Wearing out a HUNTING rifle?

elKrusto

elKrusto

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I am just wondering if any of you have any real life experience in wearing out a rifle that has been used for hunting?
Lets use this criteria:
1. The rifle is of high quality. (example: Winchester model 70/brno etc.)
2. To start with it was in new or excellent condition.
3. Presume it was cleaned and maintained properly.
4. Presume it was only fired using factory ammo, or no high pressure reloads.
5. Presume it was in a standard velocity caliber. (example: 243 win/270win/7-08/30-06 etc.)
6. Presume it was used maybe 20-30 times a season, and fired maybe 20-30 shots per year.
I have heard stories of guys owning and using one rifle exclusively for their entire hunting careers, but nobody I know personally has this experience. I seem to get bored and move on to the next one thinking it might be the best thing since sliced bread......
Could a guy use a Winchester model 70 extreme weather rifle exclusively for the next 25-30 years? what do you guys think?
Elkrusto.
 
As long as its taken care of I would say 100 years no problem.
My grandpa bought his first deer rifle in his early teens (must have been around the mid to late 40's). It was a Winchester Model 64 30-30. Used it his whole life, passed it down to my uncle, when he passed away I received it.
To this day the gun still shoots great! It has definitely seen better days but its still going strong.
Not at the 100 year mark yet but I have a good feeling it'll make it there.
 
Yes you could use 1rifle exclusively and never wear it out in your lifetime however I fail to understand why anyone would want to limit themselves to using only 1?????

Seriously, I just don't get it
 
You will get hunting accuracy out of a barrel for 600 - 10 000 shots depending on the cartridge and how picky you are.

6mmBR.com has a barrel life calculator that gives a rough guess on barrel life for benchrest accuracy. Extreme overbore cartridges (7mm RUM, .30-378 WBY ect.) calculate out to about 600 rounds. 300 Win Mag about 1800, .308 about 3800. This is for benchrest accuracy though, hunting accuracy should be much longer.

However, a hunting rifle is not worn out with the barrel. Barrels are easily replaced, and if you shoot a lot they are just another consumable. The action itself is good indefinitely if cared for. A hunting rifle will last several lifetimes with a barrel change every now and then depending on how often you shoot.
 
Well after owning and selling too many firearms in the past 40 years or so, I am thinking of downsizing my collection that's all. I don't think I could ever only own one rifle, but I was thinking of slowing down a bit and maybe just sticking with one I could use exclusively and a couple of spares incase I break the main one? ....... I was curious to hear from anybody that might have lived with only one, or how many actually wore something out that's all.
 
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elKrusto said:
Well after owning and selling maybe 300 different firearms in the past 40 years or so, I am thinking of downsizing my collection that's all. I don't think I could ever only own one rifle, but I was thinking of slowing down a bit and maybe just sticking with one I could use exclusively and a couple of spares incase I break the main one? I am crazily thinking of slowly selling off a few here and there in phases. Once I have mourned a few leaving, and getting used to it, I could let a couple more go maybe....... I was curious to hear from anybody that might have lived with only one, or how many actually wore something out that's all.
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I've used one for the majority of the last 25 years - probably 75% of all of the game I have shot in that time frame. It is just so good that, even though I try something else, I just keep coming back to it. Maybe you have a rifle like that in your collection.
 
I'd say improper storage and cleaning would be a bigger enemy than firing too many rounds.
 
The highest volume "hunting" rifles would be something like a sporterized M1917, enfield, or 1903. Who would really have a clue the round count before the sporterization.

My father had a nice 1903. Ate a lot of Moose shot with that rifle, it wore a straight 4x with a german #4 reticle.

People always talk about "barrel burners". Thing is those rifles are typically not benchrest .....high volume...plinkers. My first 264 was shot alot....Probably my rifle with the worst reputation is my 375 rum. Bought in 2001, it has less than 150 down the pipe. I bought a identical take off barrel on the EE.
 
Used as a typical hunting rifle, it will outlast all of us, assuming it has a moderate amount of maintenance done to it. Most hunting rifles don't get shot much, so barrel wear isn't an issue. My 300 WSM that Bill Leeper built for me a ling time ago is now starting to see some barrel wear. The throat is much longer than when new, and it's not quite as accurate as it used to be, although still more than accurate enough for hunting. For a few years I was shooting this rifle quite a bit, so it has over 2500 rounds through it.

I would say that is the exception rather than the rule with hunting rifles. There are lots of 50 year old hunting rifles with less than 250 rounds through them!!
 
My older brother and I have the identical rifles a Weatherby Mark V Stainless Synthetic 300 Wby, 10lbs scoped, he's used it for almost 30 years and he even packed it on a 12 day fly in Stone Sheep hunt, he loves his rifle, its accurate and he's very comfortable shooting it, he says its good for everything in BC.....I don't need anything else......me on the other hand I change rifles weekly !
 
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It always makes me wonder about how little some shoot their hunting rifles... the one rifle that culminates in the most important shots that you will take... guys shoot a box of shells to sight in (if that) and then don't touch it again... many don't even recheck and confirm POI in subsequent seasons. Trigger time and getting comfortable with a rifle is important... it breeds familiarity and confidence and removes any nagging doubts regarding trajectory and POI at the moment of truth. You don't have to shoot thousands of rounds, but enough to be 100% confident, and this should be done before and during each season.
 
hoytcanon said:
It always makes me wonder about how little some shoot their hunting rifles... the one rifle that culminates in the most important shots that you will take... guys shoot a box of shells to sight in (if that) and then don't touch it again... many don't even recheck and confirm POI in subsequent seasons. Trigger time and getting comfortable with a rifle is important... it breeds familiarity and confidence and removes any nagging doubts regarding trajectory and POI at the moment of truth. You don't have to shoot thousands of rounds, but enough to be 100% confident, and this should be done before and during each season.
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Exactly.
 
I shoot my hunting rifles a lot, probably due to the fact I'm not a "natural" shot and need practice to maintain my mediocre marksmanship. My 280 which is my go to gun that was built by HS Precision in the early 80's is on its 8'th barrel with about 40k down the various tubes. I enjoy shooting from unsupported positions so I tend to send a lot of rounds downrange. I have other rifles I shoot but this is my favourite and although I'm slowing down I still like to go out and pop a few caps.
 
hoytcanon said:
It always makes me wonder about how little some shoot their hunting rifles... the one rifle that culminates in the most important shots that you will take... guys shoot a box of shells to sight in (if that) and then don't touch it again... many don't even recheck and confirm POI in subsequent seasons. Trigger time and getting comfortable with a rifle is important... it breeds familiarity and confidence and removes any nagging doubts regarding trajectory and POI at the moment of truth. You don't have to shoot thousands of rounds, but enough to be 100% confident, and this should be done before and during each season.
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The first part of that is scary true Hoyt and the second part is great advice for anyone getting into hunting and shooting. Nothing better than quality, well practiced trigger time. Specially from field positions.


hunter5425 said:
I shoot my hunting rifles a lot, probably due to the fact I'm not a "natural" shot and need practice to maintain my mediocre marksmanship. My 280 which is my go to gun that was built by HS Precision in the early 80's is on its 8'th barrel with about 40k down the various tubes. I enjoy shooting from unsupported positions so I tend to send a lot of rounds downrange. I have other rifles I shoot but this is my favourite and although I'm slowing down I still like to go out and pop a few caps.
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That is awesome! Partly because I too love the 280 and partly because of the great dedication and effort put into mastering your weapon.

I’ve been guilty lately of not practicing nearly enough to the point that this season I didn’t even take my rifle out after big game. Partly because life’s been to gong show busy and partly because of been trying to hunt birds as much as I can.

Younger me used to have much more time. I used to pick a handload combo that I’d daydreamed about trying and that shot accurately from the bench that I was to use for the season. Once proven accurate on the bench I #### from the field positions and in the actual field all spring and summer. Either a handful of rounds sitting, kneeling, etc while at the range shooting other guns, or sometimes I’d wander the hills, sagebrush etc sniping magpies, crows, coyotes etc. sometimes just shooting rocks. The combination of shooting various positions and ranges built confidence like I haven’t had since lol.
 
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