# Breaking in your barrel ??



## Sundays Money (Aug 25, 2014)

Picked up a new rifle to start some long range shooting, I typically shoot 10 rounds with swabbing between  each shot then I shoot 10 rounds of 2 using two different ammo
Swabbing after the 2 shots 
Just wondering what works better and or easier


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## Buzz (Aug 25, 2014)

Asking about barrel break in procedures is almost akin to asking a question about religious preference.   You will get plenty of answers and it seems like they all rely on a leap of faith.  There is quite a variance of opinion between Rock, Hart, Krieger, Brux, Bartlein, etc. for starters.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Aug 25, 2014)

Shoot it 'till it gets red hot and starts to droop, then turn it upside down, beat it straight with a ballpeen hammer and throw it in a bucket of icewater. 

Or the way you do it sounds good too.


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## The Longhunter (Aug 25, 2014)

Buzz said:


> Asking about barrel break in procedures is almost akin to asking a question about religious preference.   You will get plenty of answers and it seems like they all rely on a leap of faith.  There is quite a variance of opinion between Rock, Hart, Krieger, Brux, Bartlein, etc. for starters.




What he said.

For every expert you can find that says shoot swab cool, I can find one that says fire away and be done with it.

Whatever voodoo you chose to do will do for you.


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## lonewolf247 (Aug 27, 2014)

Yes I've seen a lot of different opinions. I've done detailed break in procedures, while I've seen others just shoot an entire box through a brand new rifle in about 15 minutes. 

Read your manual and see if they offer a procedure ? If you follow that, can't really go wrong. I have several Howa/weatherby vanguard rifles, and I followed their procedure on them for the most part.  All of them shoot very accurate. It takes a little extra time, but I did it. Who knows, might have gotten the same results, just doing nothing.

Anyhow here is theirs:

https://www.legacysports.com/uploads/pdf/NewRifleBreakInProcedure.pdf


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## rosewood (Sep 19, 2014)

Read an article a few months back where one of the first barrel manufactures that recommended "breaking in the barrel" admitted that he did it so the folks would shoot more rounds and come back for a new barrel sooner.  Purely economics.  Now, I have no idea if that is true.

My understanding and kind of makes sense to me is all you are doing is firing to smooth out the bore from tool marks.  A rough bore will hold crud and by cleaning as you go, you smooth out the barrel without getting buildup.  Lapping a new barrel will do the same thing.  The smoother the bore is, the less buildup and the lower pressures you will get as the bullet can slide down the barrel easier.  JMHO

Seen another article the other day where a guy laps his barrel by putting some sort of polishing/rubbing compound on a bore snake and pulls it through like 100 strokes, cleans the gun and then that is it.   Anything that will smooth out the bore will "break it in".

Rosewood


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## deadend (Sep 29, 2014)

I run a clean patch through a new tube and then shoot moly bullets in it until the barrel wears out or I sell the rifle.  No break in and no bore scrubbing unless I come up with a good reason.


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## badger (Sep 29, 2014)

I have rifles that I've followed break in procedures with, and others that I haven't. I have not found that barrel break-in serves offers any benefits with regards to accuracy, barrel fouling or life. This includes quite a few custom barrels like Douglas, Broughton etc, and a couple of "accurate" builds, 6mmBR, 243AI using Stiller actions. I do shoot moly though.


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## Sharps40 (Sep 29, 2014)

I did it one time.  One time only.

Cleaned it.  Shot one at a time and cleaned totally clean then went to the next shot for 20 shots.  

Know what I found out?

Not a dayum thing.  I had no idea after all that work whether or not it was anybetter shootin (or easyer cleaning) a factory 223 barreled Savage than if I'da just shot some groups for record to begin with.

If ya like the extra effort for no proovable benefit beyond personal satisfaction, "Break it in".  

Or ya can drive it like ya own it and get busy with the initial zero.


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## lonewolf247 (Sep 30, 2014)

This is the way I look at it. You have to sight in the rifle anyhow. It's gonna take you usually over 10 rounds to do that anyhow, and if you shoot it too fast and get the barrel hot, it wont't group well. What's the big deal about cleaning it as you go in between shots? 

If you do it and it comes out shooting well, for the rest of the barrel life, it's worth it! If you don't do it, and you should have done it and your gun ends up suffering from it, you can't go back and start over. The damage is done.  If you've ever did a break in on a new barrel, you'd be surprized at the difference between how filthy and cruddy the patches will be when you first start shooting, then better as you go. It can't hurt to remove this as you go, rather than forcing it thru your new barrel. 

Bottom line, I can't prove if it works or it doesn't. It's gonna take 10 or more rounds to sight it in, so I'll take a few extra steps, and break in the barrel. It's not really a big deal.  To each, their own. Lots of different opinions on the subject. Take a few steps and break it in, or shoot your barrel hot! It's all good!


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