Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Question / Who here has actually shot out a rifle barrel

I finished off a Husqvarna .30-06 barrel that my late uncle had started. Dumbest thing I ever did. There's no reason I can see to shoot a big game rifle that much. I can stay in practice and good form with rimfires and varmint rifles.

Have shot out several, a Cheetah, my .22-250 is on its third barrel.. A .264.. My old .300 is on its 3rd barrel.. It will out last me unless something unusual happens.. Lots of $ to do that, but it was as they say, one hell of a ride..

Barrels are like brakes on a car. If you drive it, they wear out eventually. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't drive your car.

I replaced a 270 win barrel at about 1800 rounds, but not because it was shot out. Just wanted to do a 280 Ack.

I smoked a 7 mag barrel with not all that many rounds. It seemed like a real tight barrel and my loads were pretty warm.

It now wears a Criterion barrel and is unbelievably accurate.

I have an NULA in 7x61 Sharpe & Hart; an extremely accurate rifle with most bullets I've tried and I've tried many, too many in fact.

I kept track of actual rounds fired through about five-hundred, beyond that I had to refer to my range notes and count groups, almost all of which were logged in. At approximately 900 rounds, accuracy suffered a small but noticeable decline. Still great hunting accuracy. At approximately 1200 rounds, I might get an occasional 3/4" group, but most were on the order of 1 1/2" or greater.

The bore-scoped throat looked bad. I called Melvin Forbes and before I told him how many rounds I had fired, he asked, "Have you put a thousand rounds through it yet?" He knew very well how long a 7mm Magnum barrel would shoot with excellent accuracy. Less than I thought.

Mr. Forbes put a new Douglas barrel on it about three years ago and now it's due for a third one, but I'm about finished with load development.

When I was actively competing in high-power silhouette I would shoot out a barrel within less than a year - 243, 260, 7/08. But to be fair they got run hard and hot - 5 shots in 2-1/2 minutes, a minute break and then another 5 shots in 2-1/2 minute. The 7/08 would last the longest, usually around 2000 rounds before they went, the 243 and 260 were gone around 1200 - 1500 rounds. In every case when they went bad they seemed to go from acceptable accuracy to BAD almost overnight.

I have two 223's that are both on their 3rd barrels, accuracy on both of them are honest 5 shot half-inch group rifles, in every case around 5000 rounds they started opening up to 3/4 to one inch with the odd flyer, at that point they were rebarreled. They were both run long and hot in the PD fields though.

I have a 22 l.r. with over 75000 rounds through it and it is still shooting great so no worries there.

drover

In the course of over 40 years of competitive high power rifle shooting, I have worn out more than a few barrels. What most people understand as "worn out" is actually throat erosion.

I normally started with a 26" barrel and, after about 2000-2500 rounds, when the 600 yard scores start to suffer, I would have the chamber cut off and the barrel rechambered, which would make it good for another 2000-2500 rounds. Usually the barrel shot better after rechambering than it did originally.

I used mild loads, particularly those used for short range (200 yards), which includes strings of rapid fire: 10 shots in 60 seconds in a sitting position, starting from a standing position, so the actual time available to fire is about 38 seconds, given that it takes about 12 seconds to get into position, and eight or ten seconds to reload after the first two or five rounds.

At 300 yards, the time limit is 70 seconds and the ultimate position is prone, also starting from standing, but the bullet weight and the load is generally heavier, resulting in greater recoil to recover from and greater potential erosion.

I have never "shot out" a sporter barrel, but I don't use particularly hot loads and avoid "over bore capacity" cartridges, both of which contribute to throat erosion.

I don't have enough spare time to shoot one out.