Breaking in your rifle barrel

[DocPain]

How many of you break in your barrel on your rifle. I’m talking about cleaning it after each shot for the first five rounds or so, then cleaning it after every 5 rounds, and so forth till you get a couple hundred rounds through it.
Seems like that would cost a fortune at today’s ammo prices if you could even find it.

 

[1wildcatfan]

Nope

 

[Meatstick]

Never have. Seems unnecessary

 

[RLWEBB]

I have and I haven’t. Can’t tell much of a difference. I think it’s telling that some manufactures recommend a break in procedure and some don’t. Really comes down to personal preference.

 

[DocPain]

Only reason I asked is that I was looking at a rifle from Christensen Arms and they have a recommended break in procedure for their rifles to reach optimum accuracy. I’d never heard of it from the mass producers, but I have heard of break in periods from some of the custom barrel makers.

 

[RLWEBB]

Only reason I asked is that I was looking at a rifle from Christensen Arms and they have a recommended break in procedure for their rifles to reach optimum accuracy. I’d never heard of it from the mass producers, but I have heard of break in periods from some of the custom barrel makers.

Browning, Winchester, and Howa have a recommended procedure. Others do as well.

 

[Meatstick]

Only reason I asked is that I was looking at a rifle from Christensen Arms and they have a recommended break in procedure for their rifles to reach optimum accuracy. I’d never heard of it from the mass producers, but I have heard of break in periods from some of the custom barrel makers.

I have a couple Coopers, and a few custom barrels on different guns. They ALL recommend some sort of break in, but I can't see where it makes a difference. By the time you get to shooting for optimum accuracy, it's well broke in

 

[DocPain]

Browning, Winchester, and Howa have a recommended procedure. Others do as well.

Guess I never read into the owners manuals far enough lol

 

[Kylongrifle32]

I usually do a break in procedure. But I'm also doing load development at the same time.
I haven't bought a box of factory ammo since 1985.

 

[1wildcatfan]

Only reason I asked is that I was looking at a rifle from Christensen Arms and they have a recommended break in procedure for their rifles to reach optimum accuracy. I’d never heard of it from the mass producers, but I have heard of break in periods from some of the custom barrel makers.

Yrs ago a custom gun maker told me it wasn't necessary for the custom barrels to be broken in, but because clients kept asking about break in procedures he put something together. Said all it really amounted to was the client wasting a box of ammo, but the clients were happy.

 

[Cornpile]

My Bore Polish Method to Shoot Better

There are several methods to hone or polish bores. My method works well to Break-in a new barrel without shooting

forum.castbulletassoc.org

 

[scottlawrenceburg]

I don't clean after every shot but I let the barrel cool way down after each and usually will shoot 20 rds the shoot it like I stole it

 

[Little FR]

If I get a custom barrel. I’ll clean, run a magazine worth roughing in sights or scope, clean, ammo test/load development for groups, clean again, zero with specific load on hot barrel, get cold bore impacts, clean, get cold bore/clean barrel zero and hunt.

Sometimes custom barrels will change poi as you fire and break in the barrel. I may rezero 3 times in first 200 rounds. Then it’s usually settled.

The main reason I clean so much is to give each ammo its own fouling shot then group test. Not so much for barrel break in but to find what it “likes”. Then your spitting in the wind if you zero on a hot/fouled barrel and hunt on a cold/clean barrel. Some guns I have notes written on require me to foul the barrel before season.

 

[Feedman]

Never have

 

[RLWEBB]

Here’s what Browning recommends:

What is the recommended procedure for breaking in a new barrel?

www.browning.com