6 Dasher ? barrel life

[Chaotik]

I have a 6 dasher on a Pierce action with a Krieger 28" heavy varmit 1:8 twist barrel. It has 1250 rounds through it, and I am not getting the accuracy that I used to get in the past. (I used to be able to get 5 shot groups in the .2s (or even .1s sometimes), and now I am not getting any better than .4s (occasional .3s). Velocity is around 2925 fps using Varget 32.6g and pushing Berger 105 hybrids.

I have cleaned the barrel after each range trip, and borescope mulitple times during my prolonged cleaning sessions. To my eye, there is no carbon ring and I see no obvious problems in the bore.

Realizing that each barrel and situation is different, I am curious what others experience has been with 6 dasher barrel life.

Thanks!

 

[40X Guy]

Both my 6 Dashers were fed a steady diet of H4895 and shot very very well until about 750 rounds for one and 850 for my other one. Groups opened up but velocity stayed the same. One was a Rock Creek barrel, other was a Brux. Both showed some fire cracking close to chamber..

Frank

 

[mikeinct]

You are running a slightly reduced charge of Varget [same bullet] vs. my BRX. At 800 to 1000 rds I have my gunsmith cut & recut my chamber. Plus order a new barrel. The rechamber sometimes gets me an extra 600 accurate shots. Longest I have gone w the BRX is 1650 shots. mikeinct I figure it is 1.5 x's the barrel life of the 243 winchester for long range steel targets VBRS at Ridgway

 

[Mulligan]

For F-class matches (600 and 1000 yards) I start seeing my x count go down around 1600-1800 rounds. I had one go 2200 rounds and was still going strong when I pulled it.
With my BR guns, I can see accuracy eroding sooner. The last one was a 30” 1.250” straight that was getting tired at 1185. I set this one back because it was such an accurate barrel, freshening up the chamber helped. I am not sure it will prove to be cost efficient but it is shooting small again.

CW

 

[JEFFPPC]

I regularly run in the high teens to 2000 rounds in BRX barrels before I am no longer competitive. I shoot scores matches mostly out to 500 yds with a 1 inch ten ring at 500 yds. I have never had a rechamber but I have played with seating depth at 1400 rds and over about half the time. Once I have a load I ride it as long as I am not questioning shots in competition. I am just as happy with my gun shooting in the ones opposed to the 4s as long as I am staying competitive. The gun is only in my view less than ,half the equation. Staying on conditions and bench manners equally or maybe even more important. All that said I like to start out with a rifle/ barrel that is tuned in the ones.

 

[blowemup]

Chaotik
The load & velocity are pretty standard.
I think a re-barrel is what i personally would do if i wanted to keep being at the pointy end at matches.
I normally don't push mine much past 1000rds or a season if i plan on being competitive for the next season.
No one wants to be running in a barrel & tuning mid season.

Cheers Ken.

 

[dmoran]

@Chaotik If you haven't played with the seating depth as you've been going along, may be a reasoning for a decline in accuracy (or so has been my experience, and find it to be a continues changing aspect to stay in tune with barrel wear / throat advancement).

 

[JEFFPPC]

A very successful longtime shortrange shooter once told me he laughs at everyone worried about throat erosion. He said accuracy comes from the last 10 inches of the barrel not from the first. Given his long time success and knowing he was real stingy about getting new barrels I have never discounted his thoughts. He said when the throat gets rough , Iosso or JB it aggressively and go win a match.

 

[comagutsa]

I always retune my barrels at about 1000 rounds, it wont need much just a re-tweak on powder and I will redo seating depth test and they always come back strong till about 2000 rounds then I will retire and start a new barrel
this was done after I tweaked the tune tune and redid seating at 1000 rounds and this was shot at about 1400 rounds on barrel 0.579" at 500m .. it still shot a 1.3inch group at 500m last shoot with 1650 rounds down barrel

my other barrels I also redid tune after 1000 also shot great also
it was just something I did once years ago as I notice it wasn't shooting as good as it used to at about 1000 to 1200 rounds, I had lost some speed over that time and speed it up and bingo accuracy came back but then I redid seating and it got better so I do it will all my barrels now

 

[Longtrain]

My first Dasher barrel went 2300 rounds. X count dropped, copper showed up a bit as it got beyond say 1500. Berger 108’s jumped about .010 were very accurate. (Don’t tell anyone, but I chased the lands a few times and accuracy came back). It didn’t seem to like jumps of .040, so I retested and that .010 to .030 were fine out to 1K matches. Increase copper added to the accuracy issues, but it was manageable.