What do you think of leading in?

[Jay Butts]

I don’t know if I’ve actually given this much thought before as it’s so infrequently I actually buy a brand new gun.

I thought I’d ask Google AI and this is what came back. I’ve not screen shot the first part which basically said that yeah, barrels need leading in. I’d have thought we all knew about point one but what do you make of points 2 and 3? Are there loads of imperfections that need to be filled and what about using the same pellet?

What you reckon?

 

[Varminter]

AI = probably utter shite.

All that’s doing is scraping forums and the like and combining answers which will mostly be unqualified opinions.

 

[Spud gun]

Ai is like a multi choice quiz

 

[karl66]

...Jay it's like asking what's the best calibre .
I've always given brand new PCP's an initial clean except for my STEYR's as even the main distributor tells me he only puts the odd felt pellet in the horizontal magazine!.
Yes I agree a good leading in is always a bonus.
I have never lost accuracy so left well alone.
I certainly wouldn't say it's the rule across the board as I know plenty that clean barrel's after every couple of tins of pellets!.

 

[zakdingel]

I agree with the cleaning a new barrle to remove any grease etc. Then the barrel will get better after a good few shots..ie leading in....and again if the accuracy gos off then a barrle pull though sometimes sorts it

.but with a .22 lr a few conditioning shots is needed to get the lead and lube back in there..but as you know all barrles are different

 

[Jay Butts]

AI = probably utter shite.

All that’s doing is scraping forums and the like and combining answers which will mostly be unqualified opinions.

Ok, so it’s scraping information from other forums… are they unqualified? I’m confused by your answer.

EDIT: and how do we gain information?

 

[Tricky-Dicky]

Clean a new barrel, yes!
Leading in just means that the barrel is a rough as badgers ass and needs the potholes filling in, a good barrel shouldn't need any of this!

 

[Jay Butts]

...Jay it's like asking what's the best calibre .
I've always given brand new PCP's an initial clean except for my STEYR's as even the main distributor tells me he only puts the odd felt pellet in the horizontal magazine!.
Yes I agree a good leading in is always a bonus.
I have never lost accuracy so left well alone.
I certainly wouldn't say it's the rule across the board as I know plenty that clean barrel's after every couple of tins of pellets!.

I’m on the fence Karl, cleaning a new barrel is essential but the bit that got me was using the same pellet. I’ve owned my Taipan less than a week and must have put 10 different pellets through it…

Not sure I get the minor imperfections thing either. Wouldn’t that just be dragged out every time the barrel was cleaned? Should a quality barrel have these pits?

 

[BrettMRC]

Clean a new barrel, yes!
Leading in just means that the barrel is a rough as badgers ass and needs the potholes filling in, a good barrel shouldn't need any of this!

Exactly - assuming someone actually QA's the barrel they shouldn't be sending them out with flaws...

 

[Jay Butts]

Clean a new barrel, yes!
Leading in just means that the barrel is a rough as badgers ass and needs the potholes filling in, a good barrel shouldn't need any of this!

Agreed, surely LW and CZ shouldn’t have these ‘imperfections’?

Maybe it’s more critical on a lower budget gun then?

 

[Steve636]

Never clean my barrels (airguns, not firearms), unless something wrong or it's been dieselling for some reason.
If you clean your airgun barrel you remove the stuff you now need to put back in.
Although I've never noticed it needing more then a few pellets to settle it.

It mentions leading in and smoothing the barrel, interesting, maybe a barrel polish is the way to go?

Over leading for me is bollox.

 

[Jay Butts]

Never clean my barrels (airguns, not firearms), unless something wrong or it's been dieselling for some reason.
If you clean your airgun barrel you remove the stuff you now need to put back in.
Although I've never noticed it needing more then a few pellets to settle it.

It mentions leading in and smoothing the barrel, interesting, maybe a barrel polish is the way to go?

Over leading for me is bollox.

Yeah, a serous BR bloke I shoot with always puts around ten shots through his Steyr after cleaning it.

How is a barrel polished, does it remove rifling or is it something like Solvol Autosol ot T Cut?

 

[Steve636]

Yeah, a serous BR bloke I shoot with always puts around ten shots through his Steyr after cleaning it.

How is a barrel polished, does it remove rifling or is it something like Solvol Autosol ot T Cut?

Seen a few videos, not an aggressive process, never done it or know if it actually works.

 

[Tricky-Dicky]

Even cheaper guns can have good barrels, my kral which was accurate from the get-go was never cleaned after the initial one, and I think it got one minor polish about for years ago but hasn't been cleaned since and it's now 6 years old.

 

[Jay Butts]

Seen a few videos, not an aggressive process, never done it or know if it actually works.

I’ve been chatting to TX guru Tony Leach. He’s mentioned to me that the barrel in my TX may have needed a polish but it would only depend on what he might have found.

Confused me mate….

 

[P8X]

I’m on the fence Karl, cleaning a new barrel is essential but the bit that got me was using the same pellet. I’ve owned my Taipan less than a week and must have put 10 different pellets through it…

Not sure I get the minor imperfections thing either. Wouldn’t that just be dragged out every time the barrel was cleaned? Should a quality barrel have these pits?

Hi Jay
Leading in is really important, when changing pellets, or seeking to find the best pellet
Don't lead in thoroughly and you can risk eliminating a pellet, that could be superb, or indeed select a pellet that goes on to "go off"
Without a clean, between brands, I'd expect to shoot around 100, before a barrel is fully conditioned for a pellet
Cleaning between brands, will lessen the number of shots needed to lead up.

There's a massive difference between the likes of JSB, H&N and RWS, in terms of hardness. The different alloy compositions in pellets, will all line the bore differently and could adversely affect a pellet of a different composition, until the previous leading up has either been shot or scrubbed out
Tightness in the bore, also affects leading up

 

[Varminter]

Ok, so it’s scraping information from other forums… are they unqualified? I’m confused by your answer.

EDIT: and how do we gain information?

Generally yes, most opinions are unqualified, they're based on assumptions, not science or any research, particularly on a topic so niche as this. All the AI function is doing is running a search of similar previous questions (which are likely to have been posted on forums) and amalgamating the answers.

We can gain answers by doing actual research - like before we got so lazy and invented AI.

 

[AndyW123]

Ok, so it’s scraping information from other forums… are they unqualified? I’m confused by your answer.

EDIT: and how do we gain information?

In my opinion we gain information from those that have been there, done it and made mistakes never to be repeated. I'd take this over a bunch of facts that an algorithm has cobbled together from those who " think" that x may be y. The apprenticeship is king

 

[P8X]

Generally yes, most opinions are unqualified, they're based on assumptions, not science or any research, particularly on a topic so niche as this. All the AI function is doing is running a search of similar previous questions (which are likely to have been posted on forums) and amalgamating the answers.

We can gain answers by doing actual research - like before we got so lazy and invented AI.

Hi Sam
I've done my own research

Years ago, circa 2014, @cloverleaf produced a report on the energy retention of lightweight pellets. This report, turned me on to 7.9g pellets

On arrival at the club, with a newly tuned 95, that I'd set up for AA express, I realised I;d left my pellets at home
I bagged a tin of JSB 7.9, from a chap at the club
Initially, they weren't good, but I was sat next to a chap and the conversation was good, so I kept sending lead down range.
At around 80 shots, the groups tightened up enormously. At 100 shots, I shot the best group, I've ever shot with a springer
If I'd been on my own, I'd have packed up at about 40 shots.
Yeah you could say, that I'd settled in at 100 shots. I say I can ruin a perfect 4 shot group, with a crap 5th shot.

 

[Jay Butts]

Generally yes, most opinions are unqualified, they're based on assumptions, not science or any research, particularly on a topic so niche as this. All the AI function is doing is running a search of similar previous questions (which are likely to have been posted on forums) and amalgamating the answers.

We can gain answers by doing actual research - like before we got so lazy and invented AI.

Hilarious, have you any idea about the advances in medical science, chemistry, physics and biology AI has made? Google it. My brother had a tumour detected by AI and had it removed by a robot.

Lazy?

Not lazy mate, it’s progress. The future is AI…. If you agree or not.