I'm with Jumptrap, just shoot it and enjoy it.
Life's too short.......

Cheers

Breaking in - now do you shoot 1 and clean for 5 rounds, then shoot 5 and clean for the next 50, or do you shoot 1 and clean for 20 rounds then shoot 3 and clean for the next 30? Which one you choose makes one HELL of a difference and megabytes have been written arguing about the merits of one method and the utter time wasting folly of the other method. So if you do decide to break in your barrel make damn sure you pick the right method.

After proper break in, here's soemthing else that's important - make sure you check the position of the moon when you shoot your groups. It's tidal effect DOES have an affect on a bullet's trajectory.

Okay, I hope I've made my point without being too much of a smart-a.

In a lever action Marlin .44 there are a WHOLE bunch of other things that affect accuracy more than whether or not the barrel was "broken in". Make sure the front barrel band does not restrict the barrel. Make sure the crown is straight and square. Make sure the bullet is seated straight in the case. Have a trigger job done - a clean break will do more than removing some .0001" of metal somewhere along the bore.

If you really do want to smooth the barrel a bit then just shoot a couple hundred jacketed bullets down the bore whle firing from the offhand, sitting and kneeling positions and improve your marksmanship at teh same time.

Bottom line - it's a hobby fer cryin' out loud. Breaking in a barrel, weighing primers, weighing bullets, whatever - if it blows air up your kilt and you enjoy the breeze it's a good thing. If not, then don't worry about it. Life is short, have fun.

I'm with Jumptrap......If I bought a fancy custom barrel and the mfg said I should do it I would. BUT to me your avg factory barrel will get no benefit whatsoever out of a fancy break in procedure. Just go shoot it and clean it regular and it will treat you with all the accuracy it came with.

If your really opposed to break in you might look at the fire forming bullets from Lead Bullet Technology. Personally I don't see the biggie about a few pushes with some JB's and shooters choice. Your going to clean the barrel after you shoot it any how. I fail to see what good it will do to just pound through a few hundred jacketed bullets. If you don't clean the copper out in between all you are doing is filling any imperfections in with fouling. Just do what ever trips your trigger. It's supposed to be fun !