6.5-300 barrel life
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I haven't delved into 6.5-300 yet. I have shot my way through several 264win barrels over the years. Barrels are a perishable asset, just like the tires on your car. How you treat it decides how long it serves you. You need to decide how you want to drive it, and then make a decision on if that level of longevity meets your criteria. 6.5-300, and 264 win, are a crappy cartridge to practice with, but both do some pretty **** cool stuff a few times a year for the rest of your hunting career when you get them out of the case to verify them and hunt at whatever range you deem as ethical.
I use 1MOA as my standard of acceptable accuracy, when the rifle won't deliver that any longer it's time for the next barrel to go on. There has been barrels that I drove very hard, shooting five shot strings with as little time between shots as I could possibly have, and expect to hit my target. Most of those barrels fell below 1MOA between 400 and 500 rounds, one factory barrel only made 300, barely.
The barrels that I NEVER shoot more than twice and then allow them to cool completely usually make between 1,000 and 1,200 before they go south and that takes the better part of a decade to get to.
With the substantial increase in powder volume the 6.5-300 has over the 264win you could probably toast a barrel in 300 rounds pretty easy, if you wanted to. Treat it well and practice with another gun and it will last in terms of decades. You don't buy a Ferrari to park it and look at it.
I use 1MOA as my standard of acceptable accuracy, when the rifle won't deliver that any longer it's time for the next barrel to go on. There has been barrels that I drove very hard, shooting five shot strings with as little time between shots as I could possibly have, and expect to hit my target. Most of those barrels fell below 1MOA between 400 and 500 rounds, one factory barrel only made 300, barely.
The barrels that I NEVER shoot more than twice and then allow them to cool completely usually make between 1,000 and 1,200 before they go south and that takes the better part of a decade to get to.
With the substantial increase in powder volume the 6.5-300 has over the 264win you could probably toast a barrel in 300 rounds pretty easy, if you wanted to. Treat it well and practice with another gun and it will last in terms of decades. You don't buy a Ferrari to park it and look at it.
SealT5
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- Jan 11, 2016
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It's a barrel burner for sure. I would not shoot it more than necessary and I would not expect more that 500rds. Any thing over that is just a bonus. As far as accuracy I personally expect .2-.3" and consider .5" the near end of a barrels accuracy life.
Joe S
Joe S
Andrew Massi
Well-Known Member
1k has been my lowest and 1300 highest. I'm on my 4th barrel, 3rd saami chamber the first was still a wildcat and I ran it hard and it showed. The gunsmith who unscrewed my first barrel gave me $50 for it and said there was still life in it. It was a nice kreiger so he may have rebored it
For what its worth- I don't obsessively clean and break in barrels and they seem to last longer. Also dont spend any trigger time or barrel life fouling barrels. I have 2 powders and 2 bullets I use in the 6.5-300 so that saves barrel life.
My current 7 twist shoots 140-143 great but I'm going to order some hammers to bump up my lead free bc. If I lived and consistently hunted in a state where lead was ok this cartridge absolutely shines with 156 eol
I shoot these rifles every couple weeks clanging steel and rocks so I'm due for new tubes every other year it seems. It is getting old buring up that much powder though and the cost of lead free boolits has me ready to retire the old fire breather
For what its worth- I don't obsessively clean and break in barrels and they seem to last longer. Also dont spend any trigger time or barrel life fouling barrels. I have 2 powders and 2 bullets I use in the 6.5-300 so that saves barrel life.
My current 7 twist shoots 140-143 great but I'm going to order some hammers to bump up my lead free bc. If I lived and consistently hunted in a state where lead was ok this cartridge absolutely shines with 156 eol
I shoot these rifles every couple weeks clanging steel and rocks so I'm due for new tubes every other year it seems. It is getting old buring up that much powder though and the cost of lead free boolits has me ready to retire the old fire breather
Buster Hemlock
Well-Known Member
This is a cool article and the excel spreadsheet that can be downloaded onto a computer is worth a look and may give you some further insight.
https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/excel-formula-predicts-useful-barrel-life/
How you treat it will make a big difference, I saw a 28 Nosler shot out by a guy in a single range day and 100 rounds because he just kept slinging them as fast as he could. After borescoping his barrel the firecracking in what used to be the throat was like nothing I've ever seen before even in barrels from other overbore cartridges with considerable mileage.
https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/excel-formula-predicts-useful-barrel-life/
How you treat it will make a big difference, I saw a 28 Nosler shot out by a guy in a single range day and 100 rounds because he just kept slinging them as fast as he could. After borescoping his barrel the firecracking in what used to be the throat was like nothing I've ever seen before even in barrels from other overbore cartridges with considerable mileage.
