Barrel Life

Bronco Boy

Bronco Boy

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A thread in the Hunting and Sporting Arms Forum has got me thinking about barrel life. With the following popular cartridges how many rounds can on average can TYPICALLY be fired before the barrel should be replaced. I’m sure there are lots of variables; just looking for some general guidelines and averages. Assume all ammo is factory or loaded well within the recommended specs.

  • 204 Ruger
  • 22-250 Rem
  • 223 Rem
  • 243 Win
  • 30-30 Win
  • 30-06 Sping
  • 308 Win
  • 7mm Rem Mag
  • 300 RUM – 1500?
  • 338 Win Mag
  • 375 H&H
  • 416 Rigby
  • 45-70 Gov

I put 1500 beside the 300 RUM because that was the number given by a respected poster in another thread in the Hunting and Sporting Arms Forum. If you disagree with this number please change it.

Other questions about barrel life and replacement:

How much, on average, does it cost to install a new barrel?

How will you know when it’s time to get a new barrel? How bad does the accuracy get in a worn out barrel?

What happens? Why does the barrel wear out?

Can a person who knows what they are doing tell a very used barrel by inspecting it or does it need to be shot to be tested?

Thanks for educating us less experienced shooters!
 
Barrel wear is caused by propellant gasses eroding the barrel beginning at the rifling immediately in front of the lead of the chamber. That is why some barrels can be cut, re-chambered and re-threaded to extend their life.

As a rule of thumb, a cartridge with a powder charge 1/3, or less of the weight of it's bullet produces better barrel life than a cartridge with greater powder to bullet weight ratio, all other things being equal. The exception to the rule is .224 bore rifles which seem to have an optimum barrel life with as much as 32 grs of powder with normal weight bullets.

The actual volume of powder perhaps surprisingly seems to have little to do with barrel life. The .50 BMG consumes 245 grs of powder with each shot, and pushes a 750 gr bullet down the barrel, yet barrel life is reported to be pretty good when used in bolt action rifles. My .375 Ultra has seen a round count past 2000, and shoots as well as it did new. I doubt if a .300 Ultra would do as well, and if a shooter wasn't careful a .30-378 burning 20% more powder could loose it's accuracy edge by the time a good load had been worked up. In bench rest circles the .243 Winchester has a reputation as a barrel burner, and the dedicated 6mm bench rest rounds all have smaller case capacities and better barrel life.

This is useful measure only if all the rounds in question are fired at the same rate. A .308 bolt action target rifle could have a barrel life up to 10,000 rounds depending on a number of factors, not the least of which is the level of accuracy we are prepared to live with. On the other hand, a gas gun chambered for .308, with a match grade barrel the equal of the bolt action, could expect shorter life due to that rifle's ability to fire a large number of rounds in a short period of time.

There are other elements which effect barrel life, such as the choice of bullet. A heavy bullet uses less powder in the same cartridge than a lighter bullet to reach the same pressure, a bullet with a shorter bearing surface is pushed down the barrel with less pressure than a bullet of equal weight with a longer bearing surface, and cast lead bullets are pushed down the bore with less pressure than jacketed bullets of equal weight. The choice of powder can have an effect of barrel life. The ambient temperature on the days of shooting and the weight of the barrel will determines how well the barrel dissipates heat built up through firing.

The greatest accuracy killer controlled by the shooter is the choice and use of the cleaning rod, but that's another topic.
 
Use a rod guide! When possible, clean from the breach. If possible use a one piece coated rod, or a one piece steel rod. As a last resort use a jointed steel rod. When patching out a barrel, only push the patch through in one direction, and only use a patch once.

Do not use cheap aluminum jointed rods. Do not use a stainless steel brush - especially not in a stainless barrel. Do not allow ammonia based solvents to evaporate until dry inside the barrel as rust and pitting will result.

You can allow an ammonia based solvent to sit in the bore a little longer than recommended provided that the bore is made very wet with the solvent and the bore is plugged at both ends with wet patches to prevent air flow. Even so, half an hour is as long as I would leave the stuff in any barrel I cared about.

To the extent possible, use solvents rather than brushes to remove copper fouling and clean often to reduce the amount of time the barrel must be exposed to solvents. I often clean with a foaming bore cleaner (Wipe Out is my choice) and let the barrel sit overnight then patch it out in the morning. I will follow up with an ammonia based solvent (Sweets)to be sure nothing is left behind if the fouling was particularly heavy.

Soak the patch with ammonia solvent, then work the patch back and forth progressing a couple of inches at a time through the barrel to ensure all surfaces become soaked with the solvent. Be sure to wash off brass jags to remove all residue of the ammonia, you can user warm soapy water but I usually use diesel fuel or kerosene.

Use 100% cotton patches for best results. The patch should be a snug fit in the bore. Be sure to patch out the cleaned barrel until dry, then use a light coating or your favorite lubricant. Microlon (Gun Juice) is my favorite at the moment.

If a barrel is extremely fouled, JB Bore Cleaner or a combination of JB and Kroil might prove useful. Follow the directions provided and even barrels that are in poor shape can often be brought back from the brink.
 
IMHO...the 30/30 and the 45/70 should last forever...the rest, 2000 to 4000, the hot gases erode the throat in varying degrees, usually breech pressure is a good indicator of possible erosion factor. With these hi-pressure cals., keep them clean, and let the barrels cool down between shots at the range.
 
Can someone answer this particular question for me please?

"How much, on average, does it cost to install a new barrel?"

I'm sure there is a huge range, just trying to get a rough idea; lets say the gun is a Remington 700 non stainless.
 
Thread and chamber will run about $250. Action blue printing is about 4 hours at the shop rate. Barrel channel work is extra, bedding/ rebedding is extra. If iron sights are involved that's extra. Barrels range in cost from 50 bucks or so on the low end for new take-offs to about 5 ish for match stainless. Flutes are extra. Custom contours are extra. Sometimes factory contours are extra.
Asking what a rebarrel costs is like asking how much a truck costs. It depends. I find it hard to get out without leaving 800 or so. It's worth it.
 
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