How many rounds can a .243 barrel take?

[ruby tuesday]

Great to hear things are moving on Mike have to catch up soon or at least have a natter its been a while.

 

[terrier]

I asked a gunsmith about barrel life. He reckoned between 8 and 12 seconds...

 

[Greener Jim]

I asked a gunsmith about barrel life. He reckoned between 8 and 12 seconds...

Like it!

 

[Long drag]

+ 1

 

[Benji53]

I shot one out in 1600 but you can't tell unless your shooting out a distance mine was fine at 100m but was all over at 3 and 4

 

[Woodsmoke]

I asked a gunsmith about barrel life. He reckoned between 8 and 12 seconds...

This is interesting

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/facts-about-barrel-life/

 

[Mungo]

In my experience, ask a gunsmith and they'll say 1000-2000 at most.

Ask a stalker and they'll say 'um...dunno, never counted. Lots.'

I am extremely wary of claims that you will notice any effect on effective stalking accuracy in a stalking gun (ie, one that's used to shoot one or two shots at a time), under stalking conditions. My experience has been that 'worn barrel' is an excuse used by bad gunsmiths for errors elsewhere.

 

[The deer man]

My last 243 shot 80gr bullets into 1/4" at 100 yards more easily than me! By about 4000 rounds it started to open up and at about 5000 rounds it could still group under 1" which is fine for stalking. Strangely 100gr bullets would only shoot about 1" from new and still shot about 1" when I sold it after about 5000 rounds, I never saw any accuracy drop off with that weight.

 

[John Gryphon]

Bit like asking some old moll in a brothel the same question.
There are so many variables that come into it!

 

[bogtrotter]

In my experience, ask a gunsmith and they'll say 1000-2000 at most.

Ask a stalker and they'll say 'um...dunno, never counted. Lots.'

I am extremely wary of claims that you will notice any effect on effective stalking accuracy in a stalking gun (ie, one that's used to shoot one or two shots at a time), under stalking conditions. My experience has been that 'worn barrel' is an excuse used by bad gunsmiths for errors elsewhere.

Inclined to agree have an old Sako that has fired ten times the number of rounds people are talking about here as barrel life, never shot hot rounds or long strings, just a typical stalking rifle, probably doesn't group as well as or did near!y forty years ago, can still put a bullet in the kill area at 200 yards which is all you need in a stalking rifle.

Would not worry to much about actual bullet count would be more concerned in how that count was achieved.

 

[Brimfire]

Inclined to agree have an old Sako that has fired ten times the number of rounds people are talking about here as barrel life, never shot hot rounds or long strings, just a typical stalking rifle, probably doesn't group as well as or did near!y forty years ago, can still put a bullet in the kill area at 200 yards which is all you need in a stalking rifle.

Would not worry to much about actual bullet count would be more concerned in how that count was achieved.

I read somewhere that it is all about how much powder has been burned rather than how many bullets, hence hot rounds equals more powder through the barrel.

 

[Conure]

It is the tempreture of the burning that is the problem damage wise. Cordite burnt extremly hotly and the very early cordite was even worse modern powdrs as a whole burn cooler and some cooler than others of course putting much more high tempreture gas through a small bore will cause more heat and wear than a smaller amount of gas through a larger bore.

 

[ejg]

Inclined to agree have an old Sako that has fired ten times the number of rounds people are talking about here as barrel life, never shot hot rounds or long strings, just a typical stalking rifle, probably doesn't group as well as or did near!y forty years ago, can still put a bullet in the kill area at 200 yards which is all you need in a stalking rifle.

Would not worry to much about actual bullet count would be more concerned in how that count was achieved.

Then again the guys at H&K proved the opposite. Rifles fired on full auto (complete 20 shot mag then cooled in water barrel over and over) vs single shots at targets gave longer accuracy. Theorie can be explained as hot steel has better thermal shock behaviour than cold steel and less fire cracking. Makes sense but mechanical wear and oxidation might be higher I think.
edi

 

[levigsp]

So I no nothing about the theory etc., what I do know is that in 29 years I have not been able to wear out or alter the accuracy of a zkk601 243.
It has fired many thousands of rounds in rain and shine and 70% of them hot rounds at that.
Now on the other hand my Brother had a voare 243 that fired the same loads and was totally shot out in 4 seasons.
So as usual its got to be down to the steel used.

 

[Conure]

So I no nothing about the theory etc., what I do know is that in 29 years I have not been able to wear out or alter the accuracy of a zkk601 243.
It has fired many thousands of rounds in rain and shine and 70% of them hot rounds at that.
Now on the other hand my Brother had a voare 243 that fired the same loads and was totally shot out in 4 seasons.
So as usual its got to be down to the steel used.

The method of barrel manufacture also has some bearing on the wear properties of the barrel. Hammer Forging alters the grain struture and work hardens the surface and so increases it's properties against wear. Tools and parts are dropped forged as this does similar things to the grain structure it is the way that forging works. Brno used what they called Poldi steel in their barrels that is a close grained steel. I remember reading the stuff that came with the new ZKK and it mentioned Poldi steel.