
Its just a myth
John
If I may offer some help with spelling...
The word is 'break'.
Not 'brake'.
Nothing personal, we all need a little help spelling once in a while.
_________________________________
Break in
This is one of the many, many, many topics in shooting sports where the ignorant argue incessantly with the equally ignorant. In most cases, you will go through your life never knowing which side is right. You simply choose which side to be on.
The word is 'break'.
Not 'brake'.
Nothing personal, we all need a little help spelling once in a while.
_________________________________
Break in
This is one of the many, many, many topics in shooting sports where the ignorant argue incessantly with the equally ignorant. In most cases, you will go through your life never knowing which side is right. You simply choose which side to be on.
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