Could reduced loads cause premature carbon rings?

[tsu45]

Just a curious question.

I picked up some 6mm 95gr ballistic tips on clearance at Academy ($10/box) to use for break-in rounds. It’s been my experience with the overbore cartridges that the barrel will speed up the first ~50 rounds, so I want to use these to save the elusive and now expensive Bergers in new 6mm barrels.

First up is a creedmoor barrel. Along the same lines of saving money, I was thinking of downloading the break-in rounds to save throat wear. The only thing that worries me is the reduced pressure decreasing combustion heat and causing increased carbon deposits.

Am I overthinking this?

 

[918v]

Have you considered cleaning the barrel

 

[Haney]

It will be dirtier , to what extent depends on how much you reduce the loads and powder used . More time cleaning , not sure how much throat erosion you save . Some is better than nothing I guess .

 

[tsu45]

Have you considered cleaning the barrel

The brand new one? Not really.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Load them normally. Slowing down your shooting interval and cleaning more often, will extend barrel life.

 

[918v]

The brand new one? Not really.

So you shoot, don’t clean, but worry about carbon rings?

 

[Haney]

So you shoot, don’t clean, but worry about carbon rings?

Do you have to get drunk to act so ignorant, or are you this way naturally ?

 

[Robert4]

Reduced loads may not have enough pressure to prevent a few thou of shoulder setback. I have frequently found starting loads in bottleneck cases in bolt guns to have this problem.

 

[spife7980]

I think the point 918 is trying to make is that anything will make the barrel dirty, there is no secret there.

Most start off trying to save what they can by nickle and diming bullets but with time you’ll learn that barrels are consumables and trying to juice every cent out of it will not be worth the squeeze time invested in doing so. Just load it with what you actually want to shoot and press on.

Shoot it, clean it, watch and learn what it does while doing so. You’ll be miles ahead than if you were to try and micromanage it.

 

[Baron23]

Being absolutely NOT a reloading expert, I would think that trimming brass too short for your chamber would contribute more to a carbon ring than a lower powder charge.

I'm not sure I've seen an explanation as to why a lower (but not absurd) powder charge would burn less efficiently and hence contribute more to a ring????

 

[918v]

I know some people don’t like to clean and some claim they haven’t cleaned for hundreds of rounds while enjoying peak accuracy but the sad fact of life is we have to clean the damm barrel. There are powders out there that produce carbon rings quickly. There are chamber designs out there where a carbon ring will cause problems more quickly. But a bronze brush and Sweets 7.62 solvent combined with just being normal make carbon rings a non issue. So be normal. Dominate the carbon. Make it your bitch.

 

[Baron23]

Just wherever the end of the case neck ends.

Ah, well yeah....I think that's my point. If trimmed too short, there is a wider gap between the end of the neck and the step up to free bore.

I don't know where else necks would end except in the neck area of the chamber???

Cheers

 

[biffj]

Shoot the damn rifle with the bullets you're planning to run. No problems with different jacket materials messing with things, no issues with worry about changes in charge and silly details and so on. What do you lose by spending an extra couple bucks for bullets and powder? You learn your rifle better every time you shoot it. Trigger control, sight picture, cheek weld and so on. If you can't afford to run what you need maybe you're in the wrong sport....? For break in you're doing a lot more than tweaking the bore. You're figuring out all the things you may need to change or fiddle with and the time you're spending is better spent using what you plan on running....not trying to save a few pennies.

Just my opinion of course and worth every cent you paid.

Frank

 

[mcameron]

....are we still doing barrel break-ins in 2023?....

i thought that shit died off 10 years ago