223 Barrel life for a hunting rifle??
- Thread starter Kevin R
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NomadPilot
Well-Known Member
Depending on the accuracy you need before you call it toast, 5K-30K. Bottom line, a really long time. gun)
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
A lifetime.
With proper care and cleaning 5,000 ++++++++++.
Just buy good non corrosive ammo in brass cases.
J E CUSTOM
bullfrog
Well-Known Member
I have a little over 5000 rounds thru my factory ruger M77VT. Still shoots just as good as it ever did (under 3/4 MOA with factory loads, 1/2 MOA with handloads). It's been used and abused on many prairie dog hunts. By contrast my 220 swift went 1600 rounds and opened up to about 1 MOA.
Kevin,
Most hunters would find a .223 hunting rifle is impossible to wear out. 3,000-5,000 would be a reasonable expectation.
This changes drastically if it's a light semi-auto with a large clip where you could overheat the barrel every time you used it or if it'e a heavy barreled bolt-action that was never allowed to overheat.
For most HUNTERS with a .223, the barrel should outlast the hunter, and probably his kids.
Most hunters would find a .223 hunting rifle is impossible to wear out. 3,000-5,000 would be a reasonable expectation.
This changes drastically if it's a light semi-auto with a large clip where you could overheat the barrel every time you used it or if it'e a heavy barreled bolt-action that was never allowed to overheat.
For most HUNTERS with a .223, the barrel should outlast the hunter, and probably his kids.
sinarms
Well-Known Member
the precise amount of rounds in a 223 before it is no good anymore is an a$$load. Just don't over clean it and shoot junk ammo through it and you will be fine.
sinarms
Well-Known Member
Don't shoot 5 rounds and then clean it. Wait until the groups open then clean it. Then dont use aggressive brushes. I just use patches on mine or a nylon brush if it is needed.
1100 Remington Man
Well-Known Member
I asked Serra the same ? since we know thay go throught a lot of barrels in testing there bullets .223 Rem 5000 rounds and just FYI also was told a 22-250 Rem 3500 rounds thats the info I was told for peak accuracy. I bought the .223 Rem over the .22-250 for that reason.gun)
Fitch
Well-Known Member
The answer depends on how accurate the rifle needs to be for what you do with it. I ground hog hunt with mine.
I clean my CZ527 American .223 at the end of the ground hog season. I put three fouling rounds through it in the spring when I see the first road kill GH, check the zero, and then hunt with it all summer.
I shoot 40g NBT almost exclusively in it. They leave the muzzle at around 3650, terminal performance on GH is outstanding.
It's up around ~2000 rounds and killing all the ground hogs I put the cross hairs on. I expect it to last till I can't pick it up anymore. But if it doesn't, I'll just rebarrel it and start over. I reach in the gun safe and that is the rifle that sticks to my hand in the summer.
Fitch
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
What's often generalized, to outright missed in discussion, is the qualifiers.
There ALWAYS are..
There are atleast three directly related to barrel life:
1. How you define barrel death
2. The rate of fire
3. The heat, duration of it, and pressure, released on a given area, with each shot
With this in an extreme, you could wipe out(for use by some) a 223, in under 1,000rds.
It is very possible, and I've seen it at my range. I've seen red hot smoking barrels, with bits of rifling dropping out of flash hider holes.
I picked up a piece and talked to a shooter who thought like many so far. But his gun still served it's purpose(assault), and that's qualifier #1.
There ALWAYS are..
There are atleast three directly related to barrel life:
1. How you define barrel death
2. The rate of fire
3. The heat, duration of it, and pressure, released on a given area, with each shot
With this in an extreme, you could wipe out(for use by some) a 223, in under 1,000rds.
It is very possible, and I've seen it at my range. I've seen red hot smoking barrels, with bits of rifling dropping out of flash hider holes.
I picked up a piece and talked to a shooter who thought like many so far. But his gun still served it's purpose(assault), and that's qualifier #1.
Fitch
Well-Known Member
You make a couple of really good points. Keep'em cool = longer life. Barrel life is defined differently for different fire missions.
For hunters, with discipline during load development (pick the right bullet to start with, I shoot 3 shot groups) and scope zeroing, fouling and zero check shots, and the shots at game (other than prarie dogs which are barrel burners), a rifle should last longer than the owner, almost regardless of caliber.
Fitch
