Gunsmithing Thoughts on this barrel?

[Jake the dog]

1600- 1700 rounds through this barrel. All but 100 or so my loads, 6.5 CM, 142 SMK, 40.4 Gr H4350, Lapua brass, Fed 205M. Run about 2625 to 2640 over a Labradar. I looked at it 150 rounds back and saw a little bit of chipping, but nothing like this.

 

[JMGlasgow]

How does it shoot?

 

[Jake the dog]

Was a half moa. Now 4 of 5 will be there, the other, not so much.

 

[JMGlasgow]

If you're unhappy with the accuracy, change the barrel. It doesn't matter what it looks like at that point. I've seen barrels shoot way past their life expectancy and I've seen barrels that get shot out early.

 

[Steel head]

Clean it and maybe adjust your load a bit.

Pics really won’t tell you much, my first 260 barrel looked a lot worse and it was still hammering.

 

[Ledzep]

Yea, run it. I'd stop cleaning copper out unless you have serious accuracy or pressure problems. After 1000-1500 rounds most barrels look kinda ugly, especially in the first 2-4" of rifling.

Proof is in the pudding, though. If it starts throwing nasty fliers (over 1 MOA) I'd ditch it. My last 6.5cm barrel made it just over 3000 and started throwing some wicked fliers. Most everything was good enough (3/4 moa or better) but the fliers would stretch it to like 1.5-2 MOA.

 

[Garyc]

Looks like some moderate fire cracking but the only thing that really matters is how it shoots. If it's still shooting well then keep it, if it's fallen off below what you want then rebarrel.

 

[mzvarner]

I'd stop cleaning copper out unless you have serious accuracy or pressure problems.

Proof is in the pudding, though. If it starts throwing nasty fliers (over 1 MOA) I'd ditch it.

Agreed. Removing copper really destroyed my accuracy in the past. I have stopped that process all together. Now I only clean (Hoppes, a moderate scrubbing, and a few patches) the barrel when i switch lots of bullets OR if accuracy falls off. I have over 2700 rnds of 150gr 6.5 cm going 2750 fps and its still a shooter. My buddies all scoff at me because I do not routinely clean my rifles. But mine all shoot better than theirs.

 

[acudaowner]

O'Keeffe's for dry cracked and desperatly in need of moisture hand/foot cream its metal that gets expsed to a lot of heat and pressure .

 

[Terry of illinois]

I’m not a expert but is that a little carbon ring build up ?

 

[Jake the dog]

I've only cleaned copper twice, the last time was about 150 rounds back. Both times I cleaned it, it was because it started shooting right by 5-6 inches at 500.
Don't think there's a carbon ring in those pictures, they are about 4 inches past the throat.

 

[Terry of illinois]

Ok thank you just my thought.Good luck in your quest to figure it out.

 

[Jake the dog]

Well, about a month ago I convinced myself it was shot out and I needed a new barrel, so I got a new action and chassis. They're at the smith getting the barrel spun now. So that $50 borescope turned into a new custom.??

 

[Terry of illinois]

I really hope you end with a laser . Are you doing another 6.5 Creedmoor? Or trying something new?

 

[Jake the dog]

The new one will be another 65CM. I'm trying to decide what to rebarrel with. The 6GT is interesting, but brass looks to be hard to find, and dies are really expensive. Maybe 6 Dasher? 280 Ackley Improved? So many choices, so little money.

 

[Terry of illinois]

If you can find a video of George Gardner talking about 6GT and way he help to develop it you just might rethink the 6 dasher . Alpha has 6GT brass on preorder.But you are definitely right dies are a arm &leg at the moment. But I think that Forster is in the process of making them soon good luck in what ever you do . Shoot Straight .

 

[Buckshot0351]

Damn. Thats some good looking fire cracking. How long are you waiting between shots?

 

[Jake the dog]

Not waiting long enough I guess. This barrel went from .5 moa to 1 moa within a hundred rounds or so.

 

[FisherT&C]

Once they fire crack like that they go down hill fast. The crack deforms the projectile taking it out of balance and it will have a corkscrew like flight path that gets bigger the further it flies. If you race cars you burn up tires, if you run guns you burn up barrels. The price we pay to play the game.

 

[Jake the dog]

Yep.. Went from the gun outshooting me to me out shooting the gun within a hundred rounds or so. Has gotten steadily worse. Smith called today, new gun is ready, just in time.