OK until this year i have never shot past 500 yards. Started the year with a new 6mmbr shooting the 105 hybrid and it shot lights out. Joined a couple 1000yrd ranges and started shooting long range. Well now i think the barrel is starting to go away. But i am looking for some expert advice. New barrels are on order and due soon. All the barrels i have shot out before were on varmint rifles and wouldn't group at 100yrds. This was always after returning from prairie dog shoots no shock there. Anyway what i am seeing now is this little 6BR still shoots great at 100yrds little bitty groups but past about 900 yrds it seams to be falling apart. When the barrel was new it shot very well at 1000yrd seemed much easier to make the 1000yrd hit. The round count on this barrel is almost 2000 rnds i am shooting the 105s with varget. Any first hand experience would be helpfull thanks.
Barrel going away?
- Thread starter Bert
- Start date
Bert,
Usually when a barrel starts to go it will show up first at the longer ranges. I always watch my 600 yard scores with my service rifles. Watch your x counts, make sure you compare match results fired in similar conditions, that is how I decide it is time to start thinking about a new barrel. They normally still shoot very well at 200 and 300 yards.
John
Usually when a barrel starts to go it will show up first at the longer ranges. I always watch my 600 yard scores with my service rifles. Watch your x counts, make sure you compare match results fired in similar conditions, that is how I decide it is time to start thinking about a new barrel. They normally still shoot very well at 200 and 300 yards.
John
Bert: It's been my experience that with a steady diet of 105+ weight bullets in the 6BR with the 8 twist barrels, and "healthy" doses of Varget, RL15, 4895, etc., you can expect the barrel to begin to have problems at around 2000 rounds.
Anytime slightly before and not much after it will need to be replaced. Clues indicating this are unexplained/uncalled wild shots , maybe 1 out of 10 shots fired, with the bad shot count gradually increasing, and more copper fouling. If you're chronographing your loads you could also expect to see a loss in velocities.
2000 is very close to "normal". Your decision if you can accept the results for more rounds fired.
Anytime slightly before and not much after it will need to be replaced. Clues indicating this are unexplained/uncalled wild shots , maybe 1 out of 10 shots fired, with the bad shot count gradually increasing, and more copper fouling. If you're chronographing your loads you could also expect to see a loss in velocities.
2000 is very close to "normal". Your decision if you can accept the results for more rounds fired.
As Rod Serling said, "Imagine if you will", as FD says, sounds like it is time for a new bbl. Oh you will still get good scores at closer distances, but when the X count starts to drop, then that is the first sign of impending continued decline. What I would prob do is save the powder and the bullets and just wait on the new bbl.
My 308 has 3200 rounds on it, I know that you have heard or read many times that a 308 will shoot great way beyond that number. I wonder how many whom reported that fact shot only at 200 or about hat distance. But @ 1K, well this rifle will now only barely hold the 9 ring. The last time I shot it before last weekend, it would barely hold the ten ring. A lot of palma rifle shooters will pull a bbl at about 2800 rounds. And I have seen 6BR's give up at around the 2K mark or just beyond at distance, but would still shoot good a closer range.
Just remember that heavy bullets will wear the bbl quicker than lighter bullets as a general rule.
My 308 has 3200 rounds on it, I know that you have heard or read many times that a 308 will shoot great way beyond that number. I wonder how many whom reported that fact shot only at 200 or about hat distance. But @ 1K, well this rifle will now only barely hold the 9 ring. The last time I shot it before last weekend, it would barely hold the ten ring. A lot of palma rifle shooters will pull a bbl at about 2800 rounds. And I have seen 6BR's give up at around the 2K mark or just beyond at distance, but would still shoot good a closer range.
Just remember that heavy bullets will wear the bbl quicker than lighter bullets as a general rule.
FroggyOne2: Discussions about 308 barrel life always remind me of the very exhaustive article Kevin Thomas did in an older issue of "Precision Shooting", titled "17224 rounds later". That's the total number of rounds that he fired thru 4 different 308 barrels, in very controlled and documented conditions.
All the barrels were ready for the scrap pile by 4000 rounds fired.
All the barrels were ready for the scrap pile by 4000 rounds fired.
Thanks guys this is the kind of first hand experience i was looking for. And yes i had one of those, what the hell just happened shots this weekend. I am still on the second box of primers same jug of powder since it shot very good before. And i am sure i could waste powder and bullets trying to hold on to a barrel that is on its last leg. And yes i am seeing more copper show up. A wise man once told me don't fall in love with your barrel. Thanks again for the info and advice guys.
You sir are very welcome. From all of us!
Forum Boss
Administrator
Lots of good advice. However, I've seen barrels that came back (maybe not to 'as new' accuracy, but good accuracy) with attention to:
1. Barrel crown. After 2000 rounds, your barrel is ripe for a re-crown. Much cheaper than buying a new barrel and having it chambered.
2. Brass. Accuracy may improve with new brass or annealing good, old brass. If you're seeing one shot in eight or ten do something weird, there's a good chance it's brass, or....
3. Scope. I've personally experienced the odd dropped shot or high shot -- straight up to 12 o'clock or straight down to 6 0'clock. Turned out the problem was a hinky scope. Once the scope was repaired, problem vanished.
Also... when did you last check distance to lands? Your throat may have eroded significantly and you may need to extend your load length to chase the lands.
1. Barrel crown. After 2000 rounds, your barrel is ripe for a re-crown. Much cheaper than buying a new barrel and having it chambered.
2. Brass. Accuracy may improve with new brass or annealing good, old brass. If you're seeing one shot in eight or ten do something weird, there's a good chance it's brass, or....
3. Scope. I've personally experienced the odd dropped shot or high shot -- straight up to 12 o'clock or straight down to 6 0'clock. Turned out the problem was a hinky scope. Once the scope was repaired, problem vanished.
Also... when did you last check distance to lands? Your throat may have eroded significantly and you may need to extend your load length to chase the lands.
just a thought....but are you sure you bullets are staying supersonic at 1000 yards...could it be possible that your velocity is droping just before it hits target and bullet is becoming unstable or does the 6br stay supersonic with no problem...
I have heard of this problem before, too and it had to do with the bullets dropping subsonic between 900 and 1000 yards. The guy went to the 6 dasher and solved the problem. Hope this helps
Bradley Walker
Forum Boss said:
Could you explain this please?
Forum Boss
Administrator
Bradley Walker said:
Crowns get worn and degraded from cleaning and banging around. Also the critical choke in last bit of barrel may get worn from bullets and from back/forth brushing. Sometimes taking 1/2-3/4" off the barrel tip and recrowning can restore accuracy. BTW, sometimes a trim and recrown improves new barrels as well-- but for different reasons (barrel harmonics, placement of choke).
When I have a bbl that is starting to quit on me, instead of going thrrough these motions, I just pony up and replace it.
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