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Barrel wear

At the range you hear all kinds of tale , like button verse broch filling this barrel is better than that barrel ,I have been working with vv n550 in sted of vv n150 in a 308 and at same load data, someone said I burn up my barrel day using a double base powder.is this a old wives tale
 
jdugas003 said:
At the range you hear all kinds of tale , like button verse broch filling this barrel is better than that barrel ,I have been working with vv n550 in sted of vv n150 in a 308 and at same load data, someone said I burn up my barrel day using a double base powder.is this a old wives tale
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In my experience there is a huge difference between the round counts to wear a barrel based on heat.

The same number of rounds shot slowly without overheating the barrel, will go much longer than those same rounds shot too quickly and getting the barrel hot.

My introduction to weapon design and observations of barrels came from electric driven weapons called Chain Gun. Nothing will kill a barrel like shooting it hot.

That said, if you don't abuse a bolt 308, it is going to go a long way regardless of the details. Try not to run too many fast strings unless you really have to, and the rest will work out.

Not that long ago, wooden semi-auto 308s ruled the XTC lines before the black guns did. The rapids are 2 sighters and 10 shots, a short break and then another 10 shot string. The barrels get very hot by the end of the second string.

If you notice that 308 bolt guns used in Midrange or highpower matches run an equal or greater number of total rounds per club match, then you also noticed how much longer they lasted because they didn't have those rapids. An XTC barrel was typically toasted in less than 3000 rounds, but the same caliber being shot slower in other games went more than double that far. So the heat factor dominated the wear equations.

Treat the barrel like a wear item, shoot more and worry less. The folks arguing those things are very unlikely to have any real proof of their position, and even if they do it is the case that tempo/heat counts for more than rifle method or small material differences between common barrel steel.

YMMV
 
In this sport, barrels are consumables. Shoot the powder that gives you the best performance. Choose the cartridge that best meets your performance needs.

I have never been concerned about barrel wear from shooting too much. I don't shoot rapid fire shot sequences because as a varmint / predator hunter, I'm interested in the cold / cool barrel shots. So my barrels tend to last probably longer than most. Over bore cartridges tend to be harder on barrels but most guys buy them for the significantly improved ballistics.

I've worn out a few - no big deal. It should be the goal of every shooter to wear out his barrel - you can't take it with you to the other side. :rolleyes:

PS: He who shoot the most wins in the end! ;)
 
I use both single and double base, with no concern of barrel wear...it's part of shooting. Use whatever and replace the barrel...hint it's easier if ya do your own barrel work, and have a reamer for the most used calibers...just order the barrel blank...soon as it arrives, chamber, and shoot the next day...no waiting...and have another rifle ready to go in the same calibers that are heavily used. "Always Ready"...
 
K22 said:
In this sport, barrels are consumables. Shoot the powder that gives you the best performance. Choose the cartridge that best meets your performance needs.
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Beautifully put. I don't compete... just a long range shooting junkie. There's always another barrel to buy when needed. Or put a blank in your closet for later.
 
markm87 said:
Beautifully put. I don't compete... just a long range shooting junkie. There's always another barrel to buy when needed. Or put a blank in your closet for later.
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My philosophy, right or wrong, has always been firearms are to be used, not admired. I'm not abusive of them, but I don't baby them either.

I hunt - over the last 50+ years I've gotten caught in snow and rain storms. One of my best groundhog hunts was after a major thunder storm which I got caught in. :mad: I dried out, sort of, in the truck, smoked a good cigar, waited out the storm then went back out in the fields. The hog boys were everywhere!!!:):):), I saw them in places that I never saw them before. I guess the heavy rain caused them to exit their holes. It's a great strategy so long as you don't mind the risk of getting struck by lightning. o_Oo_Oo_O
 
jdugas003 said:
At the range you hear all kinds of tale , like button verse broch filling this barrel is better than that barrel ,I have been working with vv n550 in sted of vv n150 in a 308 and at same load data, someone said I burn up my barrel day using a double base powder.is this a old wives tale
Click to expand...
A couple of points: I don't know of a single barrel maker that offers broach rifling, the alternatives are usually factory hammer forged, single point cut, or button. Broaching cuts all of the groves at once, with a single pass. On the barrel wear by type, a friend was a nationally prominent service rifle gunsmith back when M1As ruled that roost. Depending on the budget of the shooter he fitted both Douglas (button) and Krieger (single point cut) barrels to .308 service rifles for competition. He told me that the cut barrels lasted longer. He had a lot of experience. One other area that you did not mention was whether bullets are jumped or seated to touch or into the rifling. A friend shoots a lot of long range, and he has stopped jumping bullets because he found that for him and a customer that throat wear was significantly greater. There are powders that are known to give longer bore life, and those that are known for faster. If we keep everything the the same except the powder, I think that this is mostly about differences in flame temperature. Double base powders typically have some nitroglycerine content which burns hotter than straight nitrocellulose. Some of the best information that I have gotten on this has been from fellows who shoot a lot of rounds, competitors, and perennial prairie dog shooters. Their knowledge is not based on theory but rather experience.
 
BoydAllen said:
A couple of points: I don't know of a single barrel maker that offers broach rifling, the alternatives are usually factory hammer forged, single point cut, or button. Broaching cuts all of the groves at once, with a single pass. On the barrel wear by type, a friend was a nationally prominent service rifle gunsmith back when M1As ruled that roost. Depending on the budget of the shooter he fitted both Douglas (button) and Krieger (single point cut) barrels to .308 service rifles for competition. He told me that the cut barrels lasted longer. He had a lot of experience. One other area that you did not mention was whether bullets are jumped or seated to touch or into the rifling. A friend shoots a lot of long range, and he has stopped jumping bullets because he found that for him and a customer that throat wear was significantly greater. There are powders that are known to give longer bore life, and those that are known for faster. If we keep everything the the same except the powder, I think that this is mostly about differences in flame temperature. Double base powders typically have some nitroglycerine content which burns hotter than straight nitrocellulose. Some of the best information that I have gotten on this has been from fellows who shoot a lot of rounds, competitors, and perennial prairie dog shooters. Their knowledge is not based on theory but rather experience.
Click to expand...
Last sentence in this post is GOLD.
 
BoydAllen said:
A couple of points: I don't know of a single barrel maker that offers broach rifling, the alternatives are usually factory hammer forged, single point cut, or button. Broaching cuts all of the groves at once, with a single pass.
Click to expand...
Ernie Stallman at Badger Barrels broached excellent barrels. Currently, AFAIK, you are correct.
 
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