Breechplug

I was going to rply to the Thread that (onetohunt) started about his Mountaineer and weather or not there was a Break-In Process needed for the barrel befor it got to it's sweet spot and started to shoot good.
Sabotloader said yes, also because the Mountaineer's Barrel was coated with (Dyna Tek) and this had to be worked out of the barrel along with many shots befor the barrel started to show it's real potential on the range....I got to thinking.
So I know we all dont use the same Powders, Bullets and Cleaning Supplies on our MLer Barrels, and we also have Blued and Staineless Steel Barrels and there all made by different manufactures. Some require things like JB's Bore Paste to smooth out the Barrel as there may be tiny inperfections left behind in the manufacturing process and these need to be removed befor the barrel can really start to group well, other's like the Bergara Barrel have had a Polishing Process done at the factory so they are smooth and ready when you go to shoot.
What if anything do you do to your Barrel to get it to that sweet spot? What do you use after your barrel is broken in? For instance I have Stainless Steel Bergara Barrels on My Accura's, they did'nt need a break in process, but I never use a Brass Brush for cleaning, just a nylon one because I dont want to wear out the barrel, is this possible? can after years of use a MLer Barrel lose it's accuracy because of all the shots through it and many cleanings? I also use Montana Extreme Bore Conditioner, this reall helps when I go to clean as clean up is fast and easy and my barrels so far show no signs of wear or loss of accuracy.
I know I dont shoot as much as a-lot of you on here so do your older MLer's with 1000's of shots through them lose there accuracy after years of use? If so when did you notice this and if not how have you preserved the accuracy in your MLer Barrels? Also what are your Do's and Dont's of careing for your MLer Barrels?
(BP)

lemoyne

Breechplug
If you follow the manufacture of a Bergara you will see that they polish the bore before rifling. The rifling process is what causes the fine burrs and slightly rough edges which produces the need for break in.
Using PRB and black powder I have worn out a number of barrels , but with sabot and subs I have never worn one out.

johnnyo

why would the PRB wear more than the sabot? or did you just shoot it more?

johnnyo

I found my triumph took about 100 rounds through it before it loaded smooth and starting grouping the best. this is with no bore treatment, like JB's bore paste, before hand.

lemoyne

johnnyo
I am not sure why but the PRB wears a barrel much faster than lead or sabot.

Breechplug

lemoyne,
Im completely educated on the Bergara Barrel Manufacturing Process, that's why I love em so much. I guess I had to many questions in this Thread. I probably should have asked if anyone has (Worn Out) a MLer Barrel and if so how long did it last and what was shot through it to wear it out, and what was done to keep it shooting good through the years. And if anyone has had to (Break-In) there MLer Barrel befor it shot good, and if not what Barrel do they have on what MLer.
(BP)

a1smokepole

I have a old knight 45cal 1-20 twist got it new have around 5100 rounds on this gun and shoots good but shoots better today then when i first got it and have shot only sabot in this gun for know this one steel going

Breechplug

Im no expert, but I would think the Patch is the cause of this. I dont know how long the patch stays around the ball as it passes through the barrel but it would seem the patch would wear out the rifling. A Sabot is soft and guides the bullet through the rifling causing less friction then the patch.....just my guess.
(BP)

bronko22000

I'm sorry but I do not believe you can wear out a muzleloader barrel if it is properly maintained. The velocities and projectiles used (patches, sabots, lead) are too soft to cause any damage to the rifling. The only possible damage would be heat erosion near the breech area or corrosion from lack of cleaning.Or another reason could be improper cleaning techniques (not sufficient or manual damage of the rifling from cleaning rods, jags, etc.) This is the main reason why our forefathers usually got smaller caliber rifles when purchased new so after they became corroded from the black powder residue to the point of being inaccurate they had them rebored to a larger caliber. Much cheaper than buying a new rifle. Also, as for the polishing of the bore, IMO this is done for the ease of loading and cleaning and indirectly for accuracy. My explanation for this is the rifle will shoot great provided the correct load combo is used for that particular rifle. That is until the imperfections in the barrel begin to collect particles of fouling in whatever form. This fouling will make the rifle harder to clean, (to get the crud out of the minute spaces), harder to load, and have an effect on the rifle's accuracy. Now, depending on the particular rifle, this effect may actually improve the rifle's performance. But it will be short lived as the fouling will eventually begin to corrode the barrel making it inaccurate and hence 'shot out'.

MountainDevil54

the only wear in a barrel that i have ever seen was right at the crown and that's due to the normal ramrod hitting the spot over time and wearing it down.