Using copper solids for barrel break-in?

[Go West Old Man]

Time to break-in the barrel on a new rifle. I have an almost full box of Barnes 127gr LRX bullets that likely will not be worked up for a hunting load so might as well load up enough to use for the prescribed barrel break in. Not concerned with precision groups or velocity with these. Just need to put break-in rounds down the barrel.

Any reason not to use a copper solid such as these for barrel break-in vs using a traditional copper jacketed lead core? Thanks.

 

[6.5Express]

Good question - I have wondered what downside there could be to this as well.

 

[doc holiday13]

Barrel doesn't care what the core looks like or made of

 

[Tod osier]

Time to break-in the barrel on a new rifle. I have an almost full box of Barnes 127gr LRX bullets that likely will not be worked up for a hunting load so might as well load up enough to use for the prescribed barrel break in. Not concerned with precision groups or velocity with these. Just need to put break-in rounds down the barrel.

Any reason not to use a copper solid such as these for barrel break-in vs using a traditional copper jacketed lead core? Thanks.

I swear that I have read in the Barnes literature that they suggest traditional bullets for break in because the alloy is different. I did a search and didn't find anything easily. Could have been a different generation ammo too.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Personally, I would just shoot the rifle without concern for break in.

If it starts shooting poorly due to copper fouling, clean it out to bare metal. I like Wipe-Out for this.

Solid copper can increase copper fouling given that it is softer than the gilding metal used in most jacketed bullets. That’s why manufacturers like Barnes recommend cleaning a barrel before starting with copper bullets.

 

[rdb83]

I have never had a problem with using solids for barrel bake in. If I am reloading to do it and not shooting factory ammo I load to the lower end and run a rod down more often

 

[Mag_7s]

I'm not a fan of monos personally. They don't have as much "flex" so to speak when conforming to you your barrel. Barrel breaking is pretty much just smoothing out throat/lead area from tooling marks left by the reamer. The theory is to smooth the area as to not trap as much copper. That being said, I wouldn't use monos if I didn't have to. In the grand scheme of things, it probably won't hurt just more fouling build up initially.

 

[Go West Old Man]

I have never had a problem with using solids for barrel bake in. If I am reloading to do it and not shooting factory ammo I load to the lower end and run a rod down more often

That’s what I’m thinking. Save the expensive factory ammo and other first choice bullets, & load these at the lower spec grains of powder.