.350 Legend Barrel Break In

[MWB 21]

How many rounds should I expect to run through the barrel before it could be considered broke in? I've ran roughly one box of 180 gr through it since owning it. I am changing the scope that came with the gun and would like to get the most accuracy that I can from this rifle. Primary use will be on whitetail deer in the southeast US.

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[nksmfamjp]

New factory rifle? 10

[MWB 21]

New factory rifle? 10Yes. It's a new factory barrel.

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[prdatr]

That's an age old question with no precise answer. A box should be fine. How many patches does it take to get the carbon fouling out? How many for the copper? I would say that 90% or better of all factory rifles shoot as good as they ever will right out of the box, some get better the more they get shot and some as so finicky they only like one or two loads.

[ninner]

Unless your a bench rest shooter barrel break in is BS. I’ve never done it and have several .5 moa rifles. Just enjoy shooting it and clean it every once in a while.


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[Robinhood]

I break barrels in by cleaning the snot out of a new barrel. Then I go shoot. Barrel broke in.
If it is a custom barrel, I might run some foam bore cleaner through it to see if there is any copper build up afterwards.

[charlie b]

My .223 Axis didn't 'settle down' until I had a couple hundred rounds through it.

If your rifle shoots well, then just clean it and shoot it.

If you look at Krieger's ideas on break in you'll find it really only applies to high end, lapped barrels. Basically it smooths out the marks left by the chambering reamer.

Factory Savage barrels (and most mass produced, button rifled barrels) are rough surfaces. Basically as you shoot and clean it will 'knock off' the rough spots. Each barrel is kinda unique. Some, like my 12, are copper mines for most of their lives. But, it shoots well :)

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[Full Chisel]

How many rounds?

To break it in ... a box of 20 should be fine to get the rough spots smoothed out.

To make it accurate (if it's not) ... no answer really. IMHO, the reason some rifles shoot better after several hundred rounds isn't the barrel finally breaking in, but the throat eroding/elongating and finally getting a jump your bullet likes. I have done enough OAL testing to truly appreciate jump and it's affect at the target. For other rifles, though, barrel constrictions and other problems can take several hundred rounds.

[Mr.Snerdly]

^^^I think for normal shooters you should seat the bullets about where the reloading manual says. My Axis and my Model 10 243, Model 12 22-250 all shoot FAR better now that I pay no attention to getting the bullets close to the lands. Savage has a long throat and I don't know how far they are off the lands but it is a long ways. I am especially pleased with the 243. I really think it is at least a 1/2" rifle now, even with fairly cheap bullets and it is the absolute cheapest model 10 or 110 they sell. I will continue to do it the way I am now and not worry about the distance to lands. i guess on the 243 it helped a bunch getting rid of the Vortex scope too.

[prdatr]

^^^I think for normal shooters you should seat the bullets about where the reloading manual says. My Axis and my Model 10 243, Model 12 22-250 all shoot FAR better now that I pay no attention to getting the bullets close to the lands. Savage has a long throat and I don't know how far they are off the lands but it is a long ways. I am especially pleased with the 243. I really think it is at least a 1/2" rifle now, even with fairly cheap bullets and it is the absolute cheapest model 10 or 110 they sell. I will continue to do it the way I am now and not worry about the distance to lands. i guess on the 243 it helped a bunch getting rid of the Vortex scope too.

What works for me is to find the velocity the bullet likes then toy with the seating depth. For most shooting if I am going to be under 200 yards I use flat base bullets.

[JASmith]

Unless your a bench rest shooter barrel break in is BS. I’ve never done it and have several .5 moa rifles. Just enjoy shooting it and clean it every once in a while.


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+1 !!

The more important metric the number of rounds YOU must put downrange to become comfortable with the rifle and where it hits at typical and mildly extreme hunting ranges.

[Dave Hoback]

I’d say 27 & a half rounds exactly! :eagerness:

Seriously, I agree with the above. It’s pretty much BS. Just shoot it & clean it.. Done!

[wbm]

+1