243 Barrel Life

[Henns]

I've read a few old posts regarding .243 barrel life, and the risk of burning out the barrel by firing shots in quick sucession perhaps during target shooting.

I don't use my .243 for targets, but it did make me wonder, a few weeks ago, I shot three fox cubs (using 90grain Sako rounds) in relatively quick succession. Now I'm sure this is fine, but had there of been a forth or even fifth would I have been risking damage to my rifle? It's obviously not very practical to wait for things to cool in such situations!

What are peoples views on this?

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

You won't burn one out in a sporting situation

Long strings are 10-15 and more with no cooling
Volume is 1000's not 100's

drop in accuracy is gradual not sudden shift from sub MOA to 3-4-5 MOA

target shooters shooting a rifle that holds 0.1MOA that see a shift to 0.2 or 0.3 MOA as they get into 1000s of rounds will replace a barrel

sporting shooters happy with 1/2-2/3" groups from factory ammo on a wet wednesday off the bonnet of the landy won't see that shift


Rust kills barrels in sporting rifles long before shots do

 

[bluesako]

henns don't worry+1 as above go out and enjoy you will be an old man by the time you need a new barrel

 

[ejg]

Normally one reads that hot barrels lead to quicker wear. Heckler & Koch who actually manufacture huge numbers of semi and full auto rifles say the opposite. They have tried to understand why the accuracy of range rifles (German army for example) that were used with single fire 5 shot strings etc. lost accuracy with less shots than rifles that ran full auto mode.
There are different factors contributing to wear, one of them is fire cracking due to thermal shock behaviour. Hot steel is less sensitive to thermal shock which can lead to less wear if a barrel is hot. I think this was the reasoning behind the H&K theory and tests done.

In your case I would not worry one bit. Hotter loads will be the biggest reason to quicker wear as well as luck of having a good barrel.

edi

 

[Henns]

Thanks all for the detailed and interesting replies, certainly put my mind at rest.

 

[oregon]

I reckon it pays to think of rifle barrels as consumables if you shoot a lot of rounds. If you ever add up the cost of ammunition alone to burn out a .243 with sensible loads, having it re-barreled is just par for the course. If you ever do decide to use your .243 for targets and plan to send a lot of rounds downrange, you always have the option of cast lead bullets which basically will never wear your barrel out. I use a Lyman 245496 gas-checked hardcast bullet over Alliant 2400 powder for targets to 250m, then clean the barrel and dial in my scope turrets for my hunting loads for the rifle's other duties. You'd be amazed how accurate cast bullets can be in .243 and they're cute little things too!

 

[bogtrotter]

Approximately 30,000 and still going strong,will outlast me I think.

 

[levigsp]

Approximately 30,000 and still going strong,will outlast me I think.

Agreed, I'm in the same boat.

 

[Effnjeff]

Approximately 30,000 and still going strong,will outlast me I think.

Is that full power copper jacket loads?

 

[lochty]

My last 243 barrel lasted about 3300 rounds before accuracy dropped off, going from a sub 1" group, to about 2.5". A look at the barrel confirmed z bit of wear, and as I could afford to replace the barrel, I did clean it regularly. Your round count will need to be substantial before you need to replace it.

 

[bogtrotter]

Is that full power copper jacket loads?

Mostly home loads but not exclusively, and loaded for most accurate load not max load, a stalking rifle so never more than five shots at a time without a chance to cool and not often that many.

Had the crown touched up a few years ago when accuracy started to fall of a bit, not one hole accurate but perfectly acceptable as a stalking rifle.

It is still capable of shooting better than I can.

 

[Dawnrazor]

The first barrel on my Rem 700, the factory one, lasted 20 years and 6/7000 rounds and it was never cleaned, not once!!!! I look after the new barrel better!!