243win barrel life.

[vendetta333]

what sort of barrel life can one expect out of a 243? 6mmbr.com estimates around 1500 +/- depending on how one shoots, to me that is SHORT!! and i know if it was only for hunting, that would be fine, but what if i like to play at the range a lot? (my nextdoor neighbor has 200yds in his property.)

i dont want to deal with ridiculous barrel cooling, like 2 shots then cool for an hour (exaggerated) but regular 5ish rounds let it chill is ok.

anyway, what could one expect, and any suggestions on how to extend it would be much appreciated.

 

[Loner]

For 200 yards slow your loads down and I would think you would see 3 to 4 thousand.
It's burning fast hot powders that take the throat out. Coarse on the other hand...
I always wore a worn out barrel like a badge of honor.

 

[vendetta333]

it'll be mostly shot by my fiance. i was thinking of this as a great all around gun for her first rifle. but i also want to shoot it lol

 

[Mikecr]

A 243 is a barrel burner.
Think hunting cartridge.

Only way I can think of to extend it's life, beyond cooling between shots, is melonite treatment.
Melonite Surface Treatment for Barrels, Bolts, and Actions « Daily Bulletin

 

[LouBoyd]

Barrels are made to be replaced. That why they screw on to the action. If you shoot it out from lots of practice or plinking you can rebarrel it in 260 Rem, 7mm-08, or 308 Win which will all last longer. In my opinion 1500 rounds is acceptable. Be glad you didn't buy a 223 WSSM 264 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Ultra, or 30-378 Weatherby which are good for 1000 or less. Even for these hot chamberings the ammo to burn it out costs several times more than a replacement barrel.

If you think about it in terms of the time the barrel is actually in use with a bullet going though, a 243 Win barrel has a working life of about three seconds.

 

[LouBoyd]

For 200 yards slow your loads down and I would think you would see 3 to 4 thousand.
It's burning fast hot powders that take the throat out. Coarse on the other hand...
I always wore a worn out barrel like a badge of honor.

I consider gun barrels like tires. If you want high speed plan to spend some money.
It's hard to wear out a 22LR or 45 ACP barrel by shooting it.

 

[vendetta333]

yea, i know the ammo part is way more expensive, i just don't want her or my self to have to deal with the barrel settling in, and then having to replace it like 3-600 shots later and go through the process all over again.

 

[newmexkid]

Depending on how much you are going to shoot...1500 rounds could be years worth. I had my first .243 rebarreled with a Douglas air-guage barrel in the mid 70's. Finally in 1998 the best I could get out of it were 1 1/2" groups. For all those years I used it for song dogs, crows, P-dogs and a couple of Antelope. I have no idea how many rounds went down that tube but, it was a bunch. I know I got my money's worth with that barrel...$175 barrel and installation!!

 

[ZSteinle]

i wouldnt worry about the barrel life. If you want better barrel life with about the same ballistics go with a 6BR

 

[270winshort]

1500 to 2000 is probably what you can expect the 6 br around 2500 if you want 5000 plus go to a 223 fast twist and shoot 75 grain amax's good luck

 

[Mikecr]

Zsteinle, nothing is free.
The notions of same -from less, are never true. We just trade one attribute for another.

 

[roninflag]

once you shoot one that has a krieger it is hard to go back to a factory barrel. i have had great times with the .243 . 37.5 of I4064 and 85 sierra bthp. mild. deadly. accurate. what kind of 243 do you have??

 

[vendetta333]

dont have it yet, looking at gettin my fiance a nice savage and rebarreling it with a 1:8 kreiger so we can shoot match bullets. like i said earlier, i dont want to have us just getting the thing really really dialed and then like 600 rounds later have to rebarrel it. it will also pull double duty as her hunting rifle.