Barrel Break-In (or how to shorten a barrel's useful life)

[bwaites]

Barrel makers make barrels, it makes sense that they have specified procedures for break in. I pay them to make a barrel that should be both accurate and have minimal fouling out of the box if I am buying a custom barrel. That's not necessarily true for factory, mass produced barrels, though I have seen enough pictures of the insides of factory Savage barrels to understand that they dont have to be perfect to shoot lights out.

When a barrel maker tells me that I have to follow a specific break in procedure to get the best accuracy out of his barrel, especially when its a high end, match barrel, I think I'm being blown smoke. Benchrest shooters developed their procedures in decades past, when most barrels simply weren't finished the way they can be now, before the days of borescopes and so on. They haven't changed because most benchrest shooters are aging geezers older than me that believe if it worked then, it must still be necessary, dang it!

I admire their pursuit of perfection, but apart from their sport, barrel break in, at least with high end barrels, is not necessary. Why pay for a custom barrel, then burn a percentage of its useable life breaking it in? Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it!