Do I need to break in a barrel?

DonVathome · Sep 13, 2016

I have not bought a new gun in 15 years or so, I think I read that breaking in a barrel is a thing of the past?

Tikka T3x 300 win mag, instructions make no mention of it.

Thanks Don

Cahunter805 · Sep 13, 2016

Don
Lots of different opinions on this subject. Kinda like Ford vs Chevy. I usually shoot 1 shot and clean for the first 5 shots. After that I clean every 3 shots til I reach 20. Then I clean and keep shooting til accuracy falls off. I've got close to 140 rounds down my 6.5GAP barrel without a cleaning and its shooting under 1/2" still.

Soj51hopeful · Sep 13, 2016

I studied this and went round and round with it. Some guys say do it to extract full accuracy potential. Some guys say it will help reduce copper fouling. Some say you don't need to break in the barrel just clean it thoroughly once before you shoot. I decided to just do a full break in procedure because it can't hurt.

Homer · Sep 13, 2016

I shoot them for about 5 years...then a light cleaning.

Longun · Sep 14, 2016

I shoot them forever until I miss a big critter then I wrap them around a tree and then go get a new shooter...

Tikka · Sep 14, 2016

>I shoot them forever until
>I miss a big critter
>then I wrap them around
>a tree and then go
>get a new shooter...

LMAO!!!! I like that theory Longun...

Jagerdad · Sep 14, 2016

Cahunter805 is 100% Correct.

Soj51hopefull is Smart to follow.

Mass Produced Rifle Barrels are, just that. High end Custom Barrels are respected by users and they also, Slowly Break in Barrels.

Tubb's Lapping process is something I used in a highly used old Barrel. It actually brought accuracy back to .30's for some time but I knew the Throat was worn so tossed the Barrel.

Jagerdad

brymoore · Sep 14, 2016

John Barsness (gun writer) has played with 100s of new rifles and has found no difference in accuracy between broke-in rifles and non broke-in rifles.

DM770 · Sep 14, 2016

It is a complete waste of time and you do more damage to the throat by cleaning it repetitively.

Zeke · Sep 14, 2016

I think you can read about anything on the internet to back up whatever position you choose to take.. so do whatever you want.

For me, to keep copper fouling to a minimum in a custom barrel, I'll do the shoot/clean procedure outlined above. Hell, you have to sight them in a little anyway and my cleaning method doesn't damage the throat, bore or crown....and it scratches an itch for me.

If your shots are under a reasonable 400 yards you can do as little care or as much as you wish and still get the job done. Half the deer-killer-barrels out there are rusty pitted junkers and they work every time within the ranges of the shooter.

All depends on your level of expectation

Zeke