6.5 x 47 Lapua barrel life

[Steveb]

Hi All

I did a search about 6.5 x 47 Lapua barrel life and didn't come up with much here. Estimates from simply Googling the topic ranged from 1200 to 5000 rounds depending on discipline.

Now that this cartridge seems to be getting more popular is there any consensus about barrel life? I mostly shoot 130 Bergers and 40.3 grains of H4350 with seems to be a mild load but bugholes in my rifle.

I have about 1400 rounds of the tube and wondering if I should be getting worried about replacement yet.

Thanks

Steve

 

[Mega]

I have 3 rifles chambered in 6.5x47 Lapua, each are different in all aspects. One only uses 123gr Lapua Scenar (moly) and the other two only 130gr Berger VLD Target. All are for Benchrest discipline.

Going from my own information and others with the same setups I would figure about 2,000 rounds but with a re-chamber at about the half way mark or so depending on throat wear and bore examination. I would not expect much more for target use. The barrels are one Kreiger and two Pac-Nor Select Match.

I don't use H4350 powder as I believe the burn rate is too slow for this case size and bullet weight of 130gr. My powder is Varget at around 37.5gr for around 2,850 fps velocity with an accuracy that produces 5 shot groups of sub 0.250" @ 200 yards on average, don't know what "bugholes" means in terms of accuracy measurement, must be an American term....

I struggle from lack of experience to read the wind correctly so I blow out a bit when distance like 550 yards (500 metres) comes along with my shooting and only achieve at best 1.5" 5 shot groups.

Going on my data I wouldn't call 40.3gr of H4350 a mild load.

 

[rocketron]

at 1725 documented rounds i had mine set back. at 2200 rounds i shot a 593 33x mid range score with it and became a High Master. 130 vld with H4350 most of the time with some varget & R17 loads throw in the mix.

 

[mikecr]

My guess ~2500 at a 30sec shot rate & 40.3gr H4350 to typical 60kpsi load

 

[Steveb]

Thanks guys. Somewhere around the mid 2000 range for a good educated guess then.

I have shot 123 Scenar and 130 Bergers both 5 shots into a little greater than the single bullet hole at 100 meters so that is what I consider a bughole. Smile!!

Very accurate cartridge but I bought the rifle complete with about 1000 rounds on it and it has proven to be an extremely accurate rifle. However, I don't have any knowledge of the total life of a barrel since I have never shot one out before.

Thanks again.

Steve

 

[Mega]

My barrels aren't anywhere near 1,000 rounds yet and the most shot one I think around 500 rounds without looking up my records, it has changed by just under 0.002" in my lands measurements. I would be very happy if they go past 2,000 without loosing accuracy. Sometime in the future I'll get my Gunsmith to Bore Scope them to check on wear progress.

Thanks Steve for the definition of a bughole and I guess that is what I would expect at 100 metres. All my testing is done at 200 metres, the only time I think I tried at 100 metres was to adjust a new scope and check current loads but one hole groups at that distance tells me very little. I should stop thinking yards as all my ranges are metric.

 

[Steveb]

Hi Mega

I don't know if that is the true definition but probably close enuff.

I do my match rifle exploratory testing at 100 meters and once the nodes are identified I then move back to 300 meters for further testing.

The only 200 meter testing I do is for my hunting rifles as I don't do any 100 meter testing for those. I find 200 meters simply works better for these cartridges.

Steve

 

[doglegs]

I have 3400 rounds down mine now did a rechanber at 3200 rounds and it still shoots less the 1/4 moa at 300 yards with 37.4 gr Varget 130g Bergers pointed at 2945 F/S
I only lost 1 inc when the gun plumber recut the chamber
I am going to keep shooting it till she blows up , To see how much I can get out of it .
Cal

 

[Mega]

"doglegs" that sounds like you have a great barrel & smith doing the work. I wonder what breed of barrel, length, contour etc. You load is the same as mine, tried 37.5gr but it just didn't have the consistancy. My barrel is a Pac-Nor NBRSA LV 28.5" and giving 2,860fps on average. Stolle Grizzly action.

I also have a Kreiger Barrel on a Remington Custom 700 that done more rounds and showing less change in my measurements to the lands. For me this over time will be a good comparison on the two barrels using the same loads (withing 0.1gr of powder) and same bullets (130gr Pointed Berger VLD's) seated the same at 0.002" jump.

"Steveb" Talking about bugholes I thought I had one a week or so ago at 300 metres on a windy afternoon, tailwind. Had 4 of the shots in pretty much the double calibre size hole but then relaxed and the wind got me putting one outside the group. New cases not weight sorted so I learnt a lesson to finish my case prep before look at nice groups and spend the time putting up my wind flags.

 

[Grimstod]

My guess ~2500 at a 30sec shot rate & 40.3gr H4350 to typical 60kpsi load

I was going to suggest this myself. Only thing I wish it could calculate is with the type of steel used in the barrel. New barrels have come a long way.

 

[mikecr]

Extensions to barrel life(like melonite, moly, new super steel?), once known, can be applied in the file above.

 

[Grimstod]

What about rifles made overseas that list there barrels as 4130 or 4140 steel?

 

[doglegs]

Bartlein 1 / 8.5 was 30" now cut back to 29" To honest after we re chambered it it was shooting like shit ,load was under 5 ES and the best I got it to shoot was 1" at 300 yards was ready to pull the barrel off and work on my new one
Then I decided to start to play with the tuner that I got from Erik Cortina at the BSWN in feb it toke 4 (1 Thou) moves on his tuner to get it to shot .24" at 300 yards
Did some testing at 800 Yards with it yesterday and its shooting under .24MOA . Happy Happy Happy ((((((-:
Cal