• The Shot You’ll Never Forget Giveaway - Enter To Win A Barrel From Rifle Barrel Blanks!

    Tell us about the best or most memorable shot you’ve ever taken. Contest ends June 13th and remember: subscribe for a better chance of winning!

    Join contest Subscribe

Gunsmithing Normal 260 Throat Life

Wildcat78

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 3, 2005
76
15
Kentucky
I have a 260 and I measured the seating depth for the bullets I've been using since I've had the rifle. It measured about .015 to .020 longer then it did when it was brand new. I've had it 1 1/2 years and it's had about 1000 rounds total down the barrel. Is that about right?
 
Re: Normal 260 Throat Life

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: n2turbos</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How hot are you loading that 260? I have read reports on here of 2000-3000 rounds for barrel life. Is that not accurate? </div></div>

Throat erosion and "shot out throat" are different things.

My 30-06 is about 4600rd downrange, the throat has burned 0.150" appx.

The 6.5-06 that I was shooting last summer had a throat erosion rate that stabilized to about 0.007-0.009" for every 100 (yes, 100) rounds fired. Toast in about 1500 rounds.

2000 would be a sorely abused 260 for "shot out", 3000 is a very reasonable number, a good friend of mine is 3800 into his Krieger barreled 260 and it is just starting to open up now.
 
Re: Normal 260 Throat Life

I haven't pushed it to hard I don't think. However I do shoot fast at times and I'm using a 139 Scenar with 41gr of H4350. My groups haven't opened up at all.
 
Re: Normal 260 Throat Life

I also agree with Vu. My Krieger barreled .260 was almost impossible to get the copper out of at 3100 rounds when I took it off. My scores were suffering in the 3rd 20 shot match in F/O competition - should have taken it off sooner. The throat was heat crazed and really ugly, so 2500 rnds seems to be a reasonably accurate estimation of barrel life. Load was Berger 140 VLD's self mollied and H4831sc. Gunsmith had to cut 4" off of it to get past the worst of it.

Paul