308 barrel life accuracy

[rmist]

Just a general question...if shooting the 185gr Jugg bullets in the 2675-2750 fps range what do you believe the accuracy round count life span of the barrel is likely to be ? How many have already worn out a 308 barrel with these bullets and what was the round count when accuracy dropped off?
Thanks again

 

[Scott Harris]

Just a general question...if shooting the 185gr Jugg bullets in the 2675-2750 fps range what do you believe the accuracy round count life span of the barrel is likely to be ? How many have already worn out a 308 barrel with these bullets and what was the round count when accuracy dropped off?
Thanks again

We have shot our best scores with close to 3K rounds on several barrels. I don't care to find out when they will start shooting poorly and spin the barrel off at 3K.

 

[SWRichmond]

Not a simple answer. First barrel, maintaining jump by seating incrementally longer and thus following throat erosion. This worked out to 1800 rounds, then groups went to 1.5 MOA plus. Re-performed seating depth experiment, wound up seating against for the next 800 rounds. When that stopped working, replaced the barrel rather than expend more bullets trying to figure it out again.

Current barrel, now at 2450 rounds, half 185's and half 200's, driving me crazy right now, still works OK with 185's. Won't shoot 200's...at all. The question to me becomes one of confidence in the rifle while on the line shooting for score. Lose confidence = new barrel. I doubt I'll ever get to 3000 rounds.

 

[LRCampos]

.

I think one of the main point is: what is your accuracy limit? A barrel life will be diferent for a shooter who needs a 0,5 MOA average (ex: F-Class) to other who needs/want 1,0 MOA average accuracy (ex: hunting).


LRCampos.

 

[Shynloco]

Not a simple answer. First barrel, maintaining jump by seating incrementally longer and thus following throat erosion.

+1. Even powder used will make a difference and affect throat erosion. I got right at 3800 rds shooting 168 gr's (2650 fps) being pushed by Imr 4895 and RE15 before giving up on the 1:10 factory bull barrel. I found Varget was a real killer (throat), but the barrel was already in decline at that point.

Alex

 

[DennisH]

Just a general question...if shooting the 185gr Jugg bullets in the 2675-2750 fps range what do you believe the accuracy round count life span of the barrel is likely to be ? How many have already worn out a 308 barrel with these bullets and what was the round count when accuracy dropped off?
Thanks again

Two of mine lost accuracy @ 2,800 rounds. 185 Jag's, running 43.0+ Varget

 

[rmist]

Thanks for the replies. I'm also using 44+ of varget jumping a small amount of. 010". I was curious about the barrel life for F TR. Unlike when I shot short range BR with barrels lasting less than 1000 rounds !! Glad to see longevity is much better than that!!

 

[GerryM]

Ive used H4895 with great success The barrel lasted to 2500 round,s before I had to set it back .
Your using Varget it has a similar burning rate The barrels usually erode faster with slow burning powders like 4831 4350 etc

 

[chkunz]

I took an M14 to Perry one year with 6000 rounds on the barrel and shot a master class score with it. I was shooting the standard M14 load of 41 grains of IMR4895 and 168 SMKs. I was shooting the conventional XTC target which is much easier than something like the F Class. I do not recommend pushing a barrel that far I just got caught and did not have a choice. But I do think a lot of times a barrel gets blamed for poor shooting and a lot of good barrels get removed.

 

[Joe R]

My first custom barrel for F-TR was a 30" Krieger, 4 groover, medium palma contour, 11 twist. When I took it off it had 3,296 rounds on it and was still shooting 1/2 MOA or better.

I started out shooting the Sierra 168s and quickly moved to the JLK 180. At the end I wanted to start using the 200 hybrids but the recoil with that light of a barrel was pretty harsh so I took it off. I think I got my money worth out of that one.

 

[XTR]

Last yr I shot three strings at Phoneix with a barrel that had 4500+ on it. My plots showed right st 3/4 MOA vertical at 1000 yds for 45 rounds, not a 5 shot wallet group. You can get 2500 to 4000 r more.

 

[rmist]

Good information...thanks again

 

[Down South]

The barrel i set the National FTR record with at 1000 yards had 2200 rounds on it when i shot 200-13X and that barrel was not babied at all. I ran 200s and 210s with H4895 & Varget through it the whole life of the barrel with stout loads. I have 2500 rounds on it currently and the last string i shot with it at 1000 was a 196-7X and points lost were not the barrels fault. I'm hoping to get 3000 accurate rounds out of it, we'll see. Its a Bartlein 5R barrel.

 

[DennisH]

Two of mine lost accuracy @ 2,800 rounds. 185 Jag's, running 43.0+ Varget

I guess I like to shoot mine on the hot side, in fact I know I do.

Dennis