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Barrel life in 6BRA

saunaking

Silver $$ Contributor
Tried to find some info in this section on barrel life and wasn't successful.Those who have been shooting the various versions of the 6BRA, how many rounds do you get down the barrel before it has quit shooting well? I know there are a lot of variables that contribute to barrel life, but most of us have a common powder and velocity node with 105 class bullets that should be about the same.
Cheers
 
I've gotten up to 1100rds with no loss in accuracy (tune adjusted). Never pushed one to the limit yet to see where it just quit. I'm to paranoid that it will decide to quit in a match. I currently have three of these high round count BRA barrels that will be set back soon.
 
New barrel being chambered for one of my BRA's right now. The old one was super for about 1,400 rds. At 1,600 the occasional flyer, still close, was bugging me.

At 1,700 and a Manatee club win in Light Gun just a week ago - the rifle went to Bostrom for the new barrel. It left on a winning note but it was time.

Now if you scope that throat it will look good. Betting the area for the next 28 " is near perfect or perfect. Just not for me. I already have 2-3 other barrels in the corner to throw out like that. In fact, someone might want to cut one down and make a great varminter out of one. Someday I may put the lot in the classifieds and let them go

All of my 6mmBR variant barrels have shown signs of losing the edge in the 1,500 - 2,000 rd. range. My gunsmith will NOT cut them back and re-chamber. He claims it is a waste of time if you want a competitive barrel. Now if you do PRC, steel, prairie dog shooting or the like, you surely can go 4,000 or so with satisfactory results. Guys at the club, called back markers in racing, regularly do it and try to compete on the cheap. It is never satisfying.
 
saunaking said:
Tried to find some info in this section on barrel life and wasn't successful.Those who have been shooting the various versions of the 6BRA, how many rounds do you get down the barrel before it has quit shooting well? I know there are a lot of variables that contribute to barrel life, but most of us have a common powder and velocity node with 105 class bullets that should be about the same.
Cheers
Click to expand...
My last Kreiger has 1500 rnds and still shoots good as ever, but I'm sure it will drop off soon. Barry.
 
CaptainMal said:
New barrel being chambered for one of my BRA's right now. The old one was super for about 1,400 rds. At 1,600 the occasional flyer, still close, was bugging me.


All of my 6mmBR variant barrels have shown signs of losing the edge in the 1,500 - 2,000 rd. range. My gunsmith will NOT cut them back and re-chamber. He claims it is a waste of time if you want a competitive barrel. .
Click to expand...

He might be wrong on that statement.
 
I think you would have to first tell us what level of accuracy you want. I had a hummer that shot in .2 at 3000 rounds and was set back 3 times but that was a Dasher. As far as a Br Imp. I have yet to wear one out.
I'm with Jackie on setting them back, good ones get set back..... jim
 
Well since Eric Bostrom will NOT set back any of my barrels, when I put them up for sale I will raise the price. That means I make more money on the sale as many seem to think a used and shorter barrel re-chambered, will beat the top shooters in the world.

Thank you.
 
Larry, a sharp throat is important. Setting them back freshens up the throat and will restore accuracy. All it does is keep a higher level of accuracy for a longer time. I would only do it to really good barrels. And I also will not do it with a reamer I own because it can dull the freebore section, unless the round count is still low. I have hurt reamers just doing it just once. I think the key is to do it as a maintenance item rather than waiting until the barrel quits shooting. I dont recommend it if your paying a smith, unless it was a really special barrel.
 
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I would suppose it depends on your accuracy requirements. in Short Range rounds such as the 6PPC, you can see accuracy erode at 700 rounds.

Since a 6BRA has more powder, logic would dictate it would not do any better.

But that small fall off might mean more in a discipline where you are measuring groups in thousandths of an inch. Not so much in Disciplines where other factors come into play.
 
I'm on my 3rd. I can't waste stuff ...around 1800 still capable of shooting 2.5" groups. Scored really well with it.
I chose to rebarrel and shot several < 2" after it came in around 600+ rounds.
It still looked great out past the chamber so I had it cut back ...but I haven't tried it out on my 13.5. Loving the 30 too much !

1st one laying here wanting a new home !
 
I stared the 1000 yard Nationals with 1700 rounds in my Brux. First target, a 5 shot Light Gun, was 3.200" and the best in that relay.
I'll get the next Brux chambered this winter, but plan to keep shooting the first one (now has ~1825 rounds) for a bit longer.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. Mine has been mainly MR F-class to this point, but I am going to do some benchrest matches this next year. I have almost 3000 rounds on this barrel, and it was still shooting cleans, but the X counts have really dropped off. I was wondering if it would be worth setting back (30" barrel) to see what would happen.
 
Alex Wheeler said:
Larry, a sharp throat is important. Setting them back freshens up the throat and will restore accuracy. All it does is keep a higher level of accuracy for a longer time. I would only do it to really good barrels. And I also will not do it with a reamer I own because it can dull the freebore section, unless the round count is still low. I have hurt reamers just doing it just once. I think the key is to do it as a maintenance item rather than waiting until the barrel quits shooting. I dont recommend it if your paying a smith, unless it was a really special barrel.
Click to expand...
Do you rent a reamer for that situation, or just tell them you won't do it?
 

A “RECORD” DAY AT PIEDMONT

Congratulations Sam on some outstanding shooting my friend! It’s just Sam doin what Sam does. A 2 Gun record of that stature with 2 completely different guns with different Bullets and all is just amazing! Hats off to you. Congratulations to Mike Kuklis on an outstanding 1.39 LG agg!! All most...
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setting records with high round count barrels.....
 
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