243 barrel life
- Thread starter Hoosier
- Start date
Keith Glasscock
Gold $$ Contributor
I doubt it . We've been running 75 Vmaxes through a 243 and the barrel (chrome-moly) is in amazing shape at 1000 rounds (I borescoped it a few weeks ago). This is a hunting rifle, so no rapid, repeated shots.
On the other hand, we aren't running it hard at all - Varget and ~3100 fps.
On the other hand, we aren't running it hard at all - Varget and ~3100 fps.
I use moly in all my varmint loads but that is for extending cleaning cycles so you do more shooting than cleaning. I use stick on temperature guages from McMaster Carr right above the chamber and watch them close-especially one day when I was shooting dogs and it was 117 degrees out. Years ago I asked Sierra bullets about barrell life and they told me heat is what makes your barrel life short.
A number of things affect barrel life, generally I believe running higher weight bullets with maxed out powder loads tends to shorten it. My first barrel (9.125 twist factory) started going off after 2500 rounds, I switched to using lubricated bullets & have tried moly,WS2, and hBN. I currently prefer hBN because it is not as messy and that 2nd barrel (Lilja 12 twist) has over 4000 rounds through it.
There are several articles on the main website:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/?s=barrel+life&submit=Search
There are several articles on the main website:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/?s=barrel+life&submit=Search
The nose/ogive of the bullet must seal the bore before the base of the bullet leaves the case mouth for longer barrel life. My 1976 Rem. 40X in 243 still shoots well using IMR4350 over many years. The throat has moved forward a lot. Sizing 1/2 of the neck with a bushing die, seems to center the round in the chamber.
Anyone with real life experience shooting f class 243? No hypotheticals.
i ran 105gr berger vlds out of my 243 and it was stuffed after 1000 rounds with 40.3gr of 2213sc powder (same burn rate as H4831) at about 2900fps, but its still alright for hunting barrel
i have since swapped to 6BR for better barrel life and am running the 105gr berger vlds out of it with only 29.5gr of reloader 15 and only about 100 to 50 fps slower than the 243 and am expecting 2 to 3 time better barrel life
the 243 barrel is now my hunting barrel
i have since swapped to 6BR for better barrel life and am running the 105gr berger vlds out of it with only 29.5gr of reloader 15 and only about 100 to 50 fps slower than the 243 and am expecting 2 to 3 time better barrel life
the 243 barrel is now my hunting barrel
Joe R was kind enough to attach a note that had some interesting information on barrel life. My original question was meant to identify some of the possible solutions to enhance barrel life/accuracy in 243 Winchester. Many of the friends I shoot with have experienced barrels not lasting very long. A couple as short as 800 rds.
I would like to thank everyone.
Hoosier
I would like to thank everyone.
Hoosier
I use Tungsten Disulfide (WS2 or Danzac) on all my bullets, 17cal, .22cal and 6mm. Any kind of lubrication is better than no lube. It can only help to coat barrels for a longer life. Plus I get a little bit more velocity with a WS2 lubed bullet before pressure signs appear.
Currently shooting Rem 700 .243 varmint barrel with a Hornady 87gr V-max bullet. Have about 100 rds fired. Will keep an eye on barrel erosion in front of chamber.
Currently shooting Rem 700 .243 varmint barrel with a Hornady 87gr V-max bullet. Have about 100 rds fired. Will keep an eye on barrel erosion in front of chamber.
I have a 243SLR which is the same as a 243 only with a 30 degree shoulder and a little longer neck. I have 2300rds through my barrel shooting 107s and 105s. It's a 1-8 twist and I have used H4350 for the first half life of the barrel. I did have it set back at 1800rds then switched to H1000. By the way it also shoots 115 DTACs very well. I have shot it a couple of times in comps so its gotten pretty hot a time or two.
Randfal
Silver $$ Contributor
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.
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.
A 243 with heavy bullets is a little over bore. Lite bullet the over bore gets greater. Over bore is the problem of barrel wear. As far as molly goes I don't think it will help much. You have to put more powder in the case to get the same speed. Slow burning powder doesn't make the chamber as hot in a short area. Larry
Hoosier,
Two quick points here; #1 is that no, moly doesn't extend barrel life. Friction, which is to some extent allieviated by the use of moly, isn't what washes out barrels. It's high temperatures and pressure that erodes the throat, and causes the loss of accuracy. Moly doesn't do anything to change that part of the equation, so you're back to square one. And #2, twist doesn't directly play a role in barrel wear, but it's easy to see where that assumption could be made. Generally, fast twist barrles wash out faster than slow twist barrels, but it's not the twist rate that creates the differences; it's the bullet weight. Fast twist barrels are generally chosen when the shooter wants to use the rifle with heavier bullets for a given caliber, and slower twists limit the shooter to the use of relatively light bullets. It's the bullet weight that creates the problem here, and it's all about inertia. Simply put, it takes a bit longer to get that long, heavy bullet moving down the bore than it does a short, lightweight projectile in the same bore size. That extra time is what allows the heat and pressure to play havoc in the throat area, beofe things start to move on down the bore. A quick peek in any high mileage barrel will show you the same thing; an area just ahead of the chamber that is cracked, pitted and fissured, and the remainder of the barrel appearing to be nearly pristine.
I've repeated this in literally hundreds of barrels in at least a dozen different calibers, and thre trend is exactly the same in all of them. Light bullets, longer bore life, heavier bullets, shorter barrel life. That's the cost of doing business if you need the higher BC and SD provided by those heavyweights.
Two quick points here; #1 is that no, moly doesn't extend barrel life. Friction, which is to some extent allieviated by the use of moly, isn't what washes out barrels. It's high temperatures and pressure that erodes the throat, and causes the loss of accuracy. Moly doesn't do anything to change that part of the equation, so you're back to square one. And #2, twist doesn't directly play a role in barrel wear, but it's easy to see where that assumption could be made. Generally, fast twist barrles wash out faster than slow twist barrels, but it's not the twist rate that creates the differences; it's the bullet weight. Fast twist barrels are generally chosen when the shooter wants to use the rifle with heavier bullets for a given caliber, and slower twists limit the shooter to the use of relatively light bullets. It's the bullet weight that creates the problem here, and it's all about inertia. Simply put, it takes a bit longer to get that long, heavy bullet moving down the bore than it does a short, lightweight projectile in the same bore size. That extra time is what allows the heat and pressure to play havoc in the throat area, beofe things start to move on down the bore. A quick peek in any high mileage barrel will show you the same thing; an area just ahead of the chamber that is cracked, pitted and fissured, and the remainder of the barrel appearing to be nearly pristine.
I've repeated this in literally hundreds of barrels in at least a dozen different calibers, and thre trend is exactly the same in all of them. Light bullets, longer bore life, heavier bullets, shorter barrel life. That's the cost of doing business if you need the higher BC and SD provided by those heavyweights.
OK... heat and pressure will wear out a barrel. Got that.
During a match last year (during the summer), (600yd) I saw one contestant use a blower, attached to a coil of tubing running through a bath of ice water, the other end was inserted into the chamber during breaks between relays and sighter periods, so it would blow cool air through the barrel.
I know from personal experience during the HG relay my barrel does get really hot!!!.
Anyone have experience doing this and does it help keep the barrel cooler and cut down the wear?
During a match last year (during the summer), (600yd) I saw one contestant use a blower, attached to a coil of tubing running through a bath of ice water, the other end was inserted into the chamber during breaks between relays and sighter periods, so it would blow cool air through the barrel.
I know from personal experience during the HG relay my barrel does get really hot!!!.
Anyone have experience doing this and does it help keep the barrel cooler and cut down the wear?
slm9s
Gold $$ Contributor
A few years ago I acquired a browning BAR in 338win mag a couple weeks before elk season. I knew I'd only get a couple one hour range sessions after work to work up a load.
I took my camping air mattress air pump and 1.5 feet of surgical tubing and hooked up it to the muzzle between groups. So, it was basically blowing ~ 50 degree air down the bore. I got some strange looks at the range, but it absolutelly worked. Of course in western washington in October it worked better than it theoretically would in Arizona in July. 8)
I took my camping air mattress air pump and 1.5 feet of surgical tubing and hooked up it to the muzzle between groups. So, it was basically blowing ~ 50 degree air down the bore. I got some strange looks at the range, but it absolutelly worked. Of course in western washington in October it worked better than it theoretically would in Arizona in July. 8)
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