Worn out barrels???

[HNDLDR]

I've got a Ruger #1 with a 25 WSM barrel on it. The throat area is rough feeling when I push patches through it. Groups are starting to open up. What is the consensus on worn out barrels? Can they be lapped to get some of the accuracy back? Has anyone switched loads and found accuracy again? I have an old Ruger 77 Mark II in 7mm mag that has never shot sub MOA. As close as I can tell about .250" of the rifling is eroded away. A couple years ago I fed it Nosler 160GR Accubonds over IMR 7828 in Nosler Brass. I started getting .75" three shot groups at 100 yards. The rifle never shot this good when it was new. What are everyone's thoughts and experiences with worn barrels?

 

[c_bass16]

You're not going to lap it any better than the bullets have already done.

.25" of erosion isn't life threatening. my .243WSSM had about 6" of fire cracks and 1" of erosion and still shot .75 MOA.

A lot of times, with erosion, you need to "chase" the lands by seating your bullets farther out so that essentially, they are back to a consistent jump distence. Of course, your powder charge would need to be tweaked as well, since seating the bullet out will reduce the internal pressure.

 

[HNDLDR]

The old 7mm does take a significant amount more powder to get to a top velocity then is normal. Apparently it's just taken me 12 years or so and most of the barrel life to find the rifles pet load.