End of barrel life:(

[pacificman]

I had a 17 Remington that had close about 2500 rounds through it at 4165 fps. During a prairie rat shoot all of a sudden
I was missing easy shots...set up a target and noticed shotgun patterns on target. I did not have a bore scope at
the time but decided to check bullet to lands length. Well the bullet fell about a half inch in the barrel and I knew
the throat was gone. This barrel was very accurate shooting under 1/2 inch groups easy at 100yds. I did like others here suggest
and cleaned then changed powder and bullet at much slower speed and got another year of rat shooting with diminished
accuracy just under 1 inch groups at hundred yards. Hope this helps.. Sounds like you would be happy with a new barrel.
Your target seems to tell the biggest story when it comes to accuracy.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

What is saw was a GOOD flyer every now and then, the flyers would get more and then it would just let go and the groups get crazy.
Now if I get that crazy flyer with a known bullet and load I know where to start looking

 

[msinc]

You have a borescope, you say you see a lot of fire cracking that looks like the "Bonneville salt flats"........I think you answered your own question. I mean, exactly how many more rounds are you going to try and get out of it accurately???
All that aside, I had two rifles recently {last year or so} that sure seemed like the barrel was done. Neither barrel looked like what you describe and neither are considered a throat burner. In fact, I never really considered a 270 one, but then again I don't ever remember anyone that put 1500 rounds down one either. This hasn't been mentioned yet, so here goes...what about the glass bedding??? 1500 stout rounds out of a 270 shooting heavy bullets I would think is enough to have hammered it out by now.
Personally, the way you describe the throat, I wouldn't count on getting it to shoot too much better no matter what you do. I guess what I am saying is when you finally do resolve to get a new barrel {and you will very soon} make sure you grind out and re-do the glass bedding too. Best of luck.

Edit: sorry, almost forgot...to answer the question of "all of a sudden": yep, that's pretty much the way it works, especially with bedding. But, throat wear can be compensated and made to go on for some time by "chasing" the lands. You cant chase the bedding, so yeah, it goes all of a sudden. Bedding, per se, is either tight and right or it is not and no good. Maybe in a 222, but in a heavy hitter rifle like yours there is no "well my groups have opened up an 1/8" I guess the bedding is going.

 

[okie]

bet a chamber cast would show a "wash out" of the riflings in the throat--

 

[270 ftw]

You have a borescope, you say you see a lot of fire cracking that looks like the "Bonneville salt flats"........I think you answered your own question. I mean, exactly how many more rounds are you going to try and get out of it accurately???
All that aside, I had two rifles recently {last year or so} that sure seemed like the barrel was done. Neither barrel looked like what you describe and neither are considered a throat burner. In fact, I never really considered a 270 one, but then again I don't ever remember anyone that put 1500 rounds down one either. This hasn't been mentioned yet, so here goes...what about the glass bedding??? 1500 stout rounds out of a 270 shooting heavy bullets I would think is enough to have hammered it out by now.
Personally, the way you describe the throat, I wouldn't count on getting it to shoot too much better no matter what you do. I guess what I am saying is when you finally do resolve to get a new barrel {and you will very soon} make sure you grind out and re-do the glass bedding too. Best of luck.

Edit: sorry, almost forgot...to answer the question of "all of a sudden": yep, that's pretty much the way it works, especially with bedding. But, throat wear can be compensated and made to go on for some time by "chasing" the lands. You cant chase the bedding, so yeah, it goes all of a sudden. Bedding, per se, is either tight and right or it is not and no good. Maybe in a 222, but in a heavy hitter rifle like yours there is no "well it opened up an 1/8" I guess the bedding is going.

I never thought to check the bedding...ill take it out the stock tonight and take a look!

 

[wkdickinson]

I want to share my experience and then hear yours. Is my barrel headed to the graveyard or did my shooting skills degrade?...i just dont want to except that my barrel is done for before hearing from you all. Especially because I feel there was a rapid decline even though i am still able to keep my load 20 thou off the lands with .220 grip.

270 win
26 inch 1 in 8 #6 contour brux
1563 round count
99% were berger 170gn eols over 56gn H4831sc & .020 thou jump. That gave me 2820fps avg

This barrel always shot amazing! Up to around 1300 rounds it was sub 3/4 moa all day everyday 5 shot groups. Lots of sub 1/2 moa as well when I was on. From 1300 to 1450 it was still crushing some 3/4 moa groups and opening up to an inch....

But these last 100 or so rounds that were spread out over 3 outings were just a mess. So sloppy i didnt want to measure. And not just that the total group size went to 2+ it was the patterns on the paper. Holes everywhere why no rhyme or reason.

So is this just how barrels go? Do they just fall of a cliff like that? I was expecting something more gradual. The only thing i can think of is mentally I knew I was over that 1500 round mark and for whatever reason in my head that was the limit and it translated to my trigger finger?

Just as a matter of interest - Boots Obermeyer told me one time that chrome-moly barrels start going away right from the first shot, but stainless barrels shoot great right up until the point where they don't". He went on to tell me stories about having barrels that "went-away" in the middle of a match, going from shooting all X's & 10's to barely holding the 8-ring.

I can personally attest to shooting two barrels way beyond the point where they "went-away", thinking the problem was me. Funny how when I started shooting my back-up match rifle, my score were back where the should have been.

Someone in another thread said "a barrel needs to be replaced, when you think it needs to be replaced" (i.e., you question it). I thought that was great advise.

 

[270 ftw]

Just as a matter of interest - Boots Obermeyer told me one time that chrome-moly barrels start going away right from the first shot, but stainless barrels shoot great right up until the point where they don't". He went on to tell me stories about having barrels that "went-away" in the middle of a match, going from shooting all X's & 10's to barely holding the 8-ring.

I can personally attest to shooting two barrels way beyond the point where they "went-away", thinking the problem was me. Funny how when I started shooting my back-up match rifle, my score were back where the should have been.

Someone in another thread said "a barrel needs to be replaced, when you think it needs to be replaced" (i.e., you question it). I thought that was great advise.

Thanks for sharing that...my barrel is stainless and thats exactly how i felt things went. Good one day and bad the next, made me think it was me.

I think thats the end of it then. Ill be in the gunsmiths shop tomorrow morning if anyone needs me with the Krieger barrel i ordered a year ago knowing this day would come.

RIP to my Brux barrel that once shot a 2.5 inch 5 shot group at 960 yards. Greatest thing I ever saw!

Thanks all

 

[243BR]

I have had good luck setting barrels back and having them re-chambered at around 1000 rounds. Most of the erosion happens in the first 2 inches, past that it usually looks pretty good. Just my $.02.

 

[Bbear]

First of all, I'm not a competitive shooter, so I don't use up a barrel nearly as fast as some here do. I do have a first-year production 700 25-06 that with my reloads shot .5" groups with some consistency. For years, it was my only 'big game' rifle - taking my first two elk and a couple of hundred deer of various types. I shot it like some people shoot a rimfire 22. About 7 years ago, I noticed my groups opening up to the 1" range. I changed powders and bullets and got it back to a respectable .75" shooter. But the one thing I noticed was my COALTO was longer than the cartridge is supposed to be. Checking, I realized my measurement to the lands was 'longer'.
The rifle didn't suddenly go to a 1" shooter but rather, the groups slowly opened up over time. Checking with a bore scope, the first 5 or 6" of rifling are nearly obscured by the fire cracking and 'alligator' skin.
Though the rifle has sentimental value to me, after more than 3000 rounds through the pipe it's time for a new 'pipe'.