Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How much is enough?

Dr. Howell-

In regards to the statement that lower peak pressures (thus lower temperature) equates to longer barrel throat life, how much of a difference is enough? Or more appropriately, how much difference would you guess is needed to see a marked difference in throat life? My reason for asking is that I'm putting together a .264 Win, but the barrel (6.5-06 now) is used. I'm thinking that if I load the Win to the performance of the -06 version I should get more barrel life that way. Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

This is an educated guess* but should be close enough to be a good general prediction:

With the 140-grain Hornady A-Max seated deep enough to make the over-all cartridge length 3.340 inches (SAAMI maximum), 66.2 grains of Ramshot Magnum (case about 94% full) should give you about 3,100 ft/sec from a 26-inch barrel, at a peak pressure about 50,000 lb/sq in. (maximum for long barrel life).

*by computer simulation

Thanks for the info. I'll give it a whirl when I get the rifle up and running.

Pointer-Campfire Guide is correct about 50,000 psi loads cutting temperatures
back to help barrel life.If you could stand to go back to 40-45000 psi loads
you could eliminate erosion altogether.Ed.

Ken--Isn't the reason the 264 fell out of favor because it wore out barrels
to fast, was the overbore characteristics of the cartridge for the powders of the day, while running
to high of pressures?I even see it today with local pyros buying 30-378,
and reloading, but they won't buy the slower powders.They want to do it all with IMR3031 and IMR4350. They scare me.Ed.