Tight barrel

[Brad Y]

Got my new krieger fitted.

Run in was a copper removal fest. First time on the mound into the x ring then 6, x, 6, 5, 6, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, etc and so on. It fell off the perch pretty quick.

Ive loaded up some more general purpose rounds to run the barrel in further with and also cleaned it right up with short scrub and iosso paste.

Whats my best bet with this one? Im thinking its going to need cleaning between ranges or between details. Does anyone else do this? I take it after a few hundred it will become a bit more consistent and not need cleaning again but im not running a couple of hundred down for the sake of it. Accuracy seems superb when its on the money...

[David B]

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In_ ... wp2558.htm
Brad, have you read this the copper may not be from the barrel it self.

[Brad Y]

Hi David

My run in was the 1 shot and clean etc and while the copper was terrible the first few shots it was getting better. I believe it is the new throat and we are still working on getting that smooth. But I'm thinking also with the tighter bore it is going to take a while

[AlanF]

Brad,

My very first 6.5mm barrel was a copper fouler, and here's what I did on the advice of a very experienced gunsmith. Cleaned it thoroughly with an abrasive (in my case Autosol). Applied moly paste (Brownells) to the bore. Molyed the projectiles. It fixed the problem immediately. I'm surprised you have a Krieger with a rough finish. They are a cut rifled barrel but my latest one has a bore as smooth as any button barrel I've had.

Alan

[Brad Y]

Hi Alan

Yes have given it an autosol treatment. Interesting about the moly. Ive never been inclined to give it a go. Will continue shooting it for a few more run in rounds and see how it goes. Thinking about one of the Tubbs final finish kits to try and lap it down that little bit more as well. If im not happy, I may go down that route- can I moly bullets for F standard?

Finish of the barrel is very smooth, I believe once I get the chambered throat smooth it will foul less and I wont have to clean between shoots. Its shown it has the ability to be a tack driver so a little more TLC and patience and I think it should be a good thing. Im going to get Graham Oates to help with getting it sorted, he seems to be able to get 308's really humming over here.

[AlanF]

... can I moly bullets for F standard.

Yes they're legal. Velocity drops a liitle with moly but if you have room in the case just increase the powder charge to bring it back up and pressure will be no more than before. The main advantage of moly is the barrel will go longer between cleans. I have no evidence that barrels last longer.

Alan

[RDavies]

If you can get the Tubb Final finish kits, then it would be worth a try. I have used the kits in a few other barrels which started out as foulers. I didnt use the 2 rougher pills in the kit, I started with the last 3 levels and shot them off with Trail Boss powder, but any quick burning powder in your cabinet would do.
Moly and HBN have also worked in my tighter barrels. If you have a coating kit, I can send you some HBN. (hexagonal Boron Nitride) . My two most accurate barrels (a 284 and a 6 Dasher)were foulers and built pressure more than usual and stayed that way for the barrels life, but were very accurate for one or two targets. I had to give them a bit of a clean every target, but for 20 shots or so were a tack driver.

Anyhow Going by Graham Oates scores in the W.A Queens, it sounds like you have someone around who knows a thing or two about tuning.

[Brad Y]

Yeh for a rough ole dairy farmer he doesnt do a bad job

Will keep working on it but at this stage im going to persist with naked bullets and cleaning between shoots.

[David B]

Hi David

My run in was the 1 shot and clean etc and while the copper was terrible the first few shots it was getting better. I believe it is the new throat and we are still working on getting that smooth. But I'm thinking also with the tighter bore it is going to take a while

Hi Brad, how many rounds have you fired? I have used .3065x.298 Kriegers before don't think you need to clean more, but before getting to worried you need about 150 rounds through it.

[Brad Y]

Hi David

Everyones comments have been positive so im not worried about it, just the first time Ive used an undersized barrel before. Seems to be a bit of a learning process.

Well if thats the case then I need to put plenty more down it. So far its 35. My last f class barrel was a trueflite and it stopped showing copper after 10 or so rounds from memory, hence why I was probably a bit concerned when I found out. I will keep a log of it and note down when it seems to settle. Til that time I will be cleaning after each target. Will get a few more down it this weekend and should have a borescope accessible on the mound to keep an eye on it.

[RDavies]

Jeeze, only 35 rounds, yes, wait until it has at least 150 rounds through it before worrying. If you want to get through those shots quickly, take some extra rounds to clube shoots for new blokes to have a shot with it.

[Brad Y]

Looking at it with the bore scope its picking up small amount of copper on one land near the crown and another just on the lead of one of the lands in the throat. But its a pretty small amount. Going to keep shooting and cleaning it up over the next week or so but its looking much better.

[Brad Y]

Update:

Things are getting good. Did few shots with some trefolex cutting oil and its helped heaps. It got another autosol treatment and ive now put that away. Copper is cleaning up very quick with boretech eliminator. Managed a .2MOA group this morning at 100m so it looks like it likes the HBC's a few thou off the lands with 44.8gr of 2208 in lapua brass and fed gold medal primers.

[AlanF]

Update:

Things are getting good. Did few shots with some trefolex cutting oil and its helped heaps. It got another autosol treatment and ive now put that away. Copper is cleaning up very quick with boretech eliminator. Managed a .2MOA group this morning at 100m so it looks like it likes the HBC's a few thou off the lands with 44.8gr of 2208 in lapua brass and fed gold medal primers.

Okay everyone - this bloke's had enough help.

[Brad Y]

I can always use a wind coach alan, now that I know the rifle shouldnt let me down its only going to be me....

Here it is.