New Barrel Break In

[Darren8167]

So I won 2 new rifles at a California Deer Association dinner last weekend. A Tikka T3Lite in 30-06 and a Weatherby Vanguard 2 in 270 Win. I already have a Tikka M695 in 30-06 but I am interested in building up the 270 right away. I want to build this Rifle up for a deer and antelope rig. I have recently started shooting Hammer Hunters and love them. Do you guys have any experience with shooting them in a new barrel? Should I break in with different bullets and then work up some hammers? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Black Elk]

I am not a follower of barrel break in procedures. I think that the barrel shouldn't have to be shot X amount of times in a specific way in order to wring out the best accuracy as possible. My last two new barrels have thrown on the action and straight into a 45-50 round load development session. In fact, I have a 7mm Sherman Short that is going to be "broken in" and load tested in the coming weeks with Hammer Hunters.

If you feel better about "breaking a barrel in", go for it. It wont cause any harm! I just don't have the time or patience to do so.

 

[golfer]

Of the vanguards I’ve had all seem to shoot well out of the box.

 

[Don Fischer]

When I got my 6.5x06 I decided I was going to do it right for once and break in the new barrel. According to Shilen it wasn't necessary but I was gonna do it anyway. Didn't take to long and I was tired of firing one shot and cleaning the thing and quit breaking it in. Figured either it would shoot or it wouldn't and Have never had much bad luck getting factory barrels to shoot well. Rifle turned out to be a super shooter and I sort of doubt my short breaking in period did it. One of the most accurate rifles I'd every owned! I will say this for breaking in though. If you think it works, go for it, can't hurt!

 

[std7mag]

I did the breakin once. Not again.
Talking with some benchrest shooters last weekend. Barrel breakin was brought up.
Nobody went over 20 rounds for breakin.
Several call it good after 3 rounds.

 

[Brandon270]

Weatherby has a 20 round break in procedure on their website and went over it on one of their podcasts a while back. They said some of their own guys follow it and some don't and haven't noticed much if any difference in performance.

Let us know how it shoots, I start my background check today on a vanguard 25-06.

 

[blueridge]

My new barrel on my 300 WSM was the first one that I actually did a break in procedure for. Clean after every shot for the first three. Then after every five for the next three rounds. The first three shots, cleaning after every one, were the ones that seemed most significant to me. It was dramatic how much cleaner it got with every successive shot.

 

[longbow51]

John Krieger publishes a break-in procedure too, but doesn't use it himself. I've done it (with Lilja barrels, according to their procedure). Never did it with Coopers; they were all shot at the factory anyway, and they shoot as Coopers should. Picked up a couple of Dakota Varminters with hand-lapped barrels, and I plan to clean after each shot for 3 rounds, and then just move on. I'm using V Max for the first few rounds and then switching to Hammers. Primers too dear to shoot 20 rounds breaking in.

 

[antelopedundee]

I recall a discussion [maybe on here] where the poster cleaned every 5 rounds for 20 and then oiled the barrel shot 5, cleaned and oiled again and after that said he really never had to clean again. It's said that the all copper composition bullets foul less than gilding metal jacketed bullets. Also it can't hurt to use a powder with a copper fouling reducing compound added like the IMR Endurons or a lot of the Reloders. If you want to do it it caint hurt, but probably isn't necessary.

 

[blueridge]

I plan to clean after each shot for 3 rounds, and then just move on.

This is what seemed to make a difference for me and will be my approach moving forward.

 

[old roper 42]

I'm not shooting factory hunting barrels so I use Bartlein method.

Break in and Cleaning

Jackson, WI

bartleinbarrels.com

 

[dan valasek]

my vanguards in 300 win mag and 6.5 creedmoor shot great out of the box. i recently bought another one in 6.5x300. i am hoping for the same results mostly due to ammo availability and price for that caliber.

 

[Darren8167]

Weatherby has a 20 round break in procedure on their website and went over it on one of their podcasts a while back. They said some of their own guys follow it and some don't and haven't noticed much if any difference in performance.

Let us know how it shoots, I start my background check today on a vanguard 25-06.

Congrats on your 25-06. I won this rifle at a banquet dinner. I’m not mad at the .270 but if I could have picked a caliber it would have been the 25-06.

 

[Darren8167]

This is what seemed to make a difference for me and will be my approach moving forward.

This has been my method too. It has served me well in the past. Just always like make sure I’m not missing something.

 

[cahunter805]

I’ve used both methods and now I usually shot/clean for the first 3 shots and then start shooting load development/seating depth tests.
Also be aware most barrels tend to “settle” and speed up around 100-140 rounds fired.

 

[Darren8167]

I am thinking to do some light load development with some sst’s for the first 100 rounds. And then find my load for the 117 gr HH.

 

[ol_spark]

Forty years ago people shooting factory guns never heard of barrel break in and some of those guns still shoot terrific today. Barrel break in is a custom barrel, benchrest term that caught on with the current long range shooting craze and people that must have rifles that shoot lights out all day long if I do my part. Barrel makers and gunsmiths love people that use barrel break in procedures. I’m not a fan and I’ve shot a number of barrels to their death over the years and see no difference. Especially in factory barrels with hunting guns. If you want to help a factory barrel from the start, clean it before you shoot it and then go to it. Maybe a little JB bore paste to smooth it out if it shows a lot of copper at the end of the barrel.

 

[Gila]

Tikka test fires their barrels. The first thing I did with the new Tikka was to clean the barrel as it was quite fouled. There were some small steel particles on the patch so I am going to break-in the barrel with some cheap ammo. I have my own method that has worked for me in the past: clean after every shot for 3. Clean after 3 shots 3 times.

 

[Mako]

Winchester has a pretty ridiculous break-in procedure as well. Clean after every shot for first 10 rounds. I think I shot 4 five shot strings and cleaned after each string as I didn’t have the patience to clean 10 times for 10 shots. Probably didn’t need to. I didn’t do a break in on my Bergara and it shoots under one MOA. The Winchester does as well, and I’m confident that it would have anyway without a break-in procedure.

 

[winmag]

With a match barrel, all you need to “break-in” is the potentially rough edge/burr that the chamber reamer left at the very beginning of the rifling when they cut the chamber. This takes about 3 shots. Definitely 10 or less.

It’s a completely different story with rough factory barrels that aren’t hand lapped. They will usually improve for a hundred rounds or more. Life is too short for me to screw around with rough factory barrels anymore. If they’re accurate, I’ll leave them alone. If they’re not accurate, it’s getting a match barrel fitted or getting sold.

My general procedure is to do a handload pressure/ladder test and break in at the same time; no wasted shots this way:
1 shot and clean
2 shots and clean
3 shots and clean
4 shots and clean
10 shots total and I’m done, and I’ve usually got a good idea of what powder charge to start my accuracy testing with afterward too.