“My rifle shoots .2s and .3s” ... huh?

[Capt RB]

Got to be the easiest to load and the longest barrel life

I don't have any 6br experience but I would say that would be the only thing I know of to compare to and idk if it lasts like a 308

 

[Capt RB]

Got a new .308 in November loaded up a few different loads and the second one turned out like thisView attachment 168342

That's a keeper

 

[sturner]

I don't have any 6br experience but I would say that would be the only thing I know of to compare to and idk if it lasts like a 308

I know of two barrels with over 4000 through them

 

[sturner]

That's a keeper

Yes sir

 

[Bart B]

I don't have any 6br experience but I would say that would be the only thing I know of to compare to and idk if it lasts like a 308

A study on barrel life was done some years ago. Based on Sierra Bullets test barrel lives and those of top ranked competitive shooter's barrels, if max powder charge in grains was the same number of square millimeters of bore cross section area, barrel life was 3000 to 3500 rounds. Starting at 1/4 MOA average to 3/8 MOA average at 100 yards

Cartridges burning 41% more powder got 1500 to 1700 round barrel lives. 100% more powder got 750. to 850.

Hunting rifles get by with twice those numbers. Military service rifle barrels, 4 to 5 times those numbers.

 

[Mram10us]

A study on barrel life was done some years ago. Based on Sierra Bullets test barrel lives and those of top ranked competitive shooter's barrels, if max powder charge in grains was the same number of square millimeters of bore cross section area, barrel life was 3000 to 3500 rounds. Starting at 1/4 MOA average to 3/8 MOA average at 100 yards

Cartridges burning 41% more powder got 1500 to 1700 round barrel lives. 100% more powder got 750. to 850.

Hunting rifles get by with twice those numbers. Military service rifle barrels, 4 to 5 times those numbers.

I'm surprised the loss of barrel life isn't more pronounced. Lockheed and Boeing did erosion testing on the turbines of airplane engines. When temps were increased from 880c to 972c, the life decreased by over half.

 

[Capt RB]

A study on barrel life was done some years ago. Based on Sierra Bullets test barrel lives and those of top ranked competitive shooter's barrels, if max powder charge in grains was the same number of square millimeters of bore cross section area, barrel life was 3000 to 3500 rounds. Starting at 1/4 MOA average to 3/8 MOA average at 100 yards

Cartridges burning 41% more powder got 1500 to 1700 round barrel lives. 100% more powder got 750. to 850.

Hunting rifles get by with twice those numbers. Military service rifle barrels, 4 to 5 times those numbers.

I've read that bullet coatings can also change that dynamic as well. Lapua compared I want to say their moly coated to plain in 6.5x47 and it was near twice as many shots in the vicinity of 10k. I have been shooting mostly 41.5~43.6 grains of powder in the 308. My tune is 42.7 to 43.5 with Rl15 Lapua brass and 168serrias warmer weather 210ms and br2's in cold weather. I did load 46.2 of cfe 223 for a particular 150grn bullet with great speed but I have switched to Rl15 and that is a lower charge under 46 grains.
Thanks for the info. Also I hope you back up your 600yd target at some point to prove it can be done again. That was beyond amazing to me!!

 

[J E Custom]

Varmint Hunter: It won't be two hours before someone responding to your photo says "You shot that group by accident." Or, "Pure Luck"

I'm still waiting for someone to show proof that you can shoot a group like that "by accident". That I'd like to see. But I notice no one is posting any examples of tiny groups they achieved by luck or accident. That's because when they shoot a good group it is a combination of rifle/ammo/skill. But when someone else shoots a better group it is "luck" or "accident".

I don't consider a good group luck or an accident , just a good day with a good rifle. There are good days and bad days that a shooter will experience and when it's a bad day, the shooter has to/should recognize it happens and just stop blaming it on the rifle or the ammo if both have proven themselves.

As stated in earlier post, I prefer to test the rifles accuracy first, and then hope my ability will not hurt the accuracy to much when in the field.

I went back and found some of my targets that I shot off of a lead sled and some off sand bags. There was a improvement in the accuracy with the lead sled, but not much. I also shoot different shot number groups depending on the rifle/pistols use. 3 shots for most hunting rifles for 500 yards and down at least 5 shot groups for long range hunting and 10 for match/competition rifles/pistols, I also test accuracy at different distances depending on use and the rifles potential. At more than 100 yards there is to much shooter error involved and I only test the rifle/pistol for real world accuracy and use. At 100 yards there is very little shooter error and shooting of a consistent platform tells me what the weapon is capable of which is the reason I chose to test this way, and work on my skills with a good shooting weapon.

Most rifle barrels will foul bad enough to alter the results after 8 to 10 shots, so I have found that more than 10 shots proves nothing except what it will do fouled.

Here are a few of my test targets that end up in my re loading book for reference and all of these targets are shot buy a hunting rifle/pistol. they are not great but I was happy with most of them.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

I don't consider a good group luck or an accident , just a good day with a good rifle. There are good days and bad days that a shooter will experience and when it's a bad day, the shooter has to/should recognize it happens and just stop blaming it on the rifle or the ammo if both have proven themselves.

As stated in earlier post, I prefer to test the rifles accuracy first, and then hope my ability will not hurt the accuracy to much when in the field.

First of all Nice groups, agree with this post. People don't have to prove anything to anybody, you know what you and your rifle are capable of. My avatar is one of many targets shot with my varmint rifle, I know what it can do in calm conditions, me.... I have times I'm on and times I'm not. Gun still shoots good just not great that's all. Have been in a few shooting contest's local where you show up and see what happens. Doping wind, compensating for various distances are all shooting skills, I don't claim them. I shoot under ideal conditions and find out what my gun is capable of. Oh yeah, in shooting contests watch out for the quiet ones with guns that don't look capable, they usually are That .151 group was right after a .172 group and finished with a .216 group. Thats why I say my gun shoots in the 1's and 2's. Dave

 

[J E Custom]

First of all Nice groups, agree with this post. People don't have to prove anything to anybody, you know what you and your rifle are capable of. My avatar is one of many targets shot with my varmint rifle, I know what it can do in calm conditions, me.... I have times I'm on and times I'm not. Gun still shoots good just not great that's all. Have been in a few shooting contest's local where you show up and see what happens. Doping wind, compensating for various distances are all shooting skills, I don't claim them. I shoot under ideal conditions and find out what my gun is capable of. Oh yeah, in shooting contests watch out for the quiet ones with guns that don't look capable, they usually are That .151 group was right after a .172 group and finished with a .216 group. Thats why I say my gun shoots in the 1's and 2's. Dave

Thanks Dave. These are not bragging right groups, just proof that with attention to detail it is possible. I will find more if people don't believe that a hunting rifle or a pistol cant shoot groups in the ones and two's. I am very happy if I can get them below .100 thousandths off a good rest. I am also very happy when I get within 1/4" of where I was aiming at game.

I have found that It is possible for most to get 1 MOA groups, it gets difficult to get 1/2 MOA. then it gets almost 4 times harder to shoot 1/4 MOA groups., and the amount of effort to shoot below .100 thousandths groups will rule many people out because of the work and time involved that they don't consider worth the effort.

As a builder, I consider it a challenge, and don't mind doing anything that will improve a rifles accuracy by a few thousandths. It is also part of the learning process. If you become satisfied, you stop learning.

You get out what you put in.

J E CUSTOM

 

[J E Custom]

A study on barrel life was done some years ago. Based on Sierra Bullets test barrel lives and those of top ranked competitive shooter's barrels, if max powder charge in grains was the same number of square millimeters of bore cross section area, barrel life was 3000 to 3500 rounds. Starting at 1/4 MOA average to 3/8 MOA average at 100 yards

Cartridges burning 41% more powder got 1500 to 1700 round barrel lives. 100% more powder got 750. to 850.

Hunting rifles get by with twice those numbers. Military service rifle barrels, 4 to 5 times those numbers.

Unfortunately, different barrels wear out differently for many reasons and mostly it is in the hands of the shooter and the cartridge requirements how long they last. I don't believe that their is a golden rule of barrel life because of the many variables.

I might have one of the widest range of barrel life experiences because of the multitude of uses and cartridges I have used. The fastest i ever shot out a barrel was less than 300 rounds and the longest is still in my gun safe with over 23,000 rounds down the tube. With Iron sites, it will still consistently shoot 1/2 MOA groups. It is a match rifle and has been taken very good care of and not abused by velocity and pressure.

Many times the barrel is still very good and only needs a chamber set back to refresh the throat to save it and add many more rounds to the count.

J E CUSTOM

 

[new2mud]

Many times the barrel is still very good and only needs a chamber set back to refresh the throat to save it and add many more rounds to the count.

J E CUSTOM

What is a ballpark figure of what a chamber setback costs? I've never had one done to a barrel before.

 

[Jon Bischof]

Thanks so much, JE Custom for posting these groups. Groups like yours come as close as humanly possible to showing the real potential of the gun/ammo capability. It is also true that test groups like this are difficult to achieve due to the bad days exceeding the good days for most shooters. You are better than most shooters. And it is precisely because of that, there will always be a percentage of disgruntled folks who mutter "pure luck" under their breath every time they see such a group. It just chaps their hide to see that anyone can outshoot them so thoroughly.

Speaking of good and bad days, yesterday I shot the same rifle/ammo that shot the 0.212 MOA last week. It measured about 2.5" @ 200 Yards. It was the last group I shot with that rifle for the day because I was finished marksmanship-wise. I had to shoot my carry pistol after I put my rifle away just to get the bad taste out of my mouth!

I don't consider a good group luck or an accident , just a good day with a good rifle. There are good days and bad days that a shooter will experience and when it's a bad day, the shooter has to/should recognize it happens and just stop blaming it on the rifle or the ammo if both have proven themselves.

As stated in earlier post, I prefer to test the rifles accuracy first, and then hope my ability will not hurt the accuracy to much when in the field.

I went back and found some of my targets that I shot off of a lead sled and some off sand bags. There was a difference in the accuracy but not much. I also shoot different shot number groups depending on the rifle/pistols use. # shots for most hunting rifles for 500 yards and down at least 5 shot groups for long range hunting and 10 for match/competition rifles/pistols, I also test accuracy at different distances depending on use and the rifles potential. At more than 100 yards there is to much shooter error involved and I only test the rifle/pistol for real world accuracy and use. At 100 yards there is very little shooter error and shooting of a consistent platform tells me what the weapon is capable of which is the reason I chose to test this way, and work on my skills with a good shooting weapon.

Here is a few of my test targets that end up in my re loading book for reference and all of these targets are shot buy a hunting rifle/pistol. they are not great but I was happy with most of them.

 

[Arapaho]

Depends on the type of rifle and distance. And yes you are right about consistent ability to shoot in the .2s at even 100 yards, but I have one rifle (6.5 X47) that has about 300 rounds through it and it has never shot a three shot group greater than in the 4s...so it is possible.

I love my 6.5x47 as well. Usually shoots tiny groups too. I only have 107 rounds through it with the 140 Berger hybrid. One group on the last outing looked like a 45 caliber hole with five shots. I stopped shooting after that group in fear I would mess it up with a flyer lol.