The cost of shooting just in ammo/components

[FrankG]

So this is a good one... Just recently got an accuracy test barrel back from a ammo maker. 308win is the caliber. When ever they retire one as ours as they typically go a long time barrel life wise. I get it back and we look at it.

So the accuracy test barrel I got back was officially retired when it hit 27,160 rounds fired thru it. That's not a typo! Not 2k rounds but yest 27k rounds fired thru it!

The barrel was testing five different types of ammo/bullets. Barrel is a 1-12 twist 308win.

At 26,550 rounds the barrel was still shooting groups at from .4 to .5moa at 200 yards and it was getting a 150 rounds a day fired thru it. 10 shot groups by the way.

So while we where looking at it the thought went into our heads. How much powder got burned thru this barrel?

It got roughly a 154# of powder fired thru the barrel.

At a cost of lets say current retail of $70 per pound of powder... that equals $10,800!

27+ boxes of 1k count primers at $85 per 1k that equals $2,295!

270 boxes of bullets (100 count boxes) at a rough retail price of $50 per box that equals $13,500 in bullets!

That total dollar wise comes to $26,959 if you had brass to start with and used your reloaded brass every single time.

If you had to buy brass and only shoot the brass one time.... that would be about $16,740 for brass. That would give you a grand total of $43,335!

Just food for thought.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[CJ6]

First off.....27k is impressive to still be. 4-.5 moa at 200 yds.
Second.....Don't say this so loud, my wife may read this.

 

[V509]

A dollar a round sounds expensive for handloads

As you can tell I have not bought components in awhile

 

[1911nut]

So what did the bore look like and can I get one of those accuracy test barrels that shoots 27,000 rounds?

 

[FrankG]

A dollar a round sounds expensive for handloads

As you can tell I have not bought components in awhile

That's about reality right now.

And I don't see powder prices coming down but in fact going up still.

 

[wright brothers]

We need barrel cleaning stat$.

 

[FrankG]

So what did the bore look like and can I get one of those accuracy test barrels that shoots 27,000 rounds?

Same type of barrel we make you or anyone else.

So I have in my possession 5 barrels or so from them and in a random order for round count... 27k+, 13K, 12K, 22k, 14k+, 19k.

The 14,560 round barrel I had it wire cut in half by EDM. I use this barrel when I teach classes. I didn't clean it at all. I also have brand new barrels we cut in half. So people can see what the difference is between new and used.

The barrel again wasn't anything done differently to it vs what we make anyone else. It comes down to cleaning, what your shooting what your accuracy req. is etc.., tuning etc...

On avg our 308w test barrels at two different places they are getting 10k or more. One place due to gov't requirements they told me our consistently go past 10k but they drew the line in the sand to replace them mandatory at 10k.

Now make that barrel in 300WM and your not even going to be in the ballpark of that number.

 

[mdram]

The 14,560 round barrel I had it wire cut in half by EDM. I use this barrel when I teach classes. I didn't clean it at all. I also have brand new barrels we cut in half. So people can see what the difference is between new and used.

oh, we need pics

 

[Bc'z]

First off.....27k is impressive to still be. 4-.5 moa at 200 yds.
Second.....Don't say this so loud, my wife may read this.

I'm actually thinking my wife needs to see this, as I just got cut off at the knees for trading for components. Lol

@FrankG impressive round counts!!!
Are these results from the older barrel steel or the newer stuff, or a blend of both?

 

[Fast14riot]

I'd be interested in the rough rate of fire for the test barrels. Do they monitor barrel heat during accuracy testing?

 

[Tangent]

A dollar a round sounds expensive for handloads

As you can tell I have not bought components in awhile

I wish I was only paying $1 per round. This side of the pond we pay significantly more for everything shooting related. As soon as my numbers come up I'm moving to the land of the free! Well maybe not "free", but less expensive

 

[Fuj]

That's about reality right now.

And I don't see powder prices coming down but in fact going up still.

8 lbs of H-4350 to my door with Haz, tax, and shipping is now $535.
Needless to say, no thank you. I have enough components on hand
to shoot another year, and I will probably hang it up. It's a shame
since barrel makers will be feeling the pain if not already......

 

[InnaWoods86]

Same type of barrel we make you or anyone else.

So I have in my possession 5 barrels or so from them and in a random order for round count... 27k+, 13K, 12K, 22k, 14k+, 19k.

The 14,560 round barrel I had it wire cut in half by EDM. I use this barrel when I teach classes. I didn't clean it at all. I also have brand new barrels we cut in half. So people can see what the difference is between new and used.

The barrel again wasn't anything done differently to it vs what we make anyone else. It comes down to cleaning, what your shooting what your accuracy req. is etc.., tuning etc...

On avg our 308w test barrels at two different places they are getting 10k or more. One place due to gov't requirements they told me our consistently go past 10k but they drew the line in the sand to replace them mandatory at 10k.

Now make that barrel in 300WM and your not even going to be in the ballpark of that number.

Can we see pics?
How far down the pipe was the throat erosion? Guess it doesn't matter if the barrel was maintaining half moa at 200yd

 

[linebaugh]

I'd be interested in theories as to how they got that round count with accuracy especially given a 10 shot group per testing. I know 308 would last longer but that is much longer than I would ever guess.

Thanks for sharing. Neat.

 

[jxb]

@FrankG now add in the man-hours on that barrel, both your side and theirs. I can only imagine their shop rate, but really just the man-hours involved will give folks an idea of the cost of physically testing a barrel, not to mention any fees or shop rate overhead on top of that. Usually man-hours are the most costly part of goods so imagine it's a staggering number at most any wage.

 

[FrankG]

I'd be interested in theories as to how they got that round count with accuracy especially given a 10 shot group per testing. I know 308 would last longer but that is much longer than I would ever guess.

Thanks for sharing. Neat.

All documented rounds.

At 26,550 rounds he gave me the accuracy for each group fired and that was for a total of 15 groups/150 rounds and with that being said... those 150 rounds got fired in 21 hours.

Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason a barrel goes like this. It is totally out of what we would even come close to considering normal.

 

[FrankG]

@FrankG now add in the man-hours on that barrel, both your side and theirs. I can only imagine their shop rate, but really just the man-hours involved will give folks an idea of the cost of physically testing a barrel, not to mention any fees or shop rate overhead on top of that. Usually man-hours are the most costly part of goods so imagine it's a staggering number at most any wage.

Yep!

That's not figuring in cleaning time, shooting, loading etc...

The barrel was in service for 16 months of use along with usually one or two other barrels in the same caliber. They're not using just one at a time.

One ammo maker I know in a given caliber (I withhold the caliber/chamber).... they have 6 or 7 in use/on guns at a given time.

 

[urbanrifleman]

The Schneider test barrel that won Schneider that big 308 contract with the Marines? (I think---maybe the army) went something like 50k and still shot MOA.

I may be off on the details, but it was something like that.

 

[FrankG]

Can we see pics?
How far down the pipe was the throat erosion? Guess it doesn't matter if the barrel was maintaining half moa at 200yd

I don't have a pic of the throat area of the barrel but I did measure it using the bore scope. From the case mouth until I see a decent / defined land (rifling) I say 5" of it was gone/eroded away. Not making that up.

Here is a pic of a 308w barrel from the same place doing testing that went 14,560 rounds. I had it wire edm cut in half. About 1.5" of the rifling is gone in front of the chamber.

 

[ebb]

What is your best guess as to why? Work hardened? slightly different alloy? light bullets? powder? When I built a 7RUM I decided it may be rough on barrels, so i bought 2 at the same time. Col Billy has chambered both and I have the spare in the safe. Glad to hear I will never have to use the 2nd.