Button rifled barrel - 6 Creedmoor barrel life?

[hetzen]

I have a Green Mountain blank from Keystone Accuracy in 6mm Creedmoor. I'm shooting factory rounds and I can't find an answer as to what to expect as far as barrel life is concerned.

I'd like to take a class later this year, and would like to know if I should rebarrel before going. I'll be at about 700-800 rounds when I go to the class, and need ~300 for the class.

 

[Dolomite_Supafly]

It should last longer than that unless you have been really heating up the barrel with fast strings of fire. Every barrel is different but from what others have told me 1,400-1,600 seems to be the norm before groups start to open up.

 

[6brshooter]

I had a criterion 243, ran it for 2500rds before it dropped 100fps. Load was 107@3120fps. It wasn't a match gun and didn't get hammered, but it would see a decent firing cadence.

 

[King_beardsly]

I’d say roughly 1500, but I’ve heard tale of the green mountain barrels being a bit softer and wearing out quicker. I don’t have first hand experience with them so I can’t prove or disprove it, just something I’ve heard. If you’re running it in a match setting you might get less life since you’re hammering the throat with heat, but factory stuff seems milder than hand loads. I only have experience with the factory Gold medal Berger from federal and it’s pretty spicey from a 26” barrel when the weather warms up.

 

[hetzen]

I’d say roughly 1500, but I’ve heard tale of the green mountain barrels being a bit softer and wearing out quicker. I don’t have first hand experience with them so I can’t prove or disprove it, just something I’ve heard. If you’re running it in a match setting you might get less life since you’re hammering the throat with heat, but factory stuff seems milder than hand loads. I only have experience with the factory Gold medal Berger from federal and it’s pretty spicey from a 26” barrel when the weather warms up.

Mine has sped up quite a bit. I’m at ~400 rounds and 108 Hornady went from 2,950 to 3,050. 24” barrel.

107 GMM is also 3,050, and 107 Prime was 3,130.

Most of the shooting has been with the 108s at club matches and the rest will likely be GMM at the same matches.

 

[ThePretzel]

Mine has sped up quite a bit. I’m at ~400 rounds and 108 Hornady went from 2,950 to 3,050. 24” barrel.

All barrels will speed up for the first 100-200 rounds of their life. Usually anywhere from 75-150fps, varying from barrel to barrel even from the same manufaccturer.

 

[Widowmaker0001]

Generally speaking, the 6CM typically has a barrel life from 1500-2000 rounds. The lower end number is if you shoot it through continuous strings of fire, the high end number is if you shoot it here and there with cooling between multiple shots. Got this info from a good friend who lives by the 6CM, is on his 3rd barrel and still Loves it.
Take it for what it is. Numbers vary dependent on individual use.

-Reagan

 

[6brshooter]

Generally speaking, the 6CM typically has a barrel life from 1500-2000 rounds. The lower end number is if you shoot it through continuous strings of fire, the high end number is if you shoot it here and there with cooling between multiple shots. Got this info from a good friend who lives by the 6CM, is on his 3rd barrel and still Loves it.
Take it for what it is. Numbers vary dependent on individual use.

-Reagan

Velocity/powder selection plays just as big a part of barrel life as firing cadence.

 

[Widowmaker0001]

Velocity/powder selection plays just as big a part of barrel life as firing cadence.

It truely does your right about that, but like I said it was a general answer I gave. You generally dont hear about 2500 rounds being the norm in a 6CR, though it is surely possible, for barrel life. Btw, Ive only got to shoot my friends rifle, alot, and i dont personally load 6CR I just watch him do it, so again, just reiterating his thoughts/experiences. Feel free to Correct me if im wrong.

-Reagan

 

[Wrongtarget]

I have the exact barrel and smith. No taper. I got 760 rounds through mine before I started getting 2-3” groups. Mostly used for competition. 2000 rounds ain’t happening.

 

[hetzen]

I have the exact barrel and smith. No taper. I got 760 rounds through mine before I started getting 2-3” groups. Mostly used for competition. 2000 rounds ain’t happening.

shooting factory 6CM loads?

 

[Wrongtarget]

shooting factory 6CM loads?

Yes 108@ 3107 or Prime 115 @2976. Fairly quick.

 

[Triple D]

Yes 108@ 3107 or Prime 115 @2976. Fairly quick.

I’d chock that up to a bad barrel, or something else wrong. We’ve been between 1550-1650 on 2 Bartlein pushing 105’s w/ h4350 north of 3100fps. A button rifled barrel shouldn’t lose too much off of that.

 

[hetzen]

I’d chock that up to a bad barrel, or something else wrong. We’ve been between 1550-1650 on 2 Bartlein pushing 105’s w/ h4350 north of 3100fps. A button rifled barrel shouldn’t lose too much off of that.

Keystone did tell me to expect 600. I thought that might be an exaggeration but perhaps it wasn’t.

 

[hetzen]

Yes 108@ 3107 or Prime 115 @2976. Fairly quick.

26”?

What did you replace the barrel with and how is that one holding up?

 

[Wrongtarget]

26”?

What did you replace the barrel with and how is that one holding up?

Another one lol. I’ve got 40rds through it. Yes 26”.

 

[SSSamurai]

First off, if you're worried about your barrel and you have the means to replace it, I would do it for the peace of mind. I have started matches with questions about my barrel wear and it plagued me the whole match. Sometimes it was the barrel and sometimes not. You want to be focused on your training, so I would eliminate barrel concerns if you can.

Second, this is a difficult issue to generalize because of the variables. I've killed a couple 6cm barrels in less than 1K rds, but I was doing everything that barrels hate. I was running a stiff charge of H4350, shooting fast strings of fire, in relatively hot conditions (90-100+ degrees F), with a suppressor.

Like so many things, barrel life is ideally figured out through experimentation.

My .02

 

[1moaoff]

I have a 6 creed along with others. If you buy a barrel for matches and expect 600 rounds of life that confuses me. You wont have true data until the barrel breaks in and speeds up so take 100 from 600 and you now expect 500? 6 creed should get 1000 to 1500 on average. Maybe more depending on if you chase lands etc....

My 6 creed has about 1k on it. Still shooting great.
I have other calibers that I prefer though.

The thought of buying a barrel and being told that's the lifespan baffles me. If that was truly the case no one would shoot it when you can get 2000 + from a 6.5