To 'break-in' a new barrel? Not concerned with HOW its done, but rather how many shots do you feel it would take? I realize every barrel is different, but, on average?

Factory vs other manufacturers - any differences there?

Seems I remember a discussion somewhere where the individually manufactured barrels took far fewer rounds to get broken in than did the factory stuff.

What's everyone's thoughts on it?

50 rounds to build up copper equilibrium

I'd say more custom / individual barrels are lapped vs factory barrels which may play in to what you read on one breaking in sooner than the other.

Safe shootin'

what is carbon equilibrium?

Slight copper buildup in the barrel

Ok. never heard that term. So the accumulation of carbon in the barrel reaches equilibrium at some point and does not increase after that?

The myth continues...
This should be fun...

No I misspoke and corrected - thanks , need more coffee

Bbear: the simple, yet unfulfilling, answer to your question is that "it varies".

I would suggest to go the the Shilen and Kreiger websites, click on FAQ and ready what they say about barrel break-in and cleaning. Very enlightening.

Just shoot it. Don't worry about break-in of the barrel.

Barrel break in will reduce your barrel life. It's a myth invented by barrel makers to sell more barrels.

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

I have come to agree with this...at least for hunting rifles. Can't speak to benchrest

My process for any barrel, button rifled, or cut rifled.

1. Clean with solvent, followed by dry patches until they are white.
2. Shoot 20 rounds down it.
3. Perform a ladder test.
4. Group shoot the loads that were in the node within the ladder.
5. Reproduce said load for as many pieces of brass I still have available
6. Shoot it without cleaning until accuracy degrades.
7. Clean
8. Refoul the barrel
9. Shoot some more.

I have had two brand new rifles that were mediocre performers at first, but began to shoot much better after about 150 rounds or so. I did NOT go through any kind of "break-in" procedure.

Fireman, Thanks! That's very close to what I did. Still have another 5 rounds to go down-pipe. That'll leave me 30 more of the factory stuff (Lapua 123 Scenars) to play with.
I'll work on some 140 gr loads and see how the ladder works.

I was thinking that with a non-factory barrel, it wouldn't take all that many to get things going.

I think they are all different, but I personally saw three Rem 5R rifles shoot 1.5 MOA until 150 rounds down the tube, When the groups in each went sub MOA. Not sure why, but I convinced the 3rd shooter to hang in there to 150, and sure enough, it came into its own.

RiverRider, I had the same experience. Bought a new Savage .243 and started with factory 80 and 100 gr ammo. Shot the 80's OK, but 100's were terrible. Started handloading 87's and later moved to 95's and 100's. Cleaned a few times, but no special break-in procedure. At some point (150-200 rounds?) the heavier bullets started shooting really well. I presumed the new rifling just needed some polishing.

Nobody really knows for sure whether or not a formal break-in process will improve accuracy. It's all just opinions, and everyone has one. I did a minimal break-in on my most accurate rifle, but only on that one. Was the break-in a factor that mattered toward accuracy? I don't know. But what I do know is that if it makes you feel better to 'break-in' the barrel, you should do it. Can't really hurt.

I agree a million percent, 603. If you do it one way, you just can't ever know how it woulda turned out had you done it differently. I have a feeling that if you clean the bore a lot at the beginning of its life, it smooths out and cleans up easier later on. But then you hafta wonder if there's really any benefit in that at all. Will it clean up easier? Maybe so, but is it more accurate? Who in hell knows???

I only know of one side by side test performed. I'm sure there's more, but one in particular comes to mind.

Two identical rifles purchased. One had the break-in procedure performed, one did not. Hundreds, and thousands of rounds later they shot the same. The only difference was the serial number on the rifle.

That's what I do. Any barrel is likely more accurate than I am.

that is my feelings. have 2 ruger american predators 22-250, 308 broke both in the same went to range and shot different rounds. 22-250 toke a little more to come around. the 308 was doing all i could hope for in 20 rounds both will shoot 1" at a 100yds don't think "I" can do any better.

I did a mild break-in procedure on my Krieger barrel but only because they send instructions with it. I dont think it hurts anything to do the break-in procedures suggested by GAP, Krieger, Bartlein, etc but I'm not convinced it helps all that much either.

The barrels I buy from Harrison Beene say not to clean them or break them in, don't clean them until accuracy falls off.

Copper equilibrium is a finite state where about as much copper is picked up and ejected by the projectile as is left behind, with each shot.

Thus the word "equilibrium".

This goes on for a while, but eventually the equilibrium breaks down and copper starts to build up so much that accuracy falls off.

This is when those who depend upon copper equilibrium will finally break down and clean their guns... Then they will shoot however many rounds it takes to establish copper equilibrium again.

The number of rounds a gun will shoot while maintaining copper equilibrium varies from gun to gun. Sometimes the gun shoots just fine - until you take it hunting. There is no way to predict when, and under what conditions the accuracy will fall off.

Most shooters seem to agree that 50 to 100 rounds will break in a new barrel. A lot depends upon how the barrel was made, but 50-100 rounds is a good rule of thumb.

Shooters who shoot clean do not depend upon copper equilibrium, so they get consistent accuracy for as long as the barrel lasts, and do not have to shoot X number of shells to "establish equilibrium" (fouling) after cleaning. On the down-side, they spend a lot more time cleaning the gun.

Hunters who do not shoot a lot of rounds between hunts are better off shooting clean. Competitive shooters and varminters who shoot dozens of rounds at a sitting generally prefer the copper equilibrium route. Competitive shooters seeking the very best accuracy and who do not shoot dozens of rounds at a whack, bench-rest shooters for example, tend to shoot clean.

Hodgdon has released a new powder, CFE223, that significantly reduces copper fouling. It is for 223, 308, and "many more" according to Hodgdon.

It would be interesting to see if CFE223 would extend copper equilibrium time. As far as I know, nobody has tested to see if this is true.