7mm Rem Mag velocity and match accuracy barrel life?

[LRRiflemanSNJ]

I am using a 7mm Remington Magnum in F class Open matches. I had heard that pushing the Sierra MatchKing at magnum velocities (c. 2900 fps) reduces the match accuracy life to about 1100 rounds. I have found that my rifle (at least at short range) appears to have an excellent accuracy potential when using Nosler Custom Competition bullets while leaving the barrel at approximately 2650 fps. If this proves to be an accurate load at a thousand yards, would this tend to lengthen the barrel's match accuracy barrel life?

With that being said, is match accuracy barrel life (i.e.: throat erosion) affected more by the bullet's velocity or by the mere virtue of the bullet's diameter?

Thanks for your help!

 

[CaptainMal]

Don't buy one of the new Lyman borescopes. I did and looked into my 7mmMag Model 70 Laredo BOSS. Right at 540 rds with 154's and 66 gr. of Reloader 22, the throat is horribly firecracker. Still shoots but I am now re-scoping and giving it to a brother-in-law for his rare long-range deer shot each year.

For me it's the worst barrel life I ever saw. Worse than my 1960's 6mm/284 that got bad around 800 rds.

Good luck with all that powder and target usage.

 

[jlow]

Read this article here from the main website. Notice where the 7mm Magnum is...

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/overbore-cartridges-defined-by-formula/

 

[jlow]

MV, or more specifically high MV is the reason for the short life of barrels and so going with a significantly reduced MV will definitely lengthen barrel life.

The question only you can answer is will the lower MV load give you the degree of flat shooting and wind bucking abilities you are looking for in your matches? Those two features are the reasons why people shoot high velocity rounds.