I just bought a sako TRG-42 in .338 lapua I need some info on my factory barrel life. I shoot prolly ten rounds every time I shoot it which is once a week once every two weeks with factory ammo. I know when I start reloading for it higher pressure kills the throat in it but what is just a round about life on factory barrels and also woundering if gap or bartlin could rebarrel it or does it have to be sako?
.338 lapua barrel life?
- Thread starter jacobharper11
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Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
I've read a few accounts where GAP has rebarreled the TRG's, so I wouldn't worry about that.
As to barrel life it depends on at what point you consider it as longer accurate enough.
I've spoken to a few people who have gotten 4 to 5000 rounds out of their .338 barrels. But you need to take into account a few things. Yes you may get 1/2" groups for the first 1000 rounds but say you get 1" to 1 1/2" groups till 4000, at what point do you consider the accuracy degradation to much is an individual decision. Some would say that it’s time to discard the barrel at 800 rounds as it no longer consistently holds ½” groups.
I wouldn’t be happy if it shot 2" groups within 1000 rounds but if it held 2" till 4000 rounds I'd be thrilled.
I've read a few accounts where GAP has rebarreled the TRG's, so I wouldn't worry about that.
As to barrel life it depends on at what point you consider it as longer accurate enough.
I've spoken to a few people who have gotten 4 to 5000 rounds out of their .338 barrels. But you need to take into account a few things. Yes you may get 1/2" groups for the first 1000 rounds but say you get 1" to 1 1/2" groups till 4000, at what point do you consider the accuracy degradation to much is an individual decision. Some would say that it’s time to discard the barrel at 800 rounds as it no longer consistently holds ½” groups.
I wouldn’t be happy if it shot 2" groups within 1000 rounds but if it held 2" till 4000 rounds I'd be thrilled.
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jacob harper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just bought a sako TRG-42 in .338 lapua I need some info on my factory barrel life. I shoot prolly ten rounds every time I shoot it which is once a week once every two weeks with factory ammo. I know when I start reloading for it higher pressure kills the throat in it but what is just a round about life on factory barrels and also woundering if gap or bartlin could rebarrel it or does it have to be sako? </div></div>
I'm going on memory, but a fellow who I believe posts here and over on Sniper'sParadise is from Finland and is quite familiar with the Finnish Army's T&E for the TRG-42 338LM.
I believe the Fin snipers concluded that for their needs at 1000m and a 25cm target size, they could go 4000 rounds before accuracy fell off and the armorers needed to swap out the barrels.
They ditched the stainless steel barrels early on, because they just didn't hold up under their testing regime, which was obviously tortuous. You want to keep things under 3000 fps, if you can.
This being said, there was a fellow who posted here some years back with a TRG-42 and he had his throat scoped at 1600 rounds, IIRC and decided it was time for a new barrel. I don't know the steel and I don't know what kind of loads he was shooting.
I'm at 950 on mine, after 6 years, so hopefully I can get 3k, or 4k.
Chris
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jacob harper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just bought a sako TRG-42 in .338 lapua I need some info on my factory barrel life. I shoot prolly ten rounds every time I shoot it which is once a week once every two weeks with factory ammo. I know when I start reloading for it higher pressure kills the throat in it but what is just a round about life on factory barrels and also woundering if gap or bartlin could rebarrel it or does it have to be sako? </div></div>
I'm going on memory, but a fellow who I believe posts here and over on Sniper'sParadise is from Finland and is quite familiar with the Finnish Army's T&E for the TRG-42 338LM.
I believe the Fin snipers concluded that for their needs at 1000m and a 25cm target size, they could go 4000 rounds before accuracy fell off and the armorers needed to swap out the barrels.
They ditched the stainless steel barrels early on, because they just didn't hold up under their testing regime, which was obviously tortuous. You want to keep things under 3000 fps, if you can.
This being said, there was a fellow who posted here some years back with a TRG-42 and he had his throat scoped at 1600 rounds, IIRC and decided it was time for a new barrel. I don't know the steel and I don't know what kind of loads he was shooting.
I'm at 950 on mine, after 6 years, so hopefully I can get 3k, or 4k.
Chris
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
I have a 340Wby (same crap different pile) with just under 1800 rounds that still holds 1/2" at 100 yards. By what I see in the bore scope I would think it has another few hundred rounds left in it, but it is hard to say...It doesn't have long to live and certainly will not see 3000 rounds.
I have a 340Wby (same crap different pile) with just under 1800 rounds that still holds 1/2" at 100 yards. By what I see in the bore scope I would think it has another few hundred rounds left in it, but it is hard to say...It doesn't have long to live and certainly will not see 3000 rounds.
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
Can't help on barrel life I'm not close yet with my 42 but any decent gunsmith can rebarrel your Sako with most any brand 338 barrel you want.
Can't help on barrel life I'm not close yet with my 42 but any decent gunsmith can rebarrel your Sako with most any brand 338 barrel you want.
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
does barrel life really matter that much ?, the rebarrel is 600-800 $ - 2000 rds of factory ammo to burn that barrel is 6000$, even the most reasonable hand loads will be 1800 for 2000 rds so the barrel is at most 1/3 of the cost of the trigger pull
does barrel life really matter that much ?, the rebarrel is 600-800 $ - 2000 rds of factory ammo to burn that barrel is 6000$, even the most reasonable hand loads will be 1800 for 2000 rds so the barrel is at most 1/3 of the cost of the trigger pull
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
What about setting the chamber back by re-chambering? How much barrel length would you have to sacrifice to get to good steel?
What about setting the chamber back by re-chambering? How much barrel length would you have to sacrifice to get to good steel?
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
IMHO setting back a severly fire cracked barrel and rechambering is a band-aid put on something that needs major surgery.
Plan ahead, have barrel in hand and coordinate with smith to minimize down time.
IMHO setting back a severly fire cracked barrel and rechambering is a band-aid put on something that needs major surgery.
Plan ahead, have barrel in hand and coordinate with smith to minimize down time.
Re: .338 lapua barrel life?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: McCourt Munitions LLC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">IMHO setting back a severly fire cracked barrel and rechambering is a band-aid put on something that needs major surgery.
Plan ahead, have barrel in hand and coordinate with smith to minimize down time. </div></div>
X2
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: McCourt Munitions LLC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">IMHO setting back a severly fire cracked barrel and rechambering is a band-aid put on something that needs major surgery.
Plan ahead, have barrel in hand and coordinate with smith to minimize down time. </div></div>
X2
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