Firecracking how much is too much?

[Lefty Trigger]

My favorite 22 BR barrel is getting a noticeable amount of firecracking about 4 inches forward of the chamber. How much before the barrel gives up?

 

[marchboom]

I would just keep shooting it until you see an unacceptable drop in accuracy. Then you will know how much fire cracking will affect accuracy. I don't think there is a "standard" when it comes to this.

 

[Hotshot]

I would just keep shooting it until you see an unacceptable drop in accuracy. Then you will know how much fire cracking will affect accuracy. I don't think there is a "standard" when it comes to this.

What he said. I've had barrels with very little damage that just shot terrible, but I have an old 220Swift that looks horrible and still shoots half inch groups.

 

[B23]

It's actually quite surprising just how fast barrels start showing firecracking.

You, may, need to adjust your COAL at some point and chase the lands to keep it in tune but I'd keep shooting it till it won't shoot to an acceptable level for you.

 

[jds holler]

My old 222 barrel is terrible. You can really feel the scritchiness when you push a brush through it from the chamber for nearly half the barrel length. I used that as an excuse to get a new barrel, but the fact is that right before I swapped it I shot a group that measured like .35" jd

 

[B23]

I have a 223 barrel sitting on the shelf I pulled off of a my Rem VSSF that the first few inches looks terrible when I stick a borescope down it but the damn thing was still shooting in the .5 - .75 when I pulled it and rebarreled it to something else. I tried to give it away but the poor thing looked so nasty the person I was giving it to said thank you but no thank you. I couldn't blame them for passing on a free barrel and would have done the same thing because it does look bad but like I said the silly thing was still shooting pretty well when I pulled.

Typically, the more overbore/hotrod the cartridge the faster they firecrack but they all look like an alligators back at some point.

 

[K22]

Same experience as others, mine a 223 Rem 700 varmint model. 3,419 rounds to date, still shoot 1/2 to 5/8 moa with tuned reloads. I can feel the rough spots in the throat area out about 3" or so. No plans to re-barrel, especially at my age. It's still a very capable "hog slayer" if I do my part.

 

[L.Sherm]

Untill it quite shooting, tearing up bullet jackets or get tired of cleaning the copper out of it.

 

[7315br]

Untill it quite shooting, tearing up bullet jackets or get tired of cleaning the copper out of it.

After several .20 BR's, most bbls started showing accuracy problems around 900-1000 rds. I did have one that went 1500 rds...and I have no idea why?? It shot a (3) shot group (.560") at 300 yds when it had over 1200 rds through it. I pulled it at 1500 rds. It had about 10" of firecracking!! The biggest problem was it coppered up after only a few rds.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have a factory Rem M700 22-250 SS fluted varmint barrel. Was pulled off new by a barrel manufacturer/gunsmith. I bought it for 35.00. It's on a 2nd action, hundreds of rounds thru it. No fire cracking, cleans down to bare metal pretty easy. Very accurate. Sometimes you just don't know why some barrels "age, wear" differently. Rather be lucky with barrels.

 

[jds holler]

I'm wondering if there's a big difference between stainless, and chrome-moly.? My cracked barrel is stock 1970's Rem Chromemoly-- or whatever carbon steel they used then. jd

 

[snert]

I had a 1050's vintage bull barrel 220 swift of unknown history. Probably a Douglas barrel. It shot horribly for ten rounds from a spotless clean. Then it hung in at 1/4 inch groups thru about #25. Then it opened up to softball sized groups. It had no throat to mention. I hung bullets barely in the case to lessen "jump". I learned to partly clean it (it had one spot about 3/4 the way up the barrel that always felt sticky) and it would shoot thru the groundhog season, 15 rounds between cleaning. It embarrassed quite a few brand new groundhog rifles.

When I finally got tired of cleaning it, I replaced it. Then I bore scoped it. only the last seven inches had good non-pitted, non worn rifling. The throat started showing some sort of rifling about four inches up. The rest of the barrel looked like a western PA tar and chip road in springtime. Those first four inches looked like an alligator boot.
The season before I retired it I went 11 straight on groundhogs with the longest being just over 600 yards, the shortest 335. It was still shooting 1/3 inch 5 shot groups. I even shot a groundhog sized rock at 700 with it. And I shot water bottles off a backer at 500. I like to say I did it with a 7 inch barreled 220 swift.

So, what does that mean? NOTHING.

It only says I am a cheap stinker and my barrel was an odd duck. Yours may poop out any day, or it may go another twenty years. You will know. In the mean time, order a new one and have it ready. Itll be cheaper that way.

 

[jelenko]

I had a 1050's vintage bull barrel 220 swift of unknown history. Probably a Douglas barrel. It shot horribly for ten rounds from a spotless clean. Then it hung in at 1/4 inch groups thru about #25. Then it opened up to softball sized groups. It had no throat to mention. I hung bullets barely in the case to lessen "jump". I learned to partly clean it (it had one spot about 3/4 the way up the barrel that always felt sticky) and it would shoot thru the groundhog season, 15 rounds between cleaning. It embarrassed quite a few brand new groundhog rifles.

When I finally got tired of cleaning it, I replaced it. Then I bore scoped it. only the last seven inches had good non-pitted, non worn rifling. The throat started showing some sort of rifling about four inches up. The rest of the barrel looked like a western PA tar and chip road in springtime. Those first four inches looked like an alligator boot.
The season before I retired it I went 11 straight on groundhogs with the longest being just over 600 yards, the shortest 335. It was still shooting 1/3 inch 5 shot groups. I even shot a groundhog sized rock at 700 with it. And I shot water bottles off a backer at 500. I like to say I did it with a 7 inch barreled 220 swift.

So, what does that mean? NOTHING.

It only says I am a cheap stinker and my barrel was an odd duck. Yours may poop out any day, or it may go another twenty years. You will know. In the mean time, order a new one and have it ready. Itll be cheaper that way.

But, a cool story!

 

[snert]

But, a cool story!

I still have that barrel hanging in the basement rafters, just to remind me that worn out can still surprise ya.

 

[wildcatter]

On my 6mm AI barrel it was fried for about 5" and was still shooting .3's. But when it got so bad that I needed to clean the copper after about 6 or 8 shots, to keep accuracy I still was good with it,,,, till it started taking 20 or 30 patches and over an hour to clean. It was so bad it just wasn't worth the work anymore for just a half dozen shots. But I've seen barrels look wasted, that shot great. When, the only way to know is keep shootin it, it'll let you know when.

 

[WyleWD]

My favorite 22 BR barrel is getting a noticeable amount of firecracking about 4 inches forward of the chamber. How much before the barrel gives up?

Keep shooting it, but get another barrel on order or get in line with your gunsmith to have one chambered. JME. WD

 

[pdog06]

My favorite 22 BR barrel is getting a noticeable amount of firecracking about 4 inches forward of the chamber. How much before the barrel gives up?

Only the first 4” ? You got some life left…lol

How about the throat wear? How much farther off the lands are you than you were originally? You may just need to keep seating the bullets out farther as the throat wear to maintain accuracy.
I did just that with my 22/250 barrel. 2000 rounds on barrel and Firecracking is about 8”. When my groups opened up(went from 1/2”or better to 3/4-1”) I noticed I was now .040” further off due to the throat wear. Next reload I seated .040 further out and immediately was shooting groups in the .3”s. Third time I have adjusted this though and I’m running out of neck to seat further with this bullet, so soon I will be replacing the barrel anyway, but I will know I got out of it all I could…lol

 

[Longtrain]

I was concerned when one of my barrels had significant fire cracking. A seasoned shooter took a look and told me it can get pretty ugly and still shoot. But, once your bullets start going poof before they reach the target, you know your barrel is toast.

It lasted quite a bit longer before I pulled it off. When I put a new barrel on, I’ll get another ordered and have it on the shelf. One time my barrel was about to go and the gunsmith was 4-6 months out, so, I order early. Nice seeing them on the shelf.

If your barrel is really getting ready to go, it might benefit from a Tubb Throat Maintenance Kit bullets with a light abrasive that may help to knock the teeth off those big fire cracked edges and give it a bit more life until a new barrel is ready.