Barrel life

[shugie]

How much of a Savage barrel life is 1600 rounds likely to be?

In .308.

[Dangermouse]

To some extent it depends on what has been shot through the rifle, if it is super fast/hot home loads I would suspect that it is nearly due retirement. If factory loads, then possibly around half way perhaps just a bit past. I think 3000 rounds for a factory barrel is reasonably achievable.

But then depends what distances you are shooting at. It will take a lot longer to notice wear at 100 yards than 1000 yards with a sliding scale in between,

DM

[shugie]

Why does the distance matter? I don't understand.

Bloke selling it gave me load data, which actually doesn't mean anything to me. Home loading is something I might get into later.

Berger .168 HPBT
Powder VIT 150 - 44grns

Is that a 'hot' load?

[tackb]

such a variable subject!

either get a smith to look at the bore with a borescope for an opinion or keep records of accuracy performance and you should start to see when the barrel is going off?

R

[spud]

try shooting some groups @ 200 yards if you cant get to a gun smith with a borescope

ive got one here but im in narfuck

[Steve E]

I know nothing about 'factory' barrels using bespoke barrels like Kreiger, Lother Walther or Bartlien but in the Target Rifle world, barrels can last up to 12,000 rnds with care. I changed a Lother Walther that was on my target rifle at closer to 14,000 rounds, for a kreiger that will be changed at the end of this season which will have done about 8000 rounds.
In my experience barrel life depends on how you break it in, your cleaning regime and what ammunition. Modern Target rifle loads are in the region of 2900-3000 fps. On cleaning it is my preference not to scrub a brush/patch backwards and forwards. Bullets only go one way down the barrel therefore when cleaning the brush/patch gets pushed staight through and not dragged backwards and forwards.
As to how much of the barrel life 1600 rounds is, probably 25% but it all depends on the previous owner. Shoot it at 3/6 & 1000 yds with some RUAG and see how it shoots. Also run a couple of wet patches down the barrel to see if you can feel any rough spots which may be an indication of copper fouling or even the rifling stripping.

Steve

[GazMorris]

I know nothing about 'factory' barrels using bespoke barrels like Kreiger, Lother Walther or Bartlien but in the Target Rifle world, barrels can last up to 12,000 rnds with care. I changed a Lother Walther that was on my target rifle at closer to 14,000 rounds, for a kreiger that will be changed at the end of this season which will have done about 8000 rounds.

Agree with pretty much everything that Steve says, except the number of accurate rounds you'll get out of a barrel. I tend to change mine around the 6,000 rounds mark because I'm fussy and start to get worried. His points about care cleaning are well made, as bad technique can ruin a prefectly good barrel.

Steve, going to be joining Cambs for dinner on Intercounties weekend at MJ's caravan? If so, we can argue about it then!

Gaz

[Gaz]

I'm with my fellow Gaz - somewhere around 5,000 or 6,000 is what I've observed to be the tipping point for a TR barrel shooting factory loads. After that the groups tend to open up a fair bit - in relative terms. In absolute terms you might not easily notice a 1MOA increase in group size at 100yds (ie. groups 1" bigger), whereas you'd definitely notice it at 600yds when it equates to a 6" increase in group size.

[shugie]

So a reasonable conclusion is that the barrel will have some useful life remaining, the better I am at shooting the sooner I will need to think about replacing it.

Just out of interest, how easy/costly would it be to put a decent new barrel on a Savage BVSS .308?

I think I shall go and have a look at this rifle when I get a chance.

[ednielsen]

i think you're right shugie, then go for it.