Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters ? for Mule Deer,,, Re: chrome lined barrels

JB,,,,,,I recently came across your Dec 10, 2014 article in the American Rifleman about the 26 Nosler. I am extremely interested in adding this cartridge to the three below.

I notice that Browning offers this round in some of its X Bolt rifles.

On the Browning site in one of their news articles written by a Browning staff member, I read that Browning is chrome lining all barrels chambered in the 26 Nosler in order to increase the barrel/barrel throat life expectancy.

I have heard of this process but have never had a reason until now to inquire for further elaboration.

If you have knowledge of the chrome lining barrel process, can you please elaborate how chrome lining extends barrel life?

My first guess, is that chrome lined barrels better resist the hotter temps and more erosion produced by overbored cartridges.

Thank you.

Yeah, that's the basic theory. But I've also seen military research indicating chrome-plating didn't significantly retard the erosion of the steel UNDER the chrome. My limited experience with a few chrome-lined barrels tends to agree with this.

My own 26 Nosler Model 48 doesn't show much throat erosion after around 250 rounds, and the Pac-Nor barrel is not chrome-lined.

......Thank you.....Between range work and hunting, I will probably run 80 to 120 rounds per year through it and letting the barrel cool down a bit in-between shots.

Based on how I will use it, the barrel should last about 10 years or so.

Thanks again.

I've heard(probably here) that chrome lining can hurt accuracy.

I like my 26 Nosler, a M-700 7RM rebarreled with a 26" #2 SS Shilen. After around 400 rounds, I can see very early erosion with the Hawkeye. Nothing to worry about, it's still a half MOA shooter.

It would be interesting to see if chrome lined barrels were as accurate as premium SS tubes.

I'm a hunter and this barrel will last me as long as I will hunt. I do have a number of rifles to shoot, so this one doesn't get all the wear.

It's a flat shooter, kicks about like a 7RM. I use 869 and 872 powder with Fed 215's, 140 NAB's/NPT's and 120 E-Tips/TTSX's.

DF

....Thanks. Good input.....Browning apparently recognized the problem ahead of time deciding to chrome line all 26 Nosler barrels.

So far, I haven't read anything about an X Bolt chambered in a 26 Nosler having accuracy issues.

While they seem to be not liked here on the Campfire you'll probably not read much about an inaccurate X-Bolt in any chambering.

bigsqueeze,

The 26 has been around long enough that Nosler's gotten plenty of feedback about barrel life. Most customers report at least 1000 rounds, or a little more, though one said his lasted 1600 rounds before accuracy deteriorated.

Of course, a lot depends on how they're shot. Getting the barrel hot means shorter barrel life, of course.

Mine has been shot more than it probably would have been by somebody else, because most shooting has been done to test loads for articles. Otherwise I might have only shot it half as much, enough to confirm its best load and then get the scope dialed-in--which didn't take much.

What scope reticle you have on your 26 Nosler John?

Going with known performing loads, as with Nosler's data, saves a lot of random firing to establish a good combo.

It's an overbore round, but as someone said, it's not really overbore if you can find slow enough powder...

So, the slowest of the slow seem optimal in this application.

With these rounds, the 6.5/300 Wby included, you're buring a LOT more powder for a little more speed, diminishing returns for sure.

But, at long range, bucking wind, they're in a class of their own.

I like mine.

DF

AMRA,

For the last year or so have had a 4-12x40 Leupold VX-R with the FireDot Wind-Plex reticle mounted on the 26, as much to test the scope as the rifle, since I'd had the rifle for long enough to try various loads. So far I like it.

I've been kind of 'eye-balling' the M48 in 26 Nosler myself. Have you run any 140gr Partitions, and if so, how's the velocity and accuracy, John?

Thanks!
Tim

Not John, obviously, but here's my set up. A Z3 4-12x50 BT with turret marked with Sharpie for yardage. It's a duplex and works well.

I got this smoke damaged 7RM BDL for cheap. I was able to use the factory stock, pillared, glassed and free floated it, added a Timney 510. I added a RUM box, made sure the box didn't bind.

Even though the 26 Nosler is a 3.4" round, I like the full 3.6" mag. Gives more room for longer COAL's.

Lot of performance on the cheap...

DF

There may be some military barrels where the chrome lined version is less accurate than the plain steel ones that has generated this myth, but I have a J.C. Higgins Model 50 bolt action that refutes it. The Model 50 uses an FN Mauser action with a chrome lined High Standard barrel and they are extremely accurate.

Chrome lining might hurt accuracy if done poorly, but if done well is no hindrance at all.

Other than the RUM box did you have to do anything else to make sure the fatter 26 Nosler round would feed well?

John how could the steel erode under the chrome? Please explain because it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Thanks.

bellydeep,

Heat is the major factor in barrel erosion, eroding the steel, which eventually causes cracking of the surface. Even if chrome-lined, the chrome can crack too, which actually accelerates erosion because cracks in surface of steel keep the super-heated gas circulating in that area, rather than blowing down the bore.

I did this with one of the J.C. Higgins rifles mentioned by natman, a .270 Winchester. Like his rifle, mine was very accurate, but eventually the accuracy started deteriorating. My bore-scope revealed that the surface throat cracked just like it would without chrome-plating. It may have taken longer, but I don't know.

One thing that can help when the cracking starts is a few fire-lapping rounds, which smooth out the cracks and slow the erosion. I did that with the .270 but it didn't help as much as it had in other rifles, so I rebarreled it to 6.5x55.

Wouldn't melonite treatment be useful in barrels for erosion prone cartridges?

That's what I have heard from people I trust, but haven't tried it yet.

Yes.

The fat Nosler round wouldn't pass between the rails, had to open them up.

JB said he had a 700 that would pass the Nosler round. My .375 H&H M-70 Classic will pass the Nosler round.

So, I guess it depends on the action. Cutting the rails back a bit isn't that big a deal, may need some tweaking for smooth feed.

DF