Wearing out a HUNTING rifle?
- Thread starter elKrusto
- Start date
Both my dad and grandfather when hunting big game shot one round before they hunt and one to kill 99% of the times
In those days like they said bullets are expensive and cannot be wasted
Cheers
When the question can be rephrased as "Will a box a year hunter shoot out his barrel", don't be surprised when tne answer is no.
Change it around to magnum cartridges, a desire for long range accuracy and someone who actually likes shooting and its rather easy to shoot out a barrel or three every year or so. Try it with one rifle and it will spend more time on the gunsmiths rack than your own.
Change it around to magnum cartridges, a desire for long range accuracy and someone who actually likes shooting and its rather easy to shoot out a barrel or three every year or so. Try it with one rifle and it will spend more time on the gunsmiths rack than your own.
I would contend that barrel wear shouldn’t be considered wearing out a rifle.
No argument there. I don't know how many rounds it will take to wear out a Mdl 70 action, and I doubt most of us will find out.
They keep making barrels and I'll keep swapping them out. Had to swap out 3 of my barrels this year, although I didn't get to pull the trigger on all the rounds fired.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Exactly, my sported 43 Longbranch is still shooting good groups and lord knows how many rounds it’s shot. If I do my part it can shoot 1”-1 1/2” five shot groups at 100y. I love shooting that rifle, I doubt I’ll wear it out in my lifetime and I shoot it regularly. It’s still wearing the original 2 grove barrel.
Spot on, I def will confirm my zero once or twice during the season. I enjoy shooting all my hunting guns during and after the season. Knowing it will do what you want it to is just peace of mind. I’d rather be a shooter that hunts and knows my gear than a hunter that barely shoots their guns.
3,500 out of my Tikka T3x 223 still shoots good (five shot strings) with little cooling (about the time it takes to put one in the chamber and four in the magazine. If I happen to free bore the barrel so let it be it doesn't bother me at all.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I'm in the same boat. Fried one 22-250 out in a Ruger 77 in the 70's using hot loads for "running deer" target shooting. The rifling ahead of the chamber was cooked for about 3" but the rifle could still put shots inside half inch at 100 yds. I would have to call that method "Red Neck Free-Boring".
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Bevan King had a Parker Hale 243 that he used for shooting 'roos in Australia. He gave it to his brother before he came to Canada. If I am remembering correctly, he told me it had over 9000 round through it, and it was till more than accurate enough for hunting.
When he went back ten years later, his brother was still hunting with the same rifle, and had put a few thousand more down the same barrel.
Ted
When he went back ten years later, his brother was still hunting with the same rifle, and had put a few thousand more down the same barrel.
Ted
I have a Remington 700 "Classic" chambered 6mm Remington. It is a hunting rifle, and with it I have shot a lot
of game. However, I also competed with it in "Rifleman's Rodeo" and some other hunting oriented games.
It is now wearing it's 3rd barrel, an 8 twist JC. The Pac-Nor that came off had no rifling for at least 4" from
the throat, and it still shot 1½ - 2" groups. The bolt and receiver have not had any type of service work done
beyond truing up when the second barrel was fitted. IIRC, the Pac-Nor had about 6500 rounds through it. Dave.
of game. However, I also competed with it in "Rifleman's Rodeo" and some other hunting oriented games.
It is now wearing it's 3rd barrel, an 8 twist JC. The Pac-Nor that came off had no rifling for at least 4" from
the throat, and it still shot 1½ - 2" groups. The bolt and receiver have not had any type of service work done
beyond truing up when the second barrel was fitted. IIRC, the Pac-Nor had about 6500 rounds through it. Dave.
Potato boy
Regular
- Location
- North of the mountain
I’ve read of professional hunters wearing out rifles, Finn Agard wrote of his father putting over 7000 rounds through a 7x57. He said it still fired but the accuracy had gotten so poor that it was no longer serviceable. I personally wore out a mossberg ultimag 12 gauge. It took ten years, but I wore it out. That is a different animal however.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Believe the thread was about "standard" calibers. Fortunately, i own enough rifles, that none should feel neglected.
I get a load i like. Leave it alone. Time on the trigger gets spread, which keeps the important thing....the indian .....reasonably competent.
Yeah; standard caliber 20-30 shots per year, 25-30 years. There only one answer.
