243 barrel life

['Freak]

Knew I’d read it more than few where folk were claiming one advantage of the .243 Winchester Ackley Improved over the parent is a slight improvement in barrel longevity, then earlier today I happened across this. Bob Blaine of Sinclair International in the Cartridge Guide covering both the .243 Winchester and AI versions writes in part, “…. more velocity with the improved .243, I’ve also found that the improved version gives a bit more throat life than the parent case does.”
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/243win/

Must have been elsewhere where it was theorized that the parent’s shallow shoulder angle combined with the such a short neck provided the flame a near direct blast at the leade area while the Ackley’s 40° shoulder somewhat deflected the blast enough so to somewhat slow the erosion.

Lighter projectile and charge weights, slower burning powders, greater intervals between shots, and good maintenance habits can aid longevity in an overbore, somewhat.

 

[jsthntn247]

Knew I’d read it more than few where folk were claiming one advantage of the .243 Winchester Ackley Improved over the parent is a slight improvement in barrel longevity, then earlier today I happened across this. Bob Blaine of Sinclair International in the Cartridge Guide covering both the .243 Winchester and AI versions writes in part, “…. more velocity with the improved .243, I’ve also found that the improved version gives a bit more throat life than the parent case does.”
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/243win/

Must have been elsewhere where it was theorized that the parent’s shallow shoulder angle combined with the such a short neck provided the flame a near direct blast at the leade area while the Ackley’s 40° shoulder somewhat deflected the blast enough so to somewhat slow the erosion.

Lighter projectile and charge weights, slower burning powders, greater intervals between shots, and good maintenance habits can aid longevity in an overbore, somewhat.

The biggest benefit of the AI in a 243 is that you can use H-1000 which extends barrel life tremendously.

 

[65BR]

Running factory OEM barrels in a 243 is more cost effective than a Custom.

Burn one out, sell/trade, get another

Want a special twist, chamber, cartridge, etc? Costs increase

 

[T 700]

only problem with H-1000 is you can't stuff enough powder in the case to get the benefit of the AI case.

 

[Heman]

Running 45gr N160 Molly coated with 105 Hyrbids for LR, 105 Noslers for MR I have 1700+ and it is still shooting X's. Barrel is a 32" Kreiger .237 5 groove. Throat is not that rough either.

 

[Scott Harris]

Anyone with real life experience shooting f class 243? No hypotheticals.

1500-2000 rounds

 

[comagutsa]

my 243 barrel only lasted 1000 rounds before it wasn't any good for target (but it was a tight barrel), opened up to .7inch at 100m was doing .2 (still good for hunting thou) , hence why i switch to 6BR, getting the same speed out of the 6BR as i was out of my 243 , 2940fps using 105gr vlds and my barrel will last 3 times as long and i use less powder , 30.6gr of 2208 (varget) vs 40.3gr of 2213sc (H4831) in the 243

 

[243winxb]

Maybe avoid powders that contain Nitroglycerine? http://www.hodgdon.com/msds.html

 

[Rustystud]

Two trains of thought , one balls to the wall 105-108s 3150 fps., barrel life is 1000- 1500 rounds, two keep your loads at 3000-3050 fps., barrel life 1600-2300 rounds if your lucky. No 20-25 round strings of fire.

Heat and pressure are not your friend. Slow powders long barrels extend barrel life.

If you want a better mouse trap in 6mm look at the 6mmBRX or 6mm Dasher. 10-17 grains less powder and twice the barrel life. Just as good or better performance.

Nat Lambeth

 

[tombox1971]

Anyone with real life experience shooting f class 243? No hypotheticals.

I shoot .243 win. In f class.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I shoot .243 and 6mm Competition Match. Both have had diets of H1000 and
IMR 7828SSC. The .243 is going on pdog trip next month with 1800 rounds down the barrel. Accuracy is still good and the throat and bore are still in pretty decent condition. Slow burning powders certainly help on extending barrel life, but eventually you end up at the same place.

 

[SKWERLZ]

Try N165 in 243.
It’s a cool burning powder with an excellent burn rate for 243.
Not a hot rod powder but should give long lasting accuracy.

 

[Gb300wm]

This is a great reference

 

[Heman]

1500-2000 rounds

Well pulled a barrel off two years ago at 2662 rounds had just shot a 199-12X at 1000yd on with iron sights 596 for the day. Wasn't shot out yet but knew it was close. Its all about the powder you are using. Two barrels both north of 2600 with N160. IMR4350 you won't get that.

 

[Spoonbill]

I shoot .243 win. In f class.

I do too

 

[searcher]

I ran a 243AI for 600yd benchrest a few years ago and put around 1000 rounds down it before I went to a smaller round. I bore scoped it ad it still looked great and was a very accurate barrel. I put it to good use on a varmint rifle. How hot you get the barrel and fire more rounds down it, directly affect erosion. A cutting torch works on the same principle. You heat metal up until it is hot enough for the cutting gas(oxygen) to blow(cut) the metal. The hotter you get the barrel the closer you get to the point were the surface will become damaged by the powder gas/blast.
I still believe the 243 and 243AI used to get a bad rap because of rifles hot-rodded with lighter bullets. Not because they were lighter bullets, but because with lighter bullets, you can really pack the powder in and pour the coals to each round. Then the rifle is put to use chasing varmints and a long hot string does its damage. The heavier bullet being easier on barrels concept holds ground not because the bullets are heavier or slower, but because the amount of powder gas is significantly lower. Equals less barrel heat.

Seems the question might be whether the use of light bullets and a higher powder charge is worse than the additional friction encountered when using longer bullets and the longer flame dwell time in the throat. I lay awake at night wondering about these things....

 

[searcher]

Two trains of thought , one balls to the wall 105-108s 3150 fps., barrel life is 1000- 1500 rounds, two keep your loads at 3000-3050 fps., barrel life 1600-2300 rounds if your lucky. No 20-25 round strings of fire.

Heat and pressure are not your friend. Slow powders long barrels extend barrel life.

If you want a better mouse trap in 6mm look at the 6mmBRX or 6mm Dasher. 10-17 grains less powder and twice the barrel life. Just as good or better performance.

Nat Lambeth

True words, right there.

 

[wkdickinson]

Mine went about 1,200 rounds with 105 Hybrids and was toast. I have 1,000 on my replacement Dasher barrel, with no fire cracking at all in the throat and it shoots!

 

[Zero333]

I found my one 243win rifle was on it's last legs shooting 105hybs and 107 smk's.
Then I tried the same load with 105 Hornady BTHP and it started shooting as good as almost new again.

Kind of got me stumped.

My last 243win barrel on this rifle was just about toast, so I shot some older factory hunting ammo and got this group...

 

[Raptor]

I found my one 243win rifle was on it's last legs shooting 105hybs and 107 smk's.
Then I tried the same load with 105 Hornady BTHP and it started shooting as good as almost new again.

Kind of got me stumped.

My last 243win barrel on this rifle was just about toast, so I shot some older factory hunting ammo and got this group...

View attachment 1467863

View attachment 1467864

Maybe a fluke group, shoot a couple more 5 shot groups and see what it does for 3 or 4 groups...