Barrel Changes

[kerdunk]

The guys shooting competition change their centerfire barrels on a fairly regular basis (1500 rounds +/- or even more frequently). I am curious to know if barrel changes due to wear are a common occurrence amongst the hunters. If you have any feedback, please share (frequency, caliber, etc.).

 

[mdram]

accuracy requirements for the average hunter tend to be diff than competitors, so the barrels last longer.
think 1-2moa vs sub moa
add to that of a hunter shoots 30rds a year, it would take at least 50 years

of course there are outliers like prarie dog guys, and other hunters that shoot more.

 

[kevin nevius]

Having shot (or am shooting) both, the biggest difference is heat. Heat kills barrels.

Most competitive courses of fire are 20 shots plus (sometimes unlimited) sighters, in a normal time limit of 20 minutes. In competition, during the sighter period if you get a zero and the condition holds you will see the best shoot very fast (before conditions change). 30+ shots in succession puts a very real strain on barrel steel.

Long range varmint hunting is all about a shot or two, with long waits (at least here in the fields of NW Ohio). The only time the barrel gets warm is when we are developing loads or verifying zeros.

Personally, I rebarreled every season, not because the barrels were shot out necessarily, but just because I didn't want to get in the middle of a big match and have a barrel go south. I guess there's a psychological reason too - shooters can be a little bit OCD! LOL

All the very best to you and yours,

kev

 

[sep]

As a hunter, I have never shot out a barrel. I've had three rifles rebarreled with custom barrels so the factory rifles would shoot more accurately.

 

[swd]

F Class and benchrest shooters tend to shoot our guns really hard. We're trying to get as many rounds on the target during the same condition as we can before it changes. The barrels can get really hot and they fire crack wear throats fast. For us barrels are consumables just like tires and engines in race cars.

Prairie dog and sage rat shooters are probably the only hunters that might put wear on barrels like we do. Although some of the newer super large case mid bore magnum hunting cartridges can be big time barrel burners! A few years ago I barreled 3 rifles in 6.5x300 Weatherby magnum for a group of guys that hunted together and liked to practice a lot. All 3 killed the barrels in under 300 rounds. Apparently 90 grains of powder down a 6.5 bore doesn't do anything for barrel life, LOL.

So barrel life on hunting rifles is greatly dependent on how much they're shot and also the cartridge it chambered in. A 30/06 that doesn't get shot a lot might easily last a guy his lifetime