Thread: Barrel break-in

Buying myself a new Finnlight 2 in 308 win and was wondering what the general consensus is on how to break it in properly. With other rifles I have cleaned between each of the first 5 shots then shoot a 5 shot group clean same again and repeat again. Then I consider it good to go. What say you? Any other opinions out there?
Cheers Shane

Your way is fine but I consider it not really necessary.
I just clean like you between each of the first 5 shots. But then I shoot 2x 5 shot groups.
After those 10 shots, I thoroughly clean the barrel...and that's it.

Make ammo, do load development, break in done.

Just shoot it. Do a load development if thats your thing, shoot it, keep an eye on speeds if it gets faster and call it good

I think it depends on how good the quality of the barrel is, so there are a range of correct answers depending on the barrel. A match grade barrel prob doesnt need break in. Carry on doing what you do. In my experience some barrels tear heaps of copper off jackets and really need cleaned between shots and others hardly stain a patch

I used Howa's recommendations for my Howa 223 and 308. I did it as I sighted it in. I figured that Howa know a hell of a lot more about barrels than I do ...

"HOWA RIFLE RECOMMENDED BREAK-IN PROCEDURE
Please do not sight-in and or group the rifle during the break-in procedure.

For the first ten shots we recommend using copper jacketed factory ammo. Clean the oil and powder residue out of the barrel before each shot using a commercial bore cleaner with an ammonia content. After firing each cartridge, use a good bore cleaner (one with ammonia) to remove fouling from the barrel using only a soaked patch. We do not recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated.

For the first ten rounds, clean and let the barrel cool between each round fired using a patch and rod only.

Following the initial ten shots, you then may shoot 2 rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots. This is simply insuring that the burnishing process has been completed. In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed due to the manufacturing process.

To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will impede the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel “walk” or “climb” when it heats up in the future. If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the performance of your barrel in the future."

Oh; I didn't actually sight in while doing it; more like got it on target after fitting the scope

Just shoot it normally and clean it afterwards. Amounts to the same thing. "Barrel break in" is a voodoo that is a waste of perfectly good ammo. If a soft copper bullet could smooth imperfections in barrel steel, you wouldnt have a barrel left soon enough. And reading Howas instructions - what are you closing the pores of the barrel steel with? Copper? powder fouling? That you are then cleaning out? You are burnishing the steel with bullets? Good luck with your rifling if that is the case. Seal the barrel? Not keep it agitated? What is this horseshit. I am skeptical.

Really I just want to give it the best treatment from the start, hopefully then it will be accurate and out last me.

Greetings All,
From one who has spent likely far too much time pottering with the rifled tubes over the las 50 plus years the following:
First I don't remember hearing anything about barrel break in prior to 10 years ago. Most of us took it easy on new barrels with more regular cleaning but one shot clean never. Opinions on barrel break in vary widely in the US (and about almost everything else as well it seems). Some praise it as the holy grail of accuracy and others denounce it as a cynical trick to wear your barrel out faster. The truth as always probably lies somewhere in the middle. If it gladdens your heart to observe the one shot clean method then by all means go for it. Just make sure you take a rifle vice and bore guide with you to the range to make sure that you don't damage the crown or throat while doing it. Otherwise don't beat yourself up for ignoring it or just exercising some care as I do.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I used Howa's recommendations for my Howa 223 and 308. I did it as I sighted it in. I figured that Howa know a hell of a lot more about barrels than I do ...

"HOWA RIFLE RECOMMENDED BREAK-IN PROCEDURE
Please do not sight-in and or group the rifle during the break-in procedure.

For the first ten shots we recommend using copper jacketed factory ammo. Clean the oil and powder residue out of the barrel before each shot using a commercial bore cleaner with an ammonia content. After firing each cartridge, use a good bore cleaner (one with ammonia) to remove fouling from the barrel using only a soaked patch. We do not recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated.

For the first ten rounds, clean and let the barrel cool between each round fired using a patch and rod only.

Following the initial ten shots, you then may shoot 2 rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots. This is simply insuring that the burnishing process has been completed. In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed due to the manufacturing process.

To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will impede the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel “walk” or “climb” when it heats up in the future. If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the performance of your barrel in the future."

@sjjs This is the method I was taught and use. I doubt it makes too much difference to barrel life as most hunters / recreational shooters wont use near enough ammo to do this. And if they do manage to use 5000 round at $3 pop, then at $15000 they can afford to get a new rifle.

But, there are two reasons I do it -

It is essentially the same as my sight in procedure- first 10 shots are 5 minute apart and I use one shot groups to get the scope close to POI (usually 3 or 4 at 25m until close to centre, then push out to 100m. ) I then do 2 shot groups with 5 minute between groups as I fine tune the groups (I use 4 shots to get a group then adjust the scope) by the time I get to 20 rounds I am usually right where I need it to be. And if you have another rifle / mate or two at the range 5 minutes between shots while you chat or use another gun is often more like 10 ......This is also a great way to get to know your new rifle, and to get used to setting yourself up for a cold shot. And as tasks / chores go, it is pretty fun.

Another is every rifle I have done this to seems to clean much easier later in life. I dont know if the fact it was scrubbed clean 15 times over an afternoon is part of it or not (I do this to 2nd hand rifles too) but rifles I have done this to seem to clean much faster than ones that I have not.

Think of it as a first date......

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I used Howa's recommendations for my Howa 223 and 308. I did it as I sighted it in. I figured that Howa know a hell of a lot more about barrels than I do ...

"HOWA RIFLE RECOMMENDED BREAK-IN PROCEDURE
Please do not sight-in and or group the rifle during the break-in procedure.

For the first ten shots we recommend using copper jacketed factory ammo. Clean the oil and powder residue out of the barrel before each shot using a commercial bore cleaner with an ammonia content. After firing each cartridge, use a good bore cleaner (one with ammonia) to remove fouling from the barrel using only a soaked patch. We do not recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated.

For the first ten rounds, clean and let the barrel cool between each round fired using a patch and rod only.

Following the initial ten shots, you then may shoot 2 rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots. This is simply insuring that the burnishing process has been completed. In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed due to the manufacturing process.

To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will impede the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel “walk” or “climb” when it heats up in the future. If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the performance of your barrel in the future."

hah well my howa 223 didnt get that

I just shoot them, what ever is going to happen wank staining around will happen within the first hundred shots
I bought into it years back and over time have gone away from it after hearing time and time again by the people making the barrels that its not necessary

That's a strange sweeping statement. Bartlein, Kreiger, Lilja, Brux for example, all excellent barrel makers that I rate highly, all have break-in procedures.
The most outspoken non break-in proponent though was Gale McMillan, sadly long dead. People usually quote him in their arguments.

And, if someone wishes to "break-in" their new barrel I don't argue with them. It's their hard earned dosh they've laid out on the purchase. How big a deal is it to fire a few extra rounds off which in the context most hunting rifles' expected lives won't in any way eat up much of that expected barrel life.

The main issue is not the barrel itself (unless it's a crap barrel), it is the tiny burrs created when reaming the chamber. The Cu seen at the muzzle has mostly come from these burrs ripping the projectile. The Cu turns into plasma and is deposited at the end of the barrel.

A true barrel break-in where there is a change in velocity may not occur until 100 to 300 rounds are fired. Obviously your not going to do the fire one and clean for that many rounds.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
From one who has spent likely far too much time pottering with the rifled tubes over the las 50 plus years the following:
First I don't remember hearing anything about barrel break in prior to 10 years ago. Most of us took it easy on new barrels with more regular cleaning but one shot clean never. Opinions on barrel break in vary widely in the US (and about almost everything else as well it seems). Some praise it as the holy grail of accuracy and others denounce it as a cynical trick to wear your barrel out faster. The truth as always probably lies somewhere in the middle. If it gladdens your heart to observe the one shot clean method then by all means go for it. Just make sure you take a rifle vice and bore guide with you to the range to make sure that you don't damage the crown or throat while doing it. Otherwise don't beat yourself up for ignoring it or just exercising some care as I do.
Regards Grandpamac.

Your advise re a rifle vice usage and bore guide (and a good rod) and not damaging the throat or the muzzle is relevant whether breaking in or just doing a regular clean. Yeah I know there is also a camp that don't clean.

I doubt that wearing out your barrel is the maker's point as you're only shooting a dozen or so times. Hardly enough to wear out a barrel. I just think that it won't do any harm to do it. And in the process you can get the rifle roughly dialled in. But; I'm no engineer and certainly know about a 10-million times less than a barrel maker....