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Combination of factors but the two most significant are pressure and velocity. The higher the pressure and velocity, the shorter the barrel life. Energy content of the charge and bore cross sectional area also influence it to a degree, as well as things like coated vs naked projectiles, and of course the volume of fire - hot barrels wear faster. Ultimately, each load will have different barrel wear characteristics based on all sorts of factors, but you can generally look at velocity as the single most important factor. With that in mind, 220 Swift, 22-250AI, 257 Ackley, etc are all known as barrel burners.
And finally, one other thing - "The people who worry the most about shooting out their barrels, won't."
And finally, one other thing - "The people who worry the most about shooting out their barrels, won't."
Your unlikely to ever out shoot a 308 reguardless of how you treat it. I still have a target rifle from 20 years ago with untold rounds down the tube that has not lost a step yet. 6.5 barrels burn out regularly (in comparison) if your practicing enough to become some what effective with the system. I agree with the above poster. More people worried about outshooting barrels than actually do out shoot them. It’s the cool thing to say now a days. Yes the modern cartridges are barrel burners in comparison. But that’s still a lot of rounds to get there. Don’t worrie about it and shoot.
Ammo "quality" has nothing to do with it.
The flame temperature of the burning powder, the amount of time the throat is exposed to the flame on each shot, and how frequently the throat is exposed to that heat are the three major factors.
Beyond those generalizations it's an extremely difficult phenomenon to quantify other than through anecdotal observation.
The more burning powder you try to squeeze through a small hole the more you torch the barrel throat. Smaller hole (caliber) = less life, more powder = less life.
The ones with bigger cases and smaller caliber diameters, and/or an aggressive ratio of size to caliber (aka overbore).
As a sidebar, big case + small diameter = very fast bullet speed, so the comment on velocity above is true.
It doesn't, unless you are talking about shooting steel cased bullets.
As others have said above there are additional subtle factors that go into barrel life based on rate of fire and what type/how much powder you use within a case, etc.
resurrecting this thread from the dead to get ? answered
so steel cased bullets affect barrel life? shorten? how much?
thanks
so steel cased bullets affect barrel life? shorten? how much?
thanks
Well, at least it's not "too old"....They must have been talking about steel jacketed/copper-clad projectiles. Steel case, not so much.
From a materials science perspective, they absolutely should. copper is softer than steel, and steel-on-steel is going to erode/wear-down faster.
It's the same reason you shouldn't use a steel brush to clean your barrel.
Please for give my lack of knowledge of metallurgy, but wouldn’t/couldn’t steel on steel cause gouging?
It's galling, and steel on steel is not as susceptible as austenitic (300-series) stainless steels or aluminum, but it does happen. Most steel projectiles that made bore contact had gilding metal (cupronickel) jackets. Big rounds 20mm and up, have copper rotating bands.
Thanks, that’s what I was trying to ask. Guess I am really showing what I need to educate myself on.
Such a perfect answer. I am one of these people for sure. Thinking things to death. Worried about wasting money. Wanting to make an intelligent purchase, the value of which will last beyond my years. Basically the guns with the flattest most impressive trajectories are barrel burners. For the basic hunter/hobbyist like me, a 308 or 6.5 CM will do just fine. But it is a lot of fun to learn about all the interesting cartridges people have developed and where each excels relative to the others.
Depends on the application. A hunting rifle .308 probably will last darn near forever.
I know from my personal observation, a competitive FTR gun (.308) with even the best barrel, accuracy starts dropping around 2,500 rounds. 3,000 and X count is dropping.
I change at 2,000 - 2,500 depending on results.
I know from my personal observation, a competitive FTR gun (.308) with even the best barrel, accuracy starts dropping around 2,500 rounds. 3,000 and X count is dropping.
I change at 2,000 - 2,500 depending on results.
308 is good for 12,000 rounds I have gone 14,000 with a GAP 308
Not in FTR competition.
As I said depends on application. In FTR we are shooting for a 5" X at 1,000 yards for 60 shots + sighters.
A worn barrel shows itself on X count pretty quick when it goes south.
My Steyr SSG-04 still shot 1/2 moa with about 10k on it. The only reason I pulled the barrel was the bolt would close on a NO-GO gauge. I have an AI-AE with a Schneider P5 26in 1-10 twist with about 3500ish and shoots 1/2 moa and have no trouble hitting a 24in plate at 1356 yards. I shoot 178 ELD-M's or 175 SMK's.
The Palma guys are like F Class and Benchrest will pull barrels early because they had a bad day. they will talk internal ballistics like their life depends on it, never had a longer internal ballistics conversation than talking to a Palma guy
Nobody realistically pulls a 308 that early, it's pretending their bad shooting was barrel related. 10k is typical and you are not seeing an issue under 5k unless the barrel has issues, which were probably there at the start.
Nobody realistically pulls a 308 that early, it's pretending their bad shooting was barrel related. 10k is typical and you are not seeing an issue under 5k unless the barrel has issues, which were probably there at the start.
The Pendleton sniper school instructors say they pull 308 barrels at around 8,000 rounds. Accuracy spec is 1 moa at 100 meters if I remember correctly. Mine went at about 6,000 but I ran it hard, around 2730 FPS. Bullet hits the lands with about 1 inch of jump where the base of the bullet is out of the case. It shoots a 2 inch or so group. My 6 creeds go about 1800 rounds, then slows down after that, running 3130 to 3150 FPS.
it's been done. probably a 22PRC too somewhere which would be a monster with 95SMKs. Sherman has the 26Sherman based on the 300PRC as well
