The post Frank from Bartlien made about the 308 barrel with like 27k rounds made me wonder if and how people are deciding when it’s time for a new barrel. I always pulled when accuracy goes south and I can’t get it back with deep cleaning or slightly re working the load or if the velocity drops to a point that I can’t keep it stable.
When do you know pull a barrel
- Thread starter codym
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Well I have only truly shot out one barrel and it was velocity that went. I was dumping several grains higher and not getting the velocity I was used too. With that being said I always seem to load the higher nodes and burn barrels faster then I should be.
What I will do moving forward is load like I normally do with a good load and then when accuracy velocity drops I will reevaluate and try and find a slower node that’s accurate and just keep on shooting.
My 6.5 creed barrel went 500 rounds of factory 140 ELD, 200 or so Hornady black, and 1800 140 eld’s at 2830. It got to where I was dumping almost 44grains of H4350 and couldn’t get it to 2830 again.
I should have just done a new whole load worked up but I changed calibers completely and went p
What I will do moving forward is load like I normally do with a good load and then when accuracy velocity drops I will reevaluate and try and find a slower node that’s accurate and just keep on shooting.
My 6.5 creed barrel went 500 rounds of factory 140 ELD, 200 or so Hornady black, and 1800 140 eld’s at 2830. It got to where I was dumping almost 44grains of H4350 and couldn’t get it to 2830 again.
I should have just done a new whole load worked up but I changed calibers completely and went p
I have only shot out 1 barrel, it was a 18" SPR AR stainless barrel that easily over 10k on it. It still shot fairly well at 100 yds (1.5" 5 shot groups) but wasn't up to its former level of consistent 0.75" groups. I had also begun to experience increased vertical dispersion when shooting long range.
The definition of "shot out" is really variable based on what your standards are.
The definition of "shot out" is really variable based on what your standards are.
I shot out a bunch of 6ppc barrels when I was shooting 100yrd BR back in the early 90s. We loaded to pressure warnings and shot 5 shot groups as fast as we could. I was lousy at it, but it was fun, but even I could tell it was over for a barrel as the groups were irretrievably growing.
Everyone tells me they pull 6 br barrels at 2500. I have one at 3500 that can still win a bench match. Only barrel I pulled due to being shot out was a 6.5 cm barrel I bought used on a action. I put 1800 on it in PRS matches in the heat and don't know how many the previous owner shot. It will still shoot good after a cleaning but 50 rounds in and things open up. I have a few around 2500 that I spin on in the off season and use for practice
I'm keeping a close eye on a 6.5 CM Proof SS M24 at 2800 rounds on it? Just last time out, I was down 40 fps from prior speeds but it still shot well in that last outing.
I'll keep watching it but I fear that its going tits up reasonably soon.
I'll keep watching it but I fear that its going tits up reasonably soon.
So actually, I now have 3,100 rounds on this Proof SS MTU barrel, dunno what happened to show loss of speed cause it ain’t done it since, and it’s still shooting very well.
These are five shot groups with Peterson built Prime ammo with 142 gr SMK (which this barrel seems to love) at 100 yards off of bench w bipod and rear bag. I’m pretty happy w this but wow…can you see where I pulled one?
These are five shot groups with Peterson built Prime ammo with 142 gr SMK (which this barrel seems to love) at 100 yards off of bench w bipod and rear bag. I’m pretty happy w this but wow…can you see where I pulled one?
When I did alot of LR shooting many yrs ago before all the new factory LR cartridges were available, the 308 was still pretty popular.
I went 8000rds per 308 barrel then replace whether it needed it or not. They were still accurate and velocity was still about the same. But looking at them they had alot of firecracking in the throat area and a little ways into the barrel.
There is alot of differences between the 308 and 6.5 CM in barrel life.
The 2 308s that get the bulk of the hybrid case testing up to 80,000 psi show almost no wear, where the 6.5 CM with half the normal rounds and a few hybrid rounds shows alot of wear.
Pic is an abused 308 barrel with 8000rds, smell the steel burn, can't leave the cartridge in the barrel much over 5 seconds or get an over pressure load with Varget and 155s loaded in Lapua brass.
Ya only stop when the heat waves off the barrel obscure the 1000yd target, ..then be this rough and shoot tiny groups at 100 yds.
Short barrels, long barrels, short actions long actions 12 twist to 8 twist, even hybrid cases and 3800 to 4000 ft/lbs of muzzle energy out of a 308 hybrid case...or light or subsonic loads, most with excellent accuracy.
It's Why I'm a 308 fan, it's a good working tool.
I went 8000rds per 308 barrel then replace whether it needed it or not. They were still accurate and velocity was still about the same. But looking at them they had alot of firecracking in the throat area and a little ways into the barrel.
There is alot of differences between the 308 and 6.5 CM in barrel life.
The 2 308s that get the bulk of the hybrid case testing up to 80,000 psi show almost no wear, where the 6.5 CM with half the normal rounds and a few hybrid rounds shows alot of wear.
Pic is an abused 308 barrel with 8000rds, smell the steel burn, can't leave the cartridge in the barrel much over 5 seconds or get an over pressure load with Varget and 155s loaded in Lapua brass.
Ya only stop when the heat waves off the barrel obscure the 1000yd target, ..then be this rough and shoot tiny groups at 100 yds.
Short barrels, long barrels, short actions long actions 12 twist to 8 twist, even hybrid cases and 3800 to 4000 ft/lbs of muzzle energy out of a 308 hybrid case...or light or subsonic loads, most with excellent accuracy.
It's Why I'm a 308 fan, it's a good working tool.
