At what point do you give up on a barrel?

[Dusty Stevens]

When your barrel looks like this after 7 or 8 rounds fired. View attachment 1065741 View attachment 1065741d

This is a view down the muzzle with my endoscope, copper build up on the lands and grooves apparent. This is why i've had trouble developing a load for this 6.5 CM

First 5 shot group would print small, and subsequent groups would open up gradually, completely skewing results of my testing.

I get dizzy looking at that but theres no way that barrel deserves any more range time. You shouldnt even need a scope to see that copper.

 

[Texas10]

Don't need an endoscope to see copper at the crown, but it sure does a good job of illuminating on how bad it is. BTW, no copper visible in the chamber end, nevertheless, it's coming off. Bought it on here for less than a hundred bucks, and can't say it's been a bad experience. Always room to learn something new.

Previous to this photo, I'd used VFG intensive pellets and bore polish to try to smooth out the "rail road tracks" I saw in the bore. Obviously the 600 to 700 passes I made did no good.

 

[mikegaiz]

Do Not buy a Bore Scope It will ruin your life as you know it. Only borrow one if it is the last option.........

 

[4xforfun]

Chambered up a 6.5-284 for my 1K gun. Could shoot amazing groups with my Dasher tubes, but when i screwed the new tube on it was 3/4 to 1 1/4 groups. Sent it to my smith to scope it out..... looked good and I had him cut 1/2 inch off and re crown it. Same. Actually had a thread going here about it. Sent it back to Kreiger after 300 rounds and they looked at it. "nothing visually wrong with it" but they were convinced that I did EVERYTHING I could do and did it correctly.

They replaced it with a new tube....no charge.

To the OP...I would say 150 rounds. I went 300, but I am not the sharpest pencil in the cup.

Tod.

 

[mikegaiz]

I have brought up this comment before and got lots of criticism bit I think it is valuable.

I know this is a little off subject, sorry, but if you are not shooting your test properly, No amount of testing will ever work.

Matching the barrel length/powder burn rate, twist rate/bullet weight, primer combination are really really important.

Your bench process, gun, gun set up, and shooting technique can be more important than your loading...

Testing at the right distance to match your shooting discipline is also a consideration. My personal feelings e that testing at too long a distance has too many unseen factors that come in play.. I like 300 for everything except short range.

Just take time to think about what you are testing and make sure you are matching what makes sense from a ballistic standpoint before you even start.

Just to add more confusion to this whole string........

 

[#40Fan]

When your barrel looks like this after 7 or 8 rounds fired. View attachment 1065741 View attachment 1065741d

This is a view down the muzzle with my endoscope, copper build up on the lands and grooves apparent. This is why i've had trouble developing a load for this 6.5 CM

First 5 shot group would print small, and subsequent groups would open up gradually, completely skewing results of my testing.

That looks like my 220 Swift did after a couple hundred prairie dog rounds.

What bullet were you shooting?

 

[Texas10]

That looks like my 220 Swift did after a couple hundred prairie dog rounds.

What bullet were you shooting?

That particular copper came from the Berger 140 gr Hybrid.

 

[acloco]

Per my data I'm 790 rounds into this thing, and it averages 1.16 MOA across all load development. I can get it to shoot some good groups with a certain bullet/powder combo, but the only downside is it's an anemic charge and ~200 FPS below where it should be.

I've tried 4 different powders, 5 different bullets, and still can't find something that'll shoot consistently.

Some of this I attribute to a scope problem I discovered midway through the process, however it's killing me knowing how much money I'm investing in something that will probably never shoot.

I just bit the bullet and ordered a new barrel; it's been an expensive evening.

At what distance are you completing your load development at? Truth begins at 300.

 

[MikeMcCasland]

At what distance are you completing your load development at? Truth begins at 300.

I'd be glad to test at 300 if I hadn't been averaging 1.something MOA at 100.

I used Erik Cortina's method with the new barrel and have a load that has shot consistently three times now in varying different conditions. It's 50-75fps slower than where I want to be, but given what I've been through, and how much money I've poured into this project it's good enough. My intent is to load up 100 rounds and take it out to 1k. I could (and probably will) do more development with it at short range, but I'm ready to pause the "work" and have a little fun.

 

[mikeeg02]

I'd be glad to test at 300 if I hadn't been averaging 1.something MOA at 100.

I used Erik Cortina's method with the new barrel and have a load that has shot consistently three times now in varying different conditions. It's 50-75fps slower than where I want to be, but given what I've been through, and how much money I've poured into this project it's good enough. My intent is to load up 100 rounds and take it out to 1k. I could (and probably will) do more development with it at short range, but I'm ready to pause the "work" and have a little fun.

Go ahead and try to tell that barrel where you want it to shoot. It's not going to listen. You're supposed to listen to what the barrel wants........

 

[redrockranger]

4 pages of ideas.......Bite the bullet and replace the barrel.

 

[acloco]

I'd be glad to test at 300 if I hadn't been averaging 1.something MOA at 100.

I used Erik Cortina's method with the new barrel and have a load that has shot consistently three times now in varying different conditions. It's 50-75fps slower than where I want to be, but given what I've been through, and how much money I've poured into this project it's good enough. My intent is to load up 100 rounds and take it out to 1k. I could (and probably will) do more development with it at short range, but I'm ready to pause the "work" and have a little fun.

Have been in the same predicament.

Believe it or not, my 1.xx MOA 100 yard groups, were 1.0 MOA at 300.

 

[4xforfun]

Go ahead and try to tell that barrel where you want it to shoot. It's not going to listen. You're supposed to listen to what the barrel wants........

Sure....Makes all the sense in the world...if it shoot's MOA plus at 100 it could be a laser at 300....IF you know how to listen to your BBL.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Sure....Makes all the sense in the world...if it shoot's MOA plus at 100 it could be a laser at 300....IF you know how to listen to your BBL.

@alinwa has a running bet with no takers on that. I think hes up to $20,000 reward now