Hey guys lets get a list of actual accurate barrel life(1moa or less) befor accuracy drops off. Please include all details about barrel as possible including hot or normal loads in all cal.
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Gunsmithing Barrel life all cal
- Thread starter shooter.dm
- Start date
Turbo, can you tell us just what happened when it did? Was there a way to made some adjustments to your loads to help, or was it just TOAST.
Thanks
65creedmoor- all shooting 41.6 H4350 and 139s
Barrel one- Lothar heavy varmint 1/8.5 twist. Shot over 4k rounds through it, suspect it died around 3500 but didnt know what to look for at the time
#2- Rock MTU 1/8 twist- around 2500 before it was bleeding velocity. Still shot tight just way low. Went out right in the middle of a match in AZ, shot the 500y paper silhouette in the crotch instead of the chest.
#3- Rock Rem Varmint 1/8 twist- ~2500 and lost velocity. Still shot tight
#4- Rock Rem Varmint 1/8 twist ~2100 replaced before TPRC 2013, didnt want to risk it dying in the middle of that match.
#5- Rock rem Varmint 1/8 twist @ ~800 and still going strong
#6- Benchmark 1/8- On deck waiting to be used.
Have a 7 Saum Kreiger that is around 1k and still going, Ill report back when it dies.
Barrel one- Lothar heavy varmint 1/8.5 twist. Shot over 4k rounds through it, suspect it died around 3500 but didnt know what to look for at the time
#2- Rock MTU 1/8 twist- around 2500 before it was bleeding velocity. Still shot tight just way low. Went out right in the middle of a match in AZ, shot the 500y paper silhouette in the crotch instead of the chest.
#3- Rock Rem Varmint 1/8 twist- ~2500 and lost velocity. Still shot tight
#4- Rock Rem Varmint 1/8 twist ~2100 replaced before TPRC 2013, didnt want to risk it dying in the middle of that match.
#5- Rock rem Varmint 1/8 twist @ ~800 and still going strong
#6- Benchmark 1/8- On deck waiting to be used.
Have a 7 Saum Kreiger that is around 1k and still going, Ill report back when it dies.
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Cleaned it after each of the first 5 shots, then cleaned after 5 shots for the next 20-30 shots. Lots of copper every time, but it shot great from the get go, so I quit bothering to clean it.
From ~100 rounds to ~6500 rounds, I'd clean it every 250-500 rounds. Basically when I had an upcoming match and it had been a good long while since it's last cleaning. It quit coppering a lot at about 500 rounds.
I always ran a pretty stiff charge of 45.5gr Varget and the 175. I'm sure backing down would have made the barrel last longer, though I've no idea how much.
The rifle always shot very well, but it just seemed to get better and better and better as I kept shooting it. I don't know if that was ME getting better, the rifle getting better or both - but the rifle certainly wasn't getting worse.
Then one day I took it out and it just didn't seem to shoot so nice. Thought maybe I was having a bad day, but the next time out it wouldn't shoot so good. We're talking ~1.25 moa or so while it had always been a very consistent .5moa (or better) rifle.
I cleaned it up really well and took it out again - no better, maybe worse.
As a final hail mary, I really got after it with JB bore paste and then cleaned it up really well - no better, worse in fact...about 2 moa.
From the time I noted it wasn't shooting like it always did to the time I ordered a new barrel, I probably only put 100 or 150 rounds through.
Of course, I checked all of the peripheral things like scope mounting hardware, action screws etc etc etc.
The new barrel was immediately awesome.
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I had a new steel 26" Remington sporter contour take-off rechambered in 7mm WSM that I used in the local comps. It burned-out after about 850 rounds. It got torched putting 10+ round strings down range quickly. You could fry an egg on it it'd get so hot. Load was 180smk with 65gr WXR (similar to 4831sc and RE19).
My replacement SS fluted #17 Brux has that many rounds with the same use and still holds <.5 MOA at 200yds
My replacement SS fluted #17 Brux has that many rounds with the same use and still holds <.5 MOA at 200yds
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I was told for the 6.5 lapua barrel life was around 4000 that sucks it burned out after 2300 rounds you might as well shot the 6.5 cm if that is the case
One Bartlien .243 Win, about 1K rounds fired, two trips to the SHC, still stacking bullets like it was new. Berger 105 VLD's at 3000 fps.
One Brux .243 Win, over 1K rounds in 6 months, three competitions so it hasn't been babied. Throat has only moved 0.001" from what I could measure which could be bullet variation. Still shooting original load like it was new. Hornady 105 AMAX at 2970 fps.
Shot out a Rock barrel in 300 WM with 1200 rounds using 190 SMK's at 3000 fps. Bullets wouldn't touch the lands until they were out of the case. Originally chambered for the A191 load.
Second .300 WM barrel is Bartlien, around 1200 rounds and groups about 2" at 100 yds, just under 1300 rounds I think. 190 SMK's at about 2950. Had already adjusted seating depth once to maintain accuracy. Barrel saw three or four high volume matches so it was ran pretty hard also.
Geb
One Brux .243 Win, over 1K rounds in 6 months, three competitions so it hasn't been babied. Throat has only moved 0.001" from what I could measure which could be bullet variation. Still shooting original load like it was new. Hornady 105 AMAX at 2970 fps.
Shot out a Rock barrel in 300 WM with 1200 rounds using 190 SMK's at 3000 fps. Bullets wouldn't touch the lands until they were out of the case. Originally chambered for the A191 load.
Second .300 WM barrel is Bartlien, around 1200 rounds and groups about 2" at 100 yds, just under 1300 rounds I think. 190 SMK's at about 2950. Had already adjusted seating depth once to maintain accuracy. Barrel saw three or four high volume matches so it was ran pretty hard also.
Geb
It doesn't suck at all, I pushed 123gr projectiles from an 18" barrel to the speed range of a 24" 260 velocities. I neither cherish barrels nor give them special and unrealistic treatment with the sole intention of prolonging life. Shoot it, enjoy it, replace it.
The brux barreled rifle is using H4831sc, 45.5 grains, Lapua brass, CCI BR-2 primers. Length of barrel is 22", 1:8 twist.
Geb
Geb
Broughton 243 1:7.3 chambered for dtacs, 2600 rounds and still shot great. It lost a little velocity around 2K but was a laser before pulling the barrel for shortening/velocity testing
well most people reload here so they tend to burn barrels faster (with hotter loads) and it costs a cheaper in the long run
Anyone burn out a .223ai or a .260ai? These are my next two builds and want th get an idea.
Thanks
Donald
Thanks
Donald
This is a tough one because barrel life depends on more than just the cartridge.
Velocity, powder used, bullet type, load density, primer used, temperature of the barrel, and cleanliness of the barrel all contribute to barrel life.
Example: two rifles of the same calibers and make, One is loaded hard, shot fast and poorly cleaned will not last anywhere near as long as
the one that uses medium loads, good bullets, has time to cool after two or three rounds and is kept clean. When hunting, I like to pull a bore
snake through the bore after each shot if possible to remove powder fouling (No solvent, just dry patch to remove as much as possible so the
bullet doesn't grind this fouling into the bore).This seems to add many rounds to the barrel life.
There are some cartridges that are badly over bore that have a reputation for washing out barrels early if loaded hard.
Some just except this because of performance and plan on an early retirement for there barrel.
Just my opinion
J E CUSTOM
Velocity, powder used, bullet type, load density, primer used, temperature of the barrel, and cleanliness of the barrel all contribute to barrel life.
Example: two rifles of the same calibers and make, One is loaded hard, shot fast and poorly cleaned will not last anywhere near as long as
the one that uses medium loads, good bullets, has time to cool after two or three rounds and is kept clean. When hunting, I like to pull a bore
snake through the bore after each shot if possible to remove powder fouling (No solvent, just dry patch to remove as much as possible so the
bullet doesn't grind this fouling into the bore).This seems to add many rounds to the barrel life.
There are some cartridges that are badly over bore that have a reputation for washing out barrels early if loaded hard.
Some just except this because of performance and plan on an early retirement for there barrel.
Just my opinion
J E CUSTOM
I use a slower powder myself (H1000) and I am seeing similar throat results. I have 2200 down a heavy varmint "27 1-8 twist Brux and throat erosion is only about .060 and this thing isn't treated nice at all. Not uncommon to run 20 shot strings back to back with less than 10 minutes between the strings. I'm getting 3050 FPS btw. Also running 45.5 grains in Lapua cases and 46.5 in Win cases to get the same velocity as the Lapua. I think there is a lot to say for these slower powders in these barrel burning cartridges. Seems to bridge the gap between performance and barrel life a bit.
Of course.
So far, the folks posting have been pretty decent about mentioning how hot the charges have been, and how hard they used the barrel.
So far, the folks posting have been pretty decent about mentioning how hot the charges have been, and how hard they used the barrel.
Yea that's why a asked every one to give as much info as possible so we can get a real idea of barrel life
I run 140gr bergers like 2900s out of a 28in bbl in a 260 rem but only like 150+ rnds in my barrel
My 6XC s**t the bed at about 1900 rds. 1-8 four groove Lilja. I was not nice to it at all. Ran 39.5-40 grns of RE-17 under 115 DTAC's out of a 27" barrel. Primer's were Tula/Wolf. it went from 1/4-1/2 MOA to minute of pie plate in about 100 rds. It was not uncommon for me to go through 100 rds in an afternoon or more on this barrel. It was a laser until it died.
-VB
-VB
It can only help in my opinion.
Years ago I read that the US military had found that if they kept there service weapon loads below 3000 ft/sec it drastically improved barrel
life.
It appears to be a sound philosophy because rifles that shoot well below 3000 ft/sec seem to last a lifetime with very little accuracy loss.
I went through an STW barrel in less than 300 rounds shooting 3600 ft/sec loads. and have a 308 with thousands of rounds through it
at 2700 ft/sec.
Both of these rifles have been very well taken care of and cleaned as often as possible.
J E CUSTOM
I've heard numerous times that the buttoned barrels do this, fall off in the accuracy department rather quickly like you said happened to yours. Have also heard that cut barrels tend to slowly fall off accuracy wise instead of the sudden drop.
Geb
Actually, the buttoned barrels are tougher because in the buttoning process .003 to .006 thousandths of the barrel bore is forged from moving the barrel material around and aligned to the direction of the twist. (Not more accurate, just tougher)
I find The buttoned barrels have better throat life also because of this. I have and like both types of barrels and have no preferences so this is just
an observation.
J E CUSTOM
Good to know. I don't have any experience with the buttoned barrels, I've only been using cut rifled but haven't experienced a sudden decrease in accuracy as noted above. MY 300WM barrels started to open up after which I adjusted seating depth and gained several hundred more rounds of accurate (<1/2 MOA) barrel life until it was unrecoverable.
Geb
I have over 3k actually 3 109 rounds through mine Lapua and it is still doing well, however I have been shooting mildish loads with 123 grains Scenar, I guess it is a lot about how it loaded.
/Chris
Just checked my 6.5L today for throat erosion. .065 plus. Have 3500 rds thru it. Have been getting flyers etc lately. Pushing 123 Lapuas at 2900-2950. Figure another 500 rds or so.
What do you fellows reckon a 27" bartlein pushing a 140 hybrid 2800 fps in 6.5 creedmor barrels like is. Been shooting pretty much the same load since I got it. It's a GAP Crusader
