I searched this topic and didn’t find anything on the THF.
How many of y’all do a barrel break in procedure?

After years of going back and forth between painstakingly breaking in a new barrel and just “let ‘er rip“, I am now a firm believer in the “let ‘er rip” philosophy. I could never find definitive proof that breaking in a barrel be it factory or aftermarket, made it more accurate or easier to clean etc.

New gun I clean, shoot one round into the dirt, clean with patches only. Repete this process for 10 rounds.
Others may have other processes, but this works for me.

I started doing break ins after I purchase my first Christensen a few years ago. I’ll admit I did it based on their recommendation.

It’s time consuming - shooting - cool - clean and repeat for 50 rounds. Yes it can get expensive doing it but I saw the benefits. Now we’re the benefits based on the breaking in process or me just getting comfortable with the rifle? I believe both. And, I don’t do 50 rounds anymore after noticing really after 25 or so rounds it didn’t improve that much anymore.

I’ve dine it with every rifle ever since.

This is a funny subject to me.

On one hand, you have barrel manufacturers that each have their own break-in process. And they're the people that make the barrels, so the must know what they're talking about.

On the other hand, you have many professional shooters that burn through several barrels per year, and they say that breaking in a barrel is pointless and you should just clean it once and shoot the chit out of it until it tells you to clean it again. They're the ones who base their careers on results time after time, so they must know what they're talking about.

I don't know which camp is right. I do know that one way is waaaaaaay easier than the other.

I'm of the fan of clean/shoot a few times and call it good. But.. My first precision rifle I built, I went off and left the cleaning rod at home to the range trip. There was no way I was not shooting the new rifle, so I just "let her rip". It ended up being one of the most accurate rifles I ever shot. It turned in a 1 3/8" group at 600 yards at one point. It was a custom Bartlein barrel. I do think barrel break in is a little over rated, but I still do it to rifles if I have the time.

Aren’t Bartlein’s rifling cut and hand lapped?

Yes. They have some dudes hand-lapping each barrel. But not every hand is as sensitive and wonderful as Kyle's.

I think this is a big factor. Obermyer is cut and hand lapped as well, then the smith who built it for me did some additional lapping after cutting the chamber. It needed nothing.

I’ve had several factory Tikka barrels that didn’t settle in until after 25 rounds when new. The Tikka barrel is pretty much gold standard for factory accuracy in my opinion but it needs a break in.

I’d say this is not a one size fits all Q&A.

I’m starting load development on a solid stainless Proof Research this week. I’ve already put 25 through it and I will clean it and put 10 more through it before I start testing my loads. Just in case.

Clean it, shoot it. How ever many hundreds of rounds it takes to shoot poorly, that's when you clean it again. I've done it for button rifled, and cut rifled alike. Worn out many a barrel that were sub-MOA shooters, that never had a break-in when they were brand new. They got a cleaning, 9 or more rounds of fouling, then a load development.

"Break-in" is a nonsense procedure.

I clean one time and shoot it.

Waste of time.

I have followed the most common break-in steps with all my rifles and none of them require a fouling shot to become accurate after cleaning. They all get cleaned after each use and the first shot is always just as accurate as any made afterwards. The animal in every photo that I've shared on these forums was killed using a clean, cold barrel.

I’ve seen you share this information before. I don’t doubt that in normal hunting situations which most of us find ourselves in it’s plenty accurate. On the other hand, on an actual test of accuracy, I’m going to go out on a limb and state that’s 100% implausible.

Pagan ritual.

The was one of the first rifle topics I got really fascinated by. Fast forward several years are here my personal conclusion:

I still do a break-in procedure but it's very light compared to what I used to do when I first read up on it; clean after each first 3-5 shots then clean after every 3-5 shot group for about 2-3 more times so like 5-8 total cleanings. I believe barrel break-in procedures are NOT necessary but as a conservative person in general I still do the light version. When it comes to other newbies asking me, much more important than break-in or not is getting a good bore guide. Because I now firmly believe people more people screw up their barrels by doing any cleaning, break in or not, without a bore guide.

So do it, don't do it, you'll see anecdotal evidence of both. However ALWAYS use a bore guide.

How do they shoot after 5 round? 10, 20, 30? Of have they never had that many rounds on them after a cleaning?

I've seen over a hundred rifles put round 1 dead nuts, then the next 8 scatter. Then they settle in and shoot terrific for possibly 500 rounds without cleaning.

X2, especially after all his oil the barrel posts

After cleaning, my barrels always get swabbed with Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner and Lube. It doesn't leave an oily residue and was found to be one of the best in preventing rust. Exterior metal and wood gets a coat of Renaissance Wax.

Moral to the story.....If Trashcan Dan does it, just do the opposite and you'll be fine. None of my Tikkas require a "fouler", or any of my other rifles for that matter.

Barrel break-in is as bad as a ladder test

Really, follow barrel manufacturers suggested method.

Factory rifles should usually be broken in, shoot, clean, etc

In my experience, I start with a break in procedure then end up just shoot the MF

although I am a clean gun freak.

No break in for me and i dont worry about a clean bore shot because i never clean it without fouling it again.

True but with the "let er rip" process, I don't get to dance around the fire naked with all the Pagan girls.

I may have to rethink my position.