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barrel burning

GlockZ

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Jul 31, 2016
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702
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New Jersey
a question about barrel burning loads. at what velocity would one consider being a barrel burner. 3000 fps? 3300 fps? i only bring this up because at hunting camp an old timer told me i was burning the barrel of my 270 because my hand loads were consistently pushing rounds out at 3100fps. everything i have read about barrel burning calibers, but have never seen the 270 listed among them.
 
I shoot a 6.5 x .284 and it is a known "barrel burner" caliber. I have read the average barrel life may be as low as 600 rounds. That said, 600 rounds can be a long time depending on your range habits.

I think the speed is about 2,950.
 
A lot has to do with how fast the rifle is fired, and whether the cartridge is burning a large amount of powder vs the bore diameter. The speed is not really the problem. I would not consider the .270 Win a bore burner. A 220 swift at a big dog town on a hot day would work as an example. The same could be said form a 30/378 weatherby or a 6.5/300 weatherby. If you realize a barrel replacement may be in your future its no big deal, just don't pretend to be surprised when that day comes. FWIW. GJ
 
a question about barrel burning loads. at what velocity would one consider being a barrel burner. 3000 fps? 3300 fps? i only bring this up because at hunting camp an old timer told me i was burning the barrel of my 270 because my hand loads were consistently pushing rounds out at 3100fps. everything i have read about barrel burning calibers, but have never seen the 270 listed among them.


You've no worries about your .270
 
Heat and barrel material are big factors in determining barrel erosion. I had a few Shilen barrels in 7mm08 that were amazingly accurate but transformed to tomato stakes by 800 rounds. Gunsmiths tell me they are easy to machine which makes them easier to achieve precision dimensions but they are soft. In the reverse I have a Krieger 6PPC with 6k rounds on it and still shoots sub-moa.
 
No worries with a 270 win. I have one. A Browning Xbolt. As theround count get higher it seems to shoot better. It took about 50 rounds to even get the barrel where it shoots well. However, now that the round count is getting over 100 the gun has started to shoot some really consitant 3 and 5 shot groups with Superformance factory loads.
 
Barrel burner is a term coined by the benchrest competitive shooting crowd for certain calibers used in their application. Firing 10 shots down range in under 2 minutes or firing 20 shot strings. In the hunting type environment even known barrel burners will last the lifetime of the owner. Barrel heat is definitely the killer here and a hunter who shoots a few shots to confirm zero and a couple a year at game has no real concern about his caliber choice. If you want more information, the benchrest sites are full of it.
 
A lot has to do with how fast the rifle is fired, and whether the cartridge is burning a large amount of powder vs the bore diameter. The speed is not really the problem. I would not consider the .270 Win a bore burner. A 220 swift at a big dog town on a hot day would work as an example. The same could be said form a 30/378 weatherby or a 6.5/300 weatherby. If you realize a barrel replacement may be in your future its no big deal, just don't pretend to be surprised when that day comes. FWIW. GJ

so how much more does the pattern open up once the barrel is 'burned'?
 
Its gun specific. If you have a 7mm RM that has been shooting 150 gr bullets into one inch groups over 7-800 shots that gradually can't print less than a two inch group that could be a sign. Sometimes you can extend the overall cartridge length and it closes up, this can be a sign. A bore scoping will tell you for sure if the throat looks like alligator hide with the beginning rifling abraded, you've got it. The cure is a new barrel. But hey, 7-800 shots is lot for a sporting rifle. Stainless holds up better than chrome/moly. Letting the barrel cool between shots helps extend life too. FWIW. GJ
 
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