Working up Load for New Rifle

[ldg397]

How many rounds would you put through the barrel before considering it settled down enough to work up a load that will remain consistant.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

I start just as soon as it's on the paper. I always figure that by the time I find a good load it will be settled in.
But last time out to the range, my buddy brought his new Weatherby Vanguard subMOA. I boresighted it by eye, boom, first shot was on the paper, 4" low 7" left. Adjusted it, Boom, next two shots were touching 1" low. Raised it 3 inches and and put 3 rounds in one hole. 2" high.

5 shots, ready to go hunting. If i remember correctly it was Remington premium ammo shooting 140gr Nosler AB's. He's set for this year, but I see no reason to waste expensive premium ammo before we start working up a load. We'll start when ever he's ready.

 

[jmad_81]

I usually complete a barrel break in with some cheaper bullerts first. Single shots and cleaning in between for ten or twelve rounds. Shoot two and clean for another ten rounds, shoot three and clean for another nine rounds then go to cleaning every ten rounds for another 30 rounds. All the while I'm making very sure that the barrel doesn't get to hot, and scrubbing the barrel three or four time with JB bore paste between changing shot numbers. So 50-60 rounds before load testing for me. I know some guns that didn't start to shoot good until they had 250 down the tube, every rifle is different.

 

[JD338]

It depends on the barrel itself. I have always started load development from the get go.
My 280 AI has a Hart barrel and my gunsmith said that it would take 200 rounds to really see a difference. I noticed my groups started to shrink after 125-150 rounds and they went to bug holes after 200.

JD338

 

[Guest]

Sweeeeeeeet.

 

[FOTIS]

I have never ever broken in a barrel in my life.

 

[sask boy]

I am with POP, I try to keep it clean and not to hot.
I have always seem to have a pretty accurate rifle.
It might not under .5 but almost always under.75.

 

[rumshooter]

I was glad to see that I am not the only one who has no program for new barrels. I have spoken with several competition shooters over the years and get as many different answers as I have questions. The one thing that has been consistant though is that one should keep the barrel clean based on the group size beginning to open up. We all know that some bullets deposit more material than do others so I like to clean based on group size as opossed to a set amount of rounds fired but typically it seems to be 10 to 20 rounds out of my rifles.

 

[Guest]

I was glad to see that I am not the only one who has no program for new barrels. I have spoken with several competition shooters over the years and get as many different answers as I have questions. The one thing that has been consistant though is that one should keep the barrel clean based on the group size beginning to open up. We all know that some bullets deposit more material than do others so I like to clean based on group size as opossed to a set amount of rounds fired but typically it seems to be 10 to 20 rounds out of my rifles.

I shot 15 rounds with Partitions and had vertually no copper.

 

[DrMike]

It depends on the barrel itself. I have always started load development from the get go.

Jim is absolutely correct. Barrels differ, and the required number of rounds before a barrel begins to settle in differs depending on a variety of qualities of the metal and the attention during production. Load development needs to begin from the first, recognising that the rifle will only shoot better as the barrel "settles in."

I do a break in, and believe it is more important the smaller the bore and the higher the amount of powder burned (e.g. the velocities developed). However, I am evolving to the view that break-in consists more of respect for the rifle than a defined procedure. In other words, avoiding overheating the barrel and maintaining reasonable cleanliness. Some rifles will not permit accumulation of copper and/or carbon before they begin to scatter the bullets. Others are truly forgiving. Generally speaking, if you are shooting a greatly overbored cartridge, it is a good idea to give ample time for cooling between shots and keep the bore very clean indeed.

 

[Desert Fox]

It depends. Some rifle will shoot right at the get go others need a little work. Just the read an article by John Barsness this months issue of American Riflemen regarding barrel break-in. It's an interesting read. I guess we do it because everyone else in the shooting world does it.

 

[rick smith]

I take a different approach to breaking in barrels. Most custom barrels are hand lapped and don't seem to require much break in. Fire one shot and clean, if I don't see any blue, I will fire two shots and clean. Keep going up in the number of shots until I see copper fouling. I am working on loads during the process. I get to see where the first shot from a clean barrel hits, how many rounds can be fired before accuracy declines also use these rounds to get the scope adjusted. I learn any quirks with the rifle set-up, trigger, scope, etc.
For factory barrels, I will add JB paste to the cleaning. Otherwise they are treated the same.Rick.