Shootin4fun
Well-Known Member
$325! I can only imagine that and nobody else knows about it, is why. Last 8# I bought was $225 otd. But that was 2 years ago. Now a pm, I'm sure it's gone today!
Barrel break in accuracy
- Thread starter RCMSTER
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I shot benchrest for years, broke in a lot of barrels. The break in process has a lot to deal with the condition of the throat, so you are lapping in the rough edges of the leader angle. With the Teslong bore scope and the Hawkeye bore scope, you can often see just how smooth or rough the leade angle is, and perhaps the bore condition.
I saw many barrels that broke in with less than 3-5 shots as they quit copper fouling.
I quit breaking in my custom barrels in 1987, I just go and shoot them. So, on my first outing, I figure 2-3 shots to get sighted in, then 10 two shot groups. A thorough cleaning, and inspection with the bore scope after the first 22-23 shots fired, usually indicates what kind of barrel I have on my hand. In the custom barrels, you can often be very effective in working up initial loads in 2 shot groups, where you are looking for the same bullet hole type of group. This 2 shot method will allow you to get a "good idea" where to look, save components and barrel wear.
With cartridges like the 25/06, I often worked up "best load" within 20 shots, MAX, and often within 12 shots. Often, velocity may increase within 100 shots and you may have to alter powder charge .5g. When you have several barrels with the same barrel maker, chamber reamed by the same reamer, more often than not, the barrels will shoot very close to the same load.
So, on my first outing with a new barrel, I will figure two shots to get zero'd, then start work load work up in two shot groups. You can assume that the action is bedded and the barrel is freefloated in a quality stock. I start with the bullet seated .020 off the lands most of the time, find the most accurate powder charge, then alter the seating depth, and finally alter primers. The whole process does not take long as I load at the rifle range. If I do not see the bug hole groups I am looking for, then I will change powders, go through the same process.
When you do find the best load, it is important to chronograph that load. As the throat wears, you will loose velocity, then you will have to add a touch more powder to get that velocity back where the barrel harmonics dumped the bullets opening up a bullet hole.
The Bore Scope and Chronograph with accurate records kept will give you very, very accurate loads with multiple powders and bullets.
I will add that Cut rifle barrels take a bit longer to break in than button rifle barrels, which I have owned, relating to very minor copper fouling in very fast cartridges.
Three of the very best things that any advanced reloader can purchase is a Wind flag, Teslong bore scope, and a chronograph, in that order.
I saw many barrels that broke in with less than 3-5 shots as they quit copper fouling.
I quit breaking in my custom barrels in 1987, I just go and shoot them. So, on my first outing, I figure 2-3 shots to get sighted in, then 10 two shot groups. A thorough cleaning, and inspection with the bore scope after the first 22-23 shots fired, usually indicates what kind of barrel I have on my hand. In the custom barrels, you can often be very effective in working up initial loads in 2 shot groups, where you are looking for the same bullet hole type of group. This 2 shot method will allow you to get a "good idea" where to look, save components and barrel wear.
With cartridges like the 25/06, I often worked up "best load" within 20 shots, MAX, and often within 12 shots. Often, velocity may increase within 100 shots and you may have to alter powder charge .5g. When you have several barrels with the same barrel maker, chamber reamed by the same reamer, more often than not, the barrels will shoot very close to the same load.
So, on my first outing with a new barrel, I will figure two shots to get zero'd, then start work load work up in two shot groups. You can assume that the action is bedded and the barrel is freefloated in a quality stock. I start with the bullet seated .020 off the lands most of the time, find the most accurate powder charge, then alter the seating depth, and finally alter primers. The whole process does not take long as I load at the rifle range. If I do not see the bug hole groups I am looking for, then I will change powders, go through the same process.
When you do find the best load, it is important to chronograph that load. As the throat wears, you will loose velocity, then you will have to add a touch more powder to get that velocity back where the barrel harmonics dumped the bullets opening up a bullet hole.
The Bore Scope and Chronograph with accurate records kept will give you very, very accurate loads with multiple powders and bullets.
I will add that Cut rifle barrels take a bit longer to break in than button rifle barrels, which I have owned, relating to very minor copper fouling in very fast cartridges.
Three of the very best things that any advanced reloader can purchase is a Wind flag, Teslong bore scope, and a chronograph, in that order.
esshup
Well-Known Member
I have a .243 Win. H-4831 shot 2 moa with a Barnes 85g TSX, IMR-4831 shot under 1 moa, same bullet. Sometimes it just takes some playing to find out what combo the gun likes. I thought .020" off the lands was the best until I tried .050" off. Groups shrunk by half.
A quality barrel and proper 'smith work will yield 90% or more of it's potential immediately. Break-in and handloads will just refine that to a 0.50" or 0.250" gun. Did he true the action, face the receiver? Glass bed the action? Also if you didn't tell him what length chamber to cut, i.e., longer throat for a certain bullet, then you just got a SAAMI chamber. He can always recut that deeper. But that won't improve accuracy.
Shane Lindsey
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2010
- Messages
- 3,800
With a Hammer, it don't matter. I quit using the comparator for these...
Re23 or 19 would be better powders.
milo-2
Well-Known Member
I personally think there is some confusion here between actually having a load that will shoot and somehow pointing a finger at breakin.
If you had a load from shot #1, I doubt this thread would exist.
Hand lapped 5R barrels, shouldn't have a break in, I have seen a couple 3 groove barrels that I never saw a breakin period. That said, I will usually have a load for a rifle 40-50rds ahead of the breakin. Of course today, that is an anomaly, or statistical noise according to todays experts.
I have firefromed Dasher brass in a new non broken in barrel that had accuracy close to the potential of the finished product, albeit slower.
I've never used rl26 but that load seems a little slow for a 116g pill.
Lenny Foffa
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2017
- Messages
- 1,673
I had my Gunsmith put a very heavy Hart 29 inch barrel, on a 98 Mauser Action, Timney Trigger , chambered in .270 Win. Very Long Throat so I can seat the 150 Grn ABLR and the 170 Berger way out. 8 twist . His instructions to me were as follows. First shot clean the bore ; Second shot clean the bore; third shot clean the bore; 4thshot and 5th shot same thing . Then fire #7 and # 8 and clean the bore; then shots 9 and 10 and clean the bore. Shots 11 and 12 same thing. Then clean every five shots thereafter, until you have fired 20 shots. Then do what you usually do. That was the break in instruction, by a Bench Rest Gun Smith and the rifle shot excellent groups of three at 100 and 300 yards, with my first experimental load of H 4831.
Each barrel has its own individual character. Some will shoot sub MOA out of the box, other will need some coaxing and playing around to break them in and find their temperment. I have a Browning 300WM that took almost 200 rounds to settle from 3 1/2 inch groups to 0.6 MOA. One very important thing to watch for is copper fouling. Freshly cut rifling has a tendency to be a bit on the rough side and shaves off a lot of copper with each shot. Shoot 20 rounds and do a complete bore cleaning to include copper fouling removal. Eventually the rifling will smooth out and accuracy will improve. If you do not see a marked improvement after 150 or so rounds its best to contact Hart and see if they have any insight into the issue.
Custom, lapped barrels should not need a break in. Im small firm believer that its all about harmonics and getting the bullet to leave the barrel at the same pointing the vibration node. Try a different powder charge. Start .010 off the lands and try .005 and .015. 3-4 shots each. Try a different powder to be near maximum. Partial size or neck size for a snug chamber fit.
The gunsmith did not throat the bullet specifically for that bullet. That's something I didn't think of until I checked for max OAL a few days ago, so I guess that's on me. I think when all is said and done, it'll be fine. I'm not concerned at all, but I was curious as to other people's opinions. The rounds I've fired, except for 4 rounds I've loaded with the hammers were all loaded for my ruger no 1.
Hart told me that same thing, that their barrels don't need a break-in period, so we'll see. I know the factory barrel needed a good hundred rounds they it, followed by 5 hours of cleaning with Butch's bore shine and Montana extreme before it shot anywhere close to good.
Husker shooter
Active Member
New Shilen barrel in a 6mm BR . I loaded 10 rounds it took four to sight in, this is the last six. I'm thinking it's going to be good.
