im thinking of getting a 243 for some long range coyote work but im not to sure about what i have heard about the barrel life some people say 1200rnds some say more so i hope someone on here has a 243 and can tell me the true barrel life of this cal
243 barrel life
- Thread starter sniper81
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I agonize over the same stuff. I am getting to the point where I am going to just by what I want (.260, .243, etc.) and shoot it. After the action is trued, you are only out the cost of the barrel ($350) and chambering ($200).
The .243 is a bit tougher on barrels than some, but less than a .22-250. Overbore cartridges always are, but the performance may be worth it. Accurateshooter (formerly 6mmbr.com) has some good information on the 6mm chamberings. They are saying the .243 gets about 1500 shots per barrel- maybe more/less depending on cleaning and rate of fire.
Just have one tubed up and enjoy it. Life is short.
The .243 is a bit tougher on barrels than some, but less than a .22-250. Overbore cartridges always are, but the performance may be worth it. Accurateshooter (formerly 6mmbr.com) has some good information on the 6mm chamberings. They are saying the .243 gets about 1500 shots per barrel- maybe more/less depending on cleaning and rate of fire.
Just have one tubed up and enjoy it. Life is short.
I just pulled off my .243 barrel at 1400 rounds. Accuracy was still very good but I had lost 140 fps and was getting occasional unexplained fliers, more than I was willing to accept. I probably could have reworked the load to get my velocity back or set the barrel back a turn or two, but the longevity of the barrel would always be a concern anyway. So I just decided to put a new tube on. I figure I got my use out of it after four or five matches this year. Barrel was a Brux, 45.5 grains H4831 sc, 105 AMAX's. New barrel is Bartlien 1:8 and I'm looking forward to the remainder of the match season!
Geb
Geb
If you're going to define barrel life, you need to have some frame of reference to compare against. At what point is the barrel "good", and at what point does the barrel become "bad"? Depending on what you're dealing with, there can be a pretty wide margin between those two parameters. I've had 243 barrels that were completely gone at 800 rds, and I've had others (hunting/varminting rifles) that went a few thousand.
Worth remembering, too, that heavy bullets like the 105s-115s in a 243 are much harder on barrel life than the lighter projectiles like the 70s-87s are. Something to bear in mind, but you still let the application decide what bullet weight is appropriate.
Worth remembering, too, that heavy bullets like the 105s-115s in a 243 are much harder on barrel life than the lighter projectiles like the 70s-87s are. Something to bear in mind, but you still let the application decide what bullet weight is appropriate.
What a lot of people don't realize or ignore is that really depends on the load when it comes to barrel life.... Some powders burn at a higher temp and if you are pushing them to the max then yes the 243 can be a barrel burner, but if you run lets say some h1000 or something close and don't push the pressures too far then you can get plenty of life out of a 243 and still get awesome performance.
I have personally shot a 243 barrel to just over 2500 rounds and it was still 1/2 MOA or better, it was a Broughton barrel chambered for DTACs and they were not being pushed to max. I did notice a velocity reduction at around 2k. If you use a slower burning powder such as RE 25 or RE 22 I think you will get to the 2k-2500 range. Again, a lot depends on the barrel, powder, bullets, and how you shoot it and how hard you push it.
You should get a lot of life from a 243 on Yotes. The 243 does a barrel in faster when the barrel is overheated. Besides, you'll be shooting bullets in the 75-95 grain weights and those are easier on a barrel too (as long as not pushed too hard). The Venture has a good barrel and mine is very accurate for a stock rifle. It does not have the barrel nut feature like Savage but barrels can be changed by a gunsmith when you need a new one.
If your main goal is a hunting gun I really dont personally know anyone who has shot out a 6mm barrel shooting animals. 1800rnds down that barrel would be a lifetime of coyotes. I used to worry about barrel life also but now I view it as the cost of doing business but I mainly shoot matches with mine. I have a 6-47 Lapua and a 260 rem and both are my favorite.
