How crucial is breaking in barrels?
08-23-2019, 01:52 PM
#11
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
With a used rifle I usually scrub it real good with a copper solvent then run an oiled patch followed by a rigorous lapping with J-B Compound then another cleaning. This usually results in getting out any copper fouling and smoothing out the bore. I can usually tell after the first range session and during cleaning if it needs some more work .
Is it necessary. For the average shooter - I'd have to say no. But IMO if you're going to hand on to your new rifle for a fairly long time why not do it? But its your $$.
Last edited by bronko22000; 08-23-2019 at 01:58 PM.
08-24-2019, 10:55 AM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,903
@bronko22000 - There’s fallacy in the logic no matter which side you stand upon. How a shooter justifies barrel break in or justifies NOT breaking in can be logically determined valid or invalid, just as quickly and just as equally.
For example - it seems to make sense, “if you’re going to hang onto a rifle for long time, you might as well break it in.” However, it’s a non-sequitur sentiment, because a lifetime big game hunting rifle won’t be fired often, only needs cleaned once per year with only 10-20 shots fired on it that season, and has a relatively loose minimum tolerance for precision. So breaking in a hunting rifle barrel doesn’t really make sense.
Alternatively, a competition rifle has an extremely low minimum precision tolerance, so it might make sense to say a competition barrel really must be broken in. But there’s no real evidence to prove it increases precision, and typically these rifles aren’t cleaned until precision slips, maybe once every 500 rounds, so speed of cleaning isn’t critical - and the hand lapping step done by the manufacturer vs. a rough hammer forged barrel is really what makes custom barrels easy to clean anyway. Those 500 rounds might happen within a couple months, so the barrel is dead within a year anyway. So why break it in?
Ultimately, we all feel better thinking we did something to make our rifles better, or at least did something which gives our barrels the best chance to be their best. But at the end of the day, barrel break In does a lot more between our ears than it does between our lands.
I like to break In when I have time, but more often than not, I don’t have time, and over half of the custom barrels I buy don’t get broken in. And they still shoot as small as I can ever make any rifle shoot - so even though my own experience proves I’m wasting my time, I still waste my time.
For example - it seems to make sense, “if you’re going to hang onto a rifle for long time, you might as well break it in.” However, it’s a non-sequitur sentiment, because a lifetime big game hunting rifle won’t be fired often, only needs cleaned once per year with only 10-20 shots fired on it that season, and has a relatively loose minimum tolerance for precision. So breaking in a hunting rifle barrel doesn’t really make sense.
Alternatively, a competition rifle has an extremely low minimum precision tolerance, so it might make sense to say a competition barrel really must be broken in. But there’s no real evidence to prove it increases precision, and typically these rifles aren’t cleaned until precision slips, maybe once every 500 rounds, so speed of cleaning isn’t critical - and the hand lapping step done by the manufacturer vs. a rough hammer forged barrel is really what makes custom barrels easy to clean anyway. Those 500 rounds might happen within a couple months, so the barrel is dead within a year anyway. So why break it in?
Ultimately, we all feel better thinking we did something to make our rifles better, or at least did something which gives our barrels the best chance to be their best. But at the end of the day, barrel break In does a lot more between our ears than it does between our lands.
I like to break In when I have time, but more often than not, I don’t have time, and over half of the custom barrels I buy don’t get broken in. And they still shoot as small as I can ever make any rifle shoot - so even though my own experience proves I’m wasting my time, I still waste my time.
08-25-2019, 04:36 AM
#13
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: US South
Posts: 444
08-25-2019, 04:58 AM
#14
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: US South
Posts: 444
Now having said that; For my hunting rifles,
I have a usually always have hunt purpose and a hunt plan already figured out for it.
As such, I've also got the bullet in mind I want to use.
If possible, I run a quick "experiment" with a factory load that has that bullet.
Shoot two 3 shot groups - Letting the barrel cool between each shot.
I'm looking for first shot fliers and wanting to chrono the velocity and spreads.
This gives me an idea for potential accuracy with my chosen bullet and basic data on velocity.
I'll keep the rest of the box as a standard for life of rifle just in case
I need to go back to these rounds for any future trouble-shooting.
I'll began working-up reloads from this point with my chosen bullet.
Two 3 shot groups from a cool barrel may qualify IYO as "break-in" but really all I do is clean.
I have a usually always have hunt purpose and a hunt plan already figured out for it.
As such, I've also got the bullet in mind I want to use.
If possible, I run a quick "experiment" with a factory load that has that bullet.
Shoot two 3 shot groups - Letting the barrel cool between each shot.
I'm looking for first shot fliers and wanting to chrono the velocity and spreads.
This gives me an idea for potential accuracy with my chosen bullet and basic data on velocity.
I'll keep the rest of the box as a standard for life of rifle just in case
I need to go back to these rounds for any future trouble-shooting.
I'll began working-up reloads from this point with my chosen bullet.
Two 3 shot groups from a cool barrel may qualify IYO as "break-in" but really all I do is clean.
08-25-2019, 06:44 AM
#15
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
@bronko22000 - There’s fallacy in the logic no matter which side you stand upon. How a shooter justifies barrel break in or justifies NOT breaking in can be logically determined valid or invalid, just as quickly and just as equally.
For example - it seems to make sense, “if you’re going to hang onto a rifle for long time, you might as well break it in.” However, it’s a non-sequitur sentiment, because a lifetime big game hunting rifle won’t be fired often, only needs cleaned once per year with only 10-20 shots fired on it that season, and has a relatively loose minimum tolerance for precision. So breaking in a hunting rifle barrel doesn’t really make sense.
Alternatively, a competition rifle has an extremely low minimum precision tolerance, so it might make sense to say a competition barrel really must be broken in. But there’s no real evidence to prove it increases precision, and typically these rifles aren’t cleaned until precision slips, maybe once every 500 rounds, so speed of cleaning isn’t critical - and the hand lapping step done by the manufacturer vs. a rough hammer forged barrel is really what makes custom barrels easy to clean anyway. Those 500 rounds might happen within a couple months, so the barrel is dead within a year anyway. So why break it in?
Ultimately, we all feel better thinking we did something to make our rifles better, or at least did something which gives our barrels the best chance to be their best. But at the end of the day, barrel break In does a lot more between our ears than it does between our lands.
I like to break In when I have time, but more often than not, I don’t have time, and over half of the custom barrels I buy don’t get broken in. And they still shoot as small as I can ever make any rifle shoot - so even though my own experience proves I’m wasting my time, I still waste my time.
For example - it seems to make sense, “if you’re going to hang onto a rifle for long time, you might as well break it in.” However, it’s a non-sequitur sentiment, because a lifetime big game hunting rifle won’t be fired often, only needs cleaned once per year with only 10-20 shots fired on it that season, and has a relatively loose minimum tolerance for precision. So breaking in a hunting rifle barrel doesn’t really make sense.
Alternatively, a competition rifle has an extremely low minimum precision tolerance, so it might make sense to say a competition barrel really must be broken in. But there’s no real evidence to prove it increases precision, and typically these rifles aren’t cleaned until precision slips, maybe once every 500 rounds, so speed of cleaning isn’t critical - and the hand lapping step done by the manufacturer vs. a rough hammer forged barrel is really what makes custom barrels easy to clean anyway. Those 500 rounds might happen within a couple months, so the barrel is dead within a year anyway. So why break it in?
Ultimately, we all feel better thinking we did something to make our rifles better, or at least did something which gives our barrels the best chance to be their best. But at the end of the day, barrel break In does a lot more between our ears than it does between our lands.
I like to break In when I have time, but more often than not, I don’t have time, and over half of the custom barrels I buy don’t get broken in. And they still shoot as small as I can ever make any rifle shoot - so even though my own experience proves I’m wasting my time, I still waste my time.
Now having said that; For my hunting rifles,
I have a usually always have hunt purpose and a hunt plan already figured out for it.
As such, I've also got the bullet in mind I want to use.
If possible, I run a quick "experiment" with a factory load that has that bullet.
Shoot two 3 shot groups - Letting the barrel cool between each shot.
I'm looking for first shot fliers and wanting to chrono the velocity and spreads.
This gives me an idea for potential accuracy with my chosen bullet and basic data on velocity.
I'll keep the rest of the box as a standard for life of rifle just in case
I need to go back to these rounds for any future trouble-shooting.
I'll began working-up reloads from this point with my chosen bullet.
Two 3 shot groups from a cool barrel may qualify IYO as "break-in" but really all I do is clean.
I have a usually always have hunt purpose and a hunt plan already figured out for it.
As such, I've also got the bullet in mind I want to use.
If possible, I run a quick "experiment" with a factory load that has that bullet.
Shoot two 3 shot groups - Letting the barrel cool between each shot.
I'm looking for first shot fliers and wanting to chrono the velocity and spreads.
This gives me an idea for potential accuracy with my chosen bullet and basic data on velocity.
I'll keep the rest of the box as a standard for life of rifle just in case
I need to go back to these rounds for any future trouble-shooting.
I'll began working-up reloads from this point with my chosen bullet.
Two 3 shot groups from a cool barrel may qualify IYO as "break-in" but really all I do is clean.
The only reason I do a break in is to lap the barrel to remove those micro burrs that catch fouling. I know there is logic for both sides. But I feel if I can remove as many fouling catching spots in the bore, my job of cleaning the bore to spotless will be easier. We have to face it that some manufacturers crank out guns and the bores are really rough compared to match barrel by custom makers. Those production rifle can benefit from a proper break in process.
08-25-2019, 12:29 PM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,903
Admitting up front it’s a line from the former sitcom, “the Office,” I often say, “I’m not superstitious, but I’m a little stitious.”
Barrel break in, in my experience, is little to nothing more than voodoo.
But...
It’s voodoo I do do.
Barrel break in, in my experience, is little to nothing more than voodoo.
But...
It’s voodoo I do do.
08-25-2019, 02:11 PM
#18
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
LOL I like that! Now if I can only remember it.
08-25-2019, 03:07 PM
#19
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
This sparked a pretty good discussion. I ended up not doing the break in procedure. Instead, I cleaned them thoroughly beforehand, fired 10 rounds to get them more or less dialed in, and I'll clean them before I take them out again. That 327 especially needs a good cleaning, those American Eagle loads left the bore filthy.
08-25-2019, 04:15 PM
#20
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: US South
Posts: 444
Good for you Lone Wolf!
Now that your decision is in, I like to leave one more tip some friends of mine use back when we were shooting on a 22LR team.
I didn't think of in at first - as we were discussing CF single shots and hunting rifles.
I remember this when Bronko mentioned lapping rifle barrels.
Several other members on our team were (I'm not going to call'em collectors) - They were "gatherers" of old used 22LRs.
They had their competition rifles,
but we couldn't travel together anywhere that they weren't stopping at every pawn and gun shop buying old 22LRs.
Old Rem and Win Comp rifles, 22LR military trainers, oh list goes on and on.
The very first thing they would do to these old used rifles was to clean and polish the throat.
22LR ammo is dirty and is notorious for collecting this "soot" in a ring at the throat of the barrel.
They would brush, clean, polish the throat over and over repeatedly to remove this "soot" ring.
They used Brownell's Bore Bright polish - More a polish that a lapping compound,
But they used it like a lapping to completely remove this ring before shooting them.
So there, we covered the 22LRs just in case it's of interest for others reading.
I haven't had occasion to used it, but they convinced me of this tip.
Now that your decision is in, I like to leave one more tip some friends of mine use back when we were shooting on a 22LR team.
I didn't think of in at first - as we were discussing CF single shots and hunting rifles.
I remember this when Bronko mentioned lapping rifle barrels.
Several other members on our team were (I'm not going to call'em collectors) - They were "gatherers" of old used 22LRs.
They had their competition rifles,
but we couldn't travel together anywhere that they weren't stopping at every pawn and gun shop buying old 22LRs.
Old Rem and Win Comp rifles, 22LR military trainers, oh list goes on and on.
The very first thing they would do to these old used rifles was to clean and polish the throat.
22LR ammo is dirty and is notorious for collecting this "soot" in a ring at the throat of the barrel.
They would brush, clean, polish the throat over and over repeatedly to remove this "soot" ring.
They used Brownell's Bore Bright polish - More a polish that a lapping compound,
But they used it like a lapping to completely remove this ring before shooting them.
So there, we covered the 22LRs just in case it's of interest for others reading.
I haven't had occasion to used it, but they convinced me of this tip.
Last edited by RaySendero; 08-26-2019 at 02:45 AM.