Re: 308 barrel life for F class?
"308 barrel life for F-Class" ???
This has been a question that has been asked for as long as I remember. And a good one, although difficult to answer. For example, all answers above are correct. I will add even more, as I can personally attest to good 308Palma barrels lasting up to 11,000 rounds (although very uncommon). Being uncommon, I will bypass the circumstances of such examples (for now), which in my book, deserve a serious chapter by itself.
If you really need a short, and specific (and scientific) answer, the correct one would be 3.5 - 5 seconds (caliber specific). End of story.
For us Palma shooters (and does apply to FTR/F-Class as well), it is rather common to change barrels after 3,500 recorded rounds. No questions asked, it is an accepted scenario which is religiously followed, and just done. Then, there are those few, that will remain shooting up to about 5,000 rounds, or so, after having re-chambered at around 3,000 recorded rounds. It works.
The major consensus is that no Palma shooter in his right mind would risk a drop on X count in a middle of a major competition, here, or overseas. Imagine going to a major competition, paying $4 - $6,000 on match fees, airplane, car, hotel, ammo, food, etc, only to have your barrel go haywire at the last minute, ouch. A new Palma/F-Class barrel today costs around $525 - $650 installed, are you going to risk all?
Many of us Palma shooters purchase more than 1 barrel at a time, and have a good selection in stock. Some have one or two back up rifles. The "hummers" are selected for important competitions, and the others for minor ones, or practice. Mind you, we can possibly win most any major competition with the "others", just the same, but find the "hummers" to enjoy an uncommon characteristic that separate them into a particular category, all of their own. These can portray a small advantage in X - count, shorter elevation spreads, extreme forgiveness during bad calls, reduced throat erosion (a big plus when it is a good barrel), etc.
Remember, in a 3.5 - 5 second barrel, the barrel is either going to be shooting better, or shooting worst, but never enjoy a happy medium, sorry. It takes an experienced shooter to quickly denote the cross line. The quicker, the better.
And then again, there are those even fewer, that are always trying to push the envelope. Some affirm to be able to maintain continued X - count up to 5 - 6,000 recorded rounds. I've seen "some" of them do it. And then there is even a smaller group that find themselves continuously researching ways to extract even more life, with sustained accuracy, out of their extraordinary barrels, but most times unsuccessfully.
Yet, those that have successfully extracted additional life out of their barrels, have done so through a scientifically (read: trial and error) developed process, from which they never divert. This usually implies a particular cleaning method, on particular high quality barrels, use of multiple (different) loading formulas, which include use of different bullet manufacturers (only 155 weight). It works, but does the word "anal" means anything to you?
I have witnessed and experienced even further <span style="text-decoration: underline">life</span> increase using particular heat treating processes of the barrel. But it is the <span style="text-decoration: underline">accuracy life increase</span> I need to witness for a third time in a row, before I finally submit to the evidence.
So as you see, there is truly never a direct answer to this question, other than the commonly accepted standards by which most professional shooters live by.
Sorry for the somewhat long answer to your question,
Andy
