Barrel Break In Procedure

[quaildeath]

Just got a new rifle - Howa M1500 in .223 w/20" bbl and H&S precision stock.

I am aware of the many break in procedures on Shilens and Liljas websites. What about using J-B non-embedding bore polishing compound instead of the shoot clean shoot clean method?

Per Varmintals website (http://www.varmintal.com/ashot.htm) the J-B method can break in the barrel more cheaply and efficiently instead of taking up valuable range time.

What do you think?

 

[Val]

I don't believe barrel break in is necessary unless maybe you are into competitive bench rest shooting. Just make sure you don't overheat the barrel and clean it if the groups start to open up and after use.

 

[richardoutwest]

I have always used David Tubbs fire lapping, it makes the bore smoother and more uniformed. It greatly reduces group size! You can order it on-line or thru Cabelas or Arizona Ammunition. It made a believer out of me the first time I used it!!

 

[tmoniz]

http://www.6mmbr.com/GailMcMbreakin.html

There are several articles out on the net regarding barrel break in.
I was never a believer in the process.
And have very accurate weapons to prove that.

Clean it. Shoot about 10 rounds and swab it.
Dry it out and then shoot again.

When I shoot at a range certain rifles are fired 5 times. Cooled off and then fired 5 more times.
I swab them out and then park them before firing again.

The lighter weight barreled rifles I have, I shoot only three times.
But it's the same process as the ones I shoot 5.

 

[tmoniz]

I have never used any compound to polish a barrel.
I spend many hours doing load development to get that one load that a particular rifle likes and produces highly accurate results.

 

[DEERSLAM]

I never used to break in barrels and hadn't even heard of such a thing for many years. Then I started having custom rifles built and my gunsmith sent break in directions with the rifles. I figured if I'm spending all this money on custom built rifles why not spend the extra time at the range and give the barrel every chance of being as accurate as possible. So I now follow the break in directions for all my rifles and they are very very accurate with the right loads. Now did the break in make a real difference, I don't know but I will continue to do the same with all my rifles.

 

[quaildeath]

BREAK IN REPORT:

So I tried the J-B non-embedding compound, saturated patch, 30 passes instead of Varmint Als recommended 50. I was a little apprehensive and worried about jacking up the barrel. I read pros and cons on using a bore compound.

After a couple small batches of groups and checking for the famous "blue" patch I was amazed. Very little if any copper fowling and only after shooting more than 10 between cleaning.

BEST GROUP = .5 " OR LESS OF 5 SHOTS AND 1" OF 7 SHOTS AT 100 YDS (5 - 8 mph sporadic cross wind)
AMMO = REM/UMC 45 GR. HP FODDER (USED THIS BECAUSE I DO NOT RELOAD AND MY TC LIKED IT, PLANNED ON SHOOTING THIS STUFF ON GROUND SQUIRRELS, NEEDED ALOT AND A LOW PRICE)

If I were to reload or buy spendy ammo the groups would shrink considerably....I believe. So in effect, I would probly do this again and not waste ammo or range time with the shoot and clean method. Be forwarned that many custom barrel manf. will void a warranty if you use any bore compound, but it worked for me and the results were great and not expected. What I did not complete with the bore compound the next 100 rounds will do.

 

[tmoniz]

Quaildeath.

I would look into reloading. Especially for the 223.
Lots of great bullets and data out there. You can really exploit the great accuracy of the 223 by handloading for it.
Plus it puts a great deal of satisfaction into your shooting knowing it's your ammo and not something off the rack.

 

[quaildeath]

Yah I know tmoniz but no place of my own yet, I would love to shoot my own home growns.

 

[smokin54]

If you dont know who Gale is Then you need to do some searches and see , the first article to read is this one.

http://www.6mmbr.com/GailMcMbreakin.html

 

[DEERSLAM]

Good read s54.

 

[quaildeath]

I saw that McMillan piece on the net and took it to heart. That is why I used the J-B minimally. Great info. Matter of fact I just added the site to my gun favorites.

 

[Chuck N. Lead]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DEERSLAM @ Mar 22 2008, 01:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Now did the break in make a real difference, I don't know but I will continue to do the same with all my rifles.[/b]

You will only see a difference if there was any room for improvement. A rough chamber or rifling will yield a significant improvement over a barrel with few abberations. Kinda like a tune up on a engine that's "out of tune" versus one that already runs like a swiss watch.

Most don't know it but when they clean their rifle, they leave copper in the bore. After years of laying copper and carbon over copper and carbon, the gun shoots poorly. The break in procedures call for a totaly de-coppered barrel; that in itself will improve accuracy a great deal. Often times, under all of the layers of copper is rifling that is like new; tooling marks still intact after years of shooting and hunting. Once the fire lap procedure is complete, the lands and grooves are as slick as glass. I've turned used guns from average shooters to tack drivers by doing nothing but fire lapping. When done properly, it only needs to be done once. Now on the other hand, starting out with a tack driver, there is little room for improvement.

 

[billt]

More barrels have been damaged from all of this unnecessary scrubbing from "break in's", than have been helped. I have yet to see anyone improve a barrel by "breaking it in". Another shooting fad that will disappear with time like so many others. Bill T.