Barrel life

Sniffer

Sniffer

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I`m in the market for a precision rifle and have narrowed it down to either an Enhanced Ruger Precision or the new Savage Stealth

Both are pretty similar and I`m hoping to find somewhere that I can handle them and make a decision

I started off wanting the 6.5 Creedmoor but after some discussions decided a 308 would be more cost effective to start with (cheaper ammo & more reloading options) although I know the 6.5 is superior ballistically

Another reason I was leaning towards the 308 is barrel life - one guy I spoke with reckoned that a 308 barrel could be good for ~10,000 rounds but that a 6.5 Creedmoor would be garbage after just ~3000. I also read somewhere that 6.5 barrels are past their best after 300 rounds which is pretty scary

Does anyone own both? How long can you reasonably expect out of each?
 
There are a ton of options but they depend on budget, if you load your own ammo, etc,

The 6.5 x 284 is a hot round used in precision long range shooting. With this round you are lucky to get 1000 rounds on a barrel.

The dominant failure mode for a barrel is typically throat erosion or cracking. The hotter the load the shorter the barrel life as a general rule.

You cannot go wrong with a 308 if you are not making your own ammo.

Cheers
 
long range shooter said:
There are a ton of options but they depend on budget, if you load your own ammo, etc,

The 6.5 x 284 is a hot round used in precision long range shooting. With this round you are lucky to get 1000 rounds on a barrel.

The dominant failure mode for a barrel is typically throat erosion or cracking. The hotter the load the shorter the barrel life as a general rule.

You cannot go wrong with a 308 if you are not making your own ammo.

Cheers
Click to expand...

To clarify, this is 6.5 Creedmoor you're referring to?

Sounds like the 308 is the best option......
 
Perspective-

6.5 Creedmoor goes ~3000-3500 rounds.
Purchasing longrange match ammunition at a cost of $49.99 per box of 20rds.

$7500 - $8750 plus your applicable taxes.

Figuring that, how soon do you plan on putting that many rounds downrange?

Not trying to sell you on either caliber but I think people put far too much emphasis on barrel life.
 
You've got to pay to play. No different than anything else.

If you're worrying about picking a caliber based on barrel life now, you'll only be looking forward to changing the barrel when it starts to wear out down the road- there's a lot of learning between now and then. Pick what you fancy and move on.
 
The comment about the barrel reaching it peak at 300 is incorrect. At 300 rounds a barrel has reached it prime. Usually by this point it has broken in and speeds have settled down.
Barrel life is directly affected by how hard you run your ammo. I know FTR 308 barrels done at under 2400 running 185 or heavier bullets very fast.
As for 6.5 creedmoor you should be good for 3000+ rounds. I have just switched over and expect 2500 running it hard for competition.
308 with factory rounds I would expect 5000.
If you are not competing go with the 308 if you want to be competitive 6.5 all the way.
Ryan
 
Im shooting a 260rem and at about 1200 -1300 rounds im still not over the barrels "velocity hump". The 6.5cm will be very similar.

If you look at the cost of ammo and time it takes to shoot out a barrel you are more likely to get bored of the factory barrel and want to switch to a match barrel before its worn out. So the caliber you choose isn't all that important because you can switch calibers for the new barrel.
 
Shooter ----/ said:
Perspective-

6.5 Creedmoor goes ~3000-3500 rounds.
Purchasing longrange match ammunition at a cost of $49.99 per box of 20rds.

$7500 - $8750 plus your applicable taxes.

Figuring that, how soon do you plan on putting that many rounds downrange?

Not trying to sell you on either caliber but I think people put far too much emphasis on barrel life.
Click to expand...

This very much.

I was recently running some math on my loading costs and barrel cost/usage is not an issue for me now (I mean if it had a 800 rd barrel life maybe).

The cheapest I can get my loads is about a $1.00 per (this is for 308, dont even get me started on a 6.5 with Bergers...)- if I shoot 3,000 rounds/year I am spending a lot more on ammo/getting to and from the range/time than I am a barrel.
 
I get this question asked all the time and the answer remains the same... It DEPENDS.

Compete at higher level F class and that 308 may start to get tired at 1500rds, that 7mm at 1000rds.... load to moderate pressures for min of rock at moderate ranges, that life could be several times this.

I have shot in searing AZ heat string fire and did more damage over 200rds, then most will do in 2000rds.... Very obvious fire cracking in a barrel that came home with just over 1000rds fired... in a "308". The twin of this barrel has gone through 2000rds and looks like new compared to this one.... pair firing in moderate temps.

So there is never going to be a definitive answer...useage and accuracy needs will determine the useable limits. Shooting is expensive... missing even more so. When asked about setting a barrel back and other methods to prolong useable life, my suggestion is always put that money towards a new pipe. The exception would be seating longer to chase the throat.

cost to set back is not much more then a new install, it takes ammo and time to retune a barrel and that costs money too, and useable life is going to be far shorter then original.... so that 1/2" set back really is false economy (besides most barrels have damage a few inches down the bore by then). Now if you can find F class shooters parting with their long shank barrels, these can be great to rework for short barreled applications ie make a 22 or 24" barrel out of a 30- 32" pipe.

That would extend the life of the barrel...

personally, my PRS type rifles will use prefit barrels. 2 prefits cost a bit more then 1 gunsmith install and the swap takes minute.... shoot with similar accuracy. I don't get attached to these barrels cause it is cheaper to replace when accuracy starts to fade then try to fix. I see more and more PRS competitors are starting to see the value to this concept.... as are the makers of custom actions.

Jerry
 
You're worried about barrel life at 3000 rounds? I shot my RPR a lot, I bought it in May, shot every chance I got, and I'm only up to maybe 600rds through it till now, that's like 5 years if I shoot the same amount, which I probly won't.

On top of that, a prefit barrel really reasonable. Don't sacrifice the caliber you want for .308 if you're worried about barrel life. I probly won't own the rifle long enough to burn through 3000 rounds
 
dastt said:
You're worried about barrel life at 3000 rounds? I shot my RPR a lot, I bought it in May, shot every chance I got, and I'm only up to maybe 600rds through it till now, that's like 5 years if I shoot the same amount, which I probly won't.

On top of that, a prefit barrel really reasonable. Don't sacrifice the caliber you want for .308 if you're worried about barrel life. I probly won't own the rifle long enough to burn through 3000 rounds
Click to expand...

I'm running on near 2500 round outta my DT since may... all depends on how much you shoot...
 
Great read gentlemen! Lots of info I havent considered or put little thought into. At the risk of hijacking the thread, how does a .260 rem compared to the 6.5 Creedmore in terms of barrel life?
 
Lots of good advice here. Ask yourself how often your realistically get yourself out to the range to shoot. If you actually get to the range every weekend and shoot 100 rounds you're looking at 5200 rounds a year. Myself, I get out at most once every second weekend and can't see myself shooting more than 50 rounds a weekend so that's a max of 1300 rounds a year. So to be extra realistic, I can't see myself ever shooting more than 1000 rounds a year. With that in mind, my 6.5CM should last me 3 years.
 
The biggest factor is definitely what you expect out of it.
A 1-2moa average rifle will keep shooting that for quite a while... maybe a lifetime, one that is expected to shoot 1/4moa for 12-20rounds, not so much, but that also usually won't be an out of the box rifle.
 
OP buy the savage, then let us know how it runs. I have held both. The Savage feels lighter for hunting and sparks my interest. Although the new CTR felt good too. I would pick the 308
 
Shooter ----/ said:
Perspective-

6.5 Creedmoor goes ~3000-3500 rounds.
Purchasing longrange match ammunition at a cost of $49.99 per box of 20rds.

$7500 - $8750 plus your applicable taxes.

Figuring that, how soon do you plan on putting that many rounds downrange?

Not trying to sell you on either caliber but I think people put far too much emphasis on barrel life.
Click to expand...

I've only shot one precision match. Between sighting in and the match itself, I loaded over 300 rounds. I only have a handful left. So, in 10 matches. For me, that's acceptable because it may be a long time between matches.
 
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