Barrel break in question.
- Thread starter Wboo
- Start date
Ray, if you did a search on here you would probably find some conflicting reports on breaking in barrels. There are those who feel it is absolutely necesarry and those who say it is not worth the trouble.
I, for one, think that it is a good idea. It is boring, tedious, annoying, etc. but I feel that it does improve accuracy and help keep barrel fouling down.
The procedure recommended by several custom barrel manufacturers goes something like this. Fire one shot, clean the barrel well with a good solvent and brushes. Fire another shot, clean the barrel again. Fire another shot, clean the barrel again.
You need to do this for around 10 shots. Then fire three shots and clean for another 10 or 12 shots.
This is very tedious and takes forever, it seems, but I do think is a good thing to do.
You will readily see that as you approach the end of the 10 or so shots fired one at a time, that you will see less fouling each time.
Again, some folks say it just is not necessary, but I believe in it.
I, for one, think that it is a good idea. It is boring, tedious, annoying, etc. but I feel that it does improve accuracy and help keep barrel fouling down.
The procedure recommended by several custom barrel manufacturers goes something like this. Fire one shot, clean the barrel well with a good solvent and brushes. Fire another shot, clean the barrel again. Fire another shot, clean the barrel again.
You need to do this for around 10 shots. Then fire three shots and clean for another 10 or 12 shots.
This is very tedious and takes forever, it seems, but I do think is a good thing to do.
You will readily see that as you approach the end of the 10 or so shots fired one at a time, that you will see less fouling each time.
Again, some folks say it just is not necessary, but I believe in it.
- Oct 30, 2004
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I just checked my records and I can say that I have owned 181 rifles up to date and not once have I done a barrel break-in. Does that mean that the process does not work?
No it just means I am entirely too lazy to find out. :lol:
No it just means I am entirely too lazy to find out. :lol:
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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Naw, it just means you swap rifles too fast to ever break them in! :grin:
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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Ray, during the barrel making process, the chambering reamer runs at a right angle to the line of the bore, and even a really nice reamer will leave some machine marks, which can be troublesome in the "throat" area of the barrel.
If this area is a little rough, bullets will have a bit of jacket material stripped off them, every time the rifle is fired. A fellow can see the build up of copper jacket material on the rifling if the barrel is fouling. It's easier to see if you've got access to a bore scope.
What the "break in" procedure is meant to do, is to smooth out those rough machine marks, thereby reducing the amount of jacket fouling deposited in the barrel, and hopefully enhancing the barrel's performance.
Some barrels are much, much better than others. Unlike Pop, who tosses rifles aside every week or two, I tend to keep some of mine for a real long time, decades even. I also shoot a lot, and therefore I actually wear out barrels. Something else that some folks think can't happen, because they haven't shot a thousand centerfire rifle cartridges in their life, let alone 5000+ a year.
At any rate, I end up buying barrels. And breaking them in. A high quality custom barrel (think Krieger, Lilja, Hart etc) chambered by an accuracy minded rifle smith, normally only takes a half dozen, to maybe twenty shots to break in. Rough factory barrels (I've found factory Remingtons to be particularly rough) can take forever to fully break in, and some never do stop copper fouling completely.
I have precious little experience with a Tikka, but their reputation for excellence is high. I'd anticipate a fairly smooth factory barrel, and a fairly short break-in period. If Tikka didn't provide break-in instructions, it's a pretty simple task. Clean the heck out of the barrel. Fire a shot, clean again. (Dry your rifle chamber & bore thoroughly during this process, every time you clean). Do this single shot/clean routine several times. Move up to three shots at a time, cleaning afterwards. You'll know you're done "breaking in" the barrel when there is little or no copper jacket fouling remaining after firing a few shots, or a few groups. My cut rifle Krieger match barrels sometimes have to go 120+ rounds without cleaning during a big match, yet there is almost no copper fouling built up in them even after that many rounds.
My Krieger barreled hunting rifle barely fouls even when shooting solid copper Barnes TSX bullets - which amazed me.
Normally at the end of my break in period, I've got the rifle pretty well sighted in, which is a nice benefit.
With rough bores, consider the use of the Final Finish bullet system. If your rifle has a nice smooth bore, I wouldn't bother with it.
Good luck, Guy
If this area is a little rough, bullets will have a bit of jacket material stripped off them, every time the rifle is fired. A fellow can see the build up of copper jacket material on the rifling if the barrel is fouling. It's easier to see if you've got access to a bore scope.
What the "break in" procedure is meant to do, is to smooth out those rough machine marks, thereby reducing the amount of jacket fouling deposited in the barrel, and hopefully enhancing the barrel's performance.
Some barrels are much, much better than others. Unlike Pop, who tosses rifles aside every week or two, I tend to keep some of mine for a real long time, decades even. I also shoot a lot, and therefore I actually wear out barrels. Something else that some folks think can't happen, because they haven't shot a thousand centerfire rifle cartridges in their life, let alone 5000+ a year.
At any rate, I end up buying barrels. And breaking them in. A high quality custom barrel (think Krieger, Lilja, Hart etc) chambered by an accuracy minded rifle smith, normally only takes a half dozen, to maybe twenty shots to break in. Rough factory barrels (I've found factory Remingtons to be particularly rough) can take forever to fully break in, and some never do stop copper fouling completely.
I have precious little experience with a Tikka, but their reputation for excellence is high. I'd anticipate a fairly smooth factory barrel, and a fairly short break-in period. If Tikka didn't provide break-in instructions, it's a pretty simple task. Clean the heck out of the barrel. Fire a shot, clean again. (Dry your rifle chamber & bore thoroughly during this process, every time you clean). Do this single shot/clean routine several times. Move up to three shots at a time, cleaning afterwards. You'll know you're done "breaking in" the barrel when there is little or no copper jacket fouling remaining after firing a few shots, or a few groups. My cut rifle Krieger match barrels sometimes have to go 120+ rounds without cleaning during a big match, yet there is almost no copper fouling built up in them even after that many rounds.
My Krieger barreled hunting rifle barely fouls even when shooting solid copper Barnes TSX bullets - which amazed me.
Normally at the end of my break in period, I've got the rifle pretty well sighted in, which is a nice benefit.
With rough bores, consider the use of the Final Finish bullet system. If your rifle has a nice smooth bore, I wouldn't bother with it.
Good luck, Guy
- Oct 30, 2004
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Guy Miner":2j45i2e7 said:
That too................. :lol:
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks guys, That is just what I was looking for. As this is my first large bore Brand New rifle, (don't laugh), I want to do it right the first time. I did find the twist rate and soon I will start doing some test loads to find out what it really likes.
With a 1/11 twist and a 24 inch barrel, what do some of you recommend for hand loading. I am meticulous and exact in my loads. Looking for the most accurate load I can find.
Again, thanks for the info. I may go out and shoot it this weekend. If I do I will try to give you a report.
With a 1/11 twist and a 24 inch barrel, what do some of you recommend for hand loading. I am meticulous and exact in my loads. Looking for the most accurate load I can find.
Again, thanks for the info. I may go out and shoot it this weekend. If I do I will try to give you a report.
- Nov 4, 2004
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Guy Miner":2qk1hbii said:
+1
JD338
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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"With a 1/11 twist and a 24 inch barrel, what do some of you recommend for hand loading. I am meticulous and exact in my loads. Looking for the most accurate load I can find."
I guess we're both looking for a good handload for the WSM. I just bought my first .300 WSM too, a Model 70 Winchester "coyote" with a 24" barrel and a 1:10 twist. I haven't shot it yet, but the previous owner did some 600 yard shooting with it and had a decent match load. I don't want to use it for matches, but rather as a longish-range hunting rifle for mule deer, black bear and elk. Touched base with a couple of buddies who have been hunting with the .300 WSM for several years; one fellow who posts here from time to time uses a 200 grain AccuBond for all his hunting with the .300 WSM. Hard to argue with that! The other guy is using those Brand X copper bullets :wink: but I have to admit that he's doing rather well with them.
I'm thinking that I'll start load workup with 180 gr Noslers and Ramshot Hunter powder. Hunter is a ball powder that works out well in the WSM's from what I've heard and read, and I know it meters extremely well from a powder measure. I was loading yesterday, and threw very consistent charges.
I always have fun messing around with a new rifle and/or cartridge! :grin:
I guess we're both looking for a good handload for the WSM. I just bought my first .300 WSM too, a Model 70 Winchester "coyote" with a 24" barrel and a 1:10 twist. I haven't shot it yet, but the previous owner did some 600 yard shooting with it and had a decent match load. I don't want to use it for matches, but rather as a longish-range hunting rifle for mule deer, black bear and elk. Touched base with a couple of buddies who have been hunting with the .300 WSM for several years; one fellow who posts here from time to time uses a 200 grain AccuBond for all his hunting with the .300 WSM. Hard to argue with that! The other guy is using those Brand X copper bullets :wink: but I have to admit that he's doing rather well with them.
I'm thinking that I'll start load workup with 180 gr Noslers and Ramshot Hunter powder. Hunter is a ball powder that works out well in the WSM's from what I've heard and read, and I know it meters extremely well from a powder measure. I was loading yesterday, and threw very consistent charges.
I always have fun messing around with a new rifle and/or cartridge! :grin:
- Thread starter
- #11
Big Squeeze
Handloader
- May 29, 2007
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Wboo.......................Congrats on your new 300WSM! I have that same cartridge..............It is obvious that you do read a difference of opinions on this subject. What I did was this. It`s no fun, was tedious and time consuming....................1st 10 shots,,,,,1 shot then clean, 1 shot then clean, 1 shot then clean...............2nd round of 10,,,,,2 shots then clean, 2 shots then clean and so on.............. 3rd round of 9,,,,,3 shots then clean, 3 shots then clean, 3 shots then clean.......You`re done!....Got that formula from the Browning website as well as reco`d from others.
Big Squeeze
Handloader
- May 29, 2007
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Guy Miner...................I recently worked up some reloads using the 200 gr. Accubonds for my 300 WSM and chrono`d them as well. However, I shoot the compact Ruger M77 Frontier Mk2 with the 16.5" barrel........Used 69 gr. RL19 which chron`d at an average of 2828 fps. Best 100 yard 3 shot accuracy was .785". Worst was 1.220".....................If any of you out there have the Ruger compact, in any caliber, with the 16.5" barrel, expect about a 3.5 to 5% decrease in velocity as opposed to the 24" barrel which is 31% longer!!! You don`t lose much at all!!! Any compact with a 20"? Even a lower percentage of velocity loss!
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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Holy Cow! a 16" barrel .300 WSM? :shock: That oughta be fun. :grin:
G
Guest
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I always wanted a short-burst flamethrower!
Big Squeeze
Handloader
- May 29, 2007
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As Teddy Roosevelt once said,,,,,,,,"Speak softly and carry a big stick.".............The opposite applies to the 300 WSM compact! It speaks very loudly, powerfully but in a smaller package. And yes, she is a blast! What fun too!................After using a full sized 24" bbl., 300 Win. Mag. Vanguard for 35 years, I decided to try the compact concept........After I read an article that the shorter barrel would only lose about 4.5% in velocity, I purchased my Ruger while selling the other..............I went from a heavier 9 lb. 10 oz. rifle down to a 7 lb. 5oz. package w/scope, with little % of velocity loss compared to my `ol full sized 300 Win.........Also chron`d 180 gr. at 2994 fps. and some 150`s at 3155 fps. with no pressure signs. Probably close to max. though!!!!.............This rifle compact is great in the fields too, especially on pig hunts! Recently, I downed a 403 lb. sow from a distance of 347 yards!......No problem for the compact shorty!
- Thread starter
- #17
OK, I went out yesterday with the new Tikka T3 300 WSM. After Shooting one shot then clean, shoot, clean etc.... For 20 rounds and not seeing any copper fouling I fired a nice 3 shot group. The 2 flyers were from the last 2 rounds for breaking in and sighting in the scope. What a nice shooter, but I have to admit the kick was more than I expected. I will have to get a real good recoil pad for it.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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:grin: Typically those Tika rifles are good shooters, and it looks like yours is shooting great.
Yeah, a lot of folks look at those stubby WSM cartridges and think it's not going to be much more than a .308 Win... Hah! Deceptive little critters... Good stock design, and a nice cushy recoil pad help.
Congrats on such a great shooting rifle! Guy
Yeah, a lot of folks look at those stubby WSM cartridges and think it's not going to be much more than a .308 Win... Hah! Deceptive little critters... Good stock design, and a nice cushy recoil pad help.
Congrats on such a great shooting rifle! Guy
http://www.sentrysolutions.com/barrelbreakin.shtml
Great article from Mike at Rock Creek Barrels on the subject of barrel break in. Hope it is helpful.
Mike
Great article from Mike at Rock Creek Barrels on the subject of barrel break in. Hope it is helpful.
Mike
- Thread starter
- #20
