barrel life
I have always wondered what would be considered normal barrel life on a rifle.
If a person cleans the barrel properly after usage and uses standard factory loaded ammo just how may rounds will a non magnum centerfire rifle barrel be able to shoot before it gives up the ghost??
mike
If a person cleans the barrel properly after usage and uses standard factory loaded ammo just how may rounds will a non magnum centerfire rifle barrel be able to shoot before it gives up the ghost??
mike
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Do certain powders give longer barrel life than others? Thanks. 0 -
Yes it will. The correct ordanance steel will be more resistant to the effects of heat. 0 -
If all the shooting was the same, yes. But, that means if you go out and blast of 300 rds. without taking a brake your barrel will last 300 rds. instead of 200. Saving a barrels life don't mean much when you abuse them.
Shot normally, SS will generally last longer than CM. You should easily get 2-3000 rds through it if you shoot good loads and let the barrel cool. For most people that will be a lifetime if not more of shooting.0 -
Stainless has an amazing property of not holding on to heat for long unlike any other steel to include ordinance steel (example: original M16 A1 ordinance steel barrel in full auto). The reason it's not used as much is because of the manufacturing costs. Stainless is very hard. It will last longer. 0 -
I make it a practice to not shoot my 257 Wby more than 2 rounds per minute and let it cool to body temp(100*) after no more than 6 shots(two 3 round groups). The 257Wby should be considered a specialty tool and should be treated as such. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by 511pe
Stainless has an amazing property of not holding on to heat for long unlike any other steel to include ordinance steel (example: original M16 A1 ordinance steel barrel in full auto). The reason it's not used as much is because of the manufacturing costs. Stainless is very hard. It will last longer.
The technical term for this is "heat capacity".
Stainless has less heat capacity, so while it cools faster, it also heats faster.
Anyway, yes, I believe in practice, stainless barrels do tend to last longer than regular carbon steel barrels, if not abused, and this is one big reason why competition/match shooters like them.0 -
Stainless pipes are more resistant to throat erosion (heat erosion) than chrome-moly. Throat life determines accuracy life. 0 -
tone59,
Just for fun, here is a copy of a fairly accurate calculator to play with. Unfortunately, most folks won't have access to all of the variables. The program predicts barrel life using five variables: 1) Bullet Diameter; 2) Powder Charge weight; 3) Powder Heat Potential (KJ/kg); 4) Pressure (in psi); and 5) Bullet Coating (yes/no).
Powder Heat Potential will stymie most folks as will pressure since most folks don't own a pressure sensing system. Some of the Load Calculators will provide part of this information and Powder Heat Potential might be available through Henry Child, a noted benchrest shooter/scientist.
http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/barrellifeupdate.xls
As to Stainless vs Chrome Moly for barrel life, there is no "all things being equal". Barrels aren't equal, loads aren't equal environment aren't equal, etc. Even if the barrels were made one right after the other, on the same machine, by the same technician, from the same batch of steel, from the same length of steel. So you can't make this type of comparison and expect it to be anything but opinion and singular experience. You are getting the generic internet answers from most people.
Example:
Which type of 'stainless steel' are you asking about? There are several used in the barrel making business and there are cheap ones and the best one. Do you know the difference?
Many barrel makers claim to use the best formula stainless, 416R but they are merely trying to simulate the original alloy created by and closely held by Crucible Industries. Crucible Industries does not have the capacity to supply ALL of the stainless steel required by all of the barrel makers in a timely manner. To save time, here is the technical page for 416R by Crucible:
http://crucibleservice.com/eselector/prodbyapp/stainless/cru416rs.html
The low price stainless steel is anything but Crucible 416R because of the cost. The bargain basement barrel makers use a low price. low performance steel which can be called 'stainless' and still last for the necessary shooting life of the average American hunter. Therein lies the clue; low cost and the term 'shooting life'. This does not include the concept of benchrest accuracy, but hunting accuracy.
Bear in mind also that Crucible 416R in one state is perfect for button rifling while it is better for cut-rifling when it's a little tougher and harder. The style of rifling comes into play here as well. Also consider that some of the barrel manufacturers took a failure to heart when some stainless barrels failed in colder weather. They switched to a 410 stainless steel for the lighter weight (lighter profile) barrels instead. Long story...
You can try to make this a pseudo-scientific discussion if you want but in the long run it won't make a bit of difference that the average hunter will be able to notice in his hunting career. I happen to like blue steel when matched to a fine wood stock. So CM is my standard of excellence for fine rifles. This includes, by-the-way, many wildcat, large capacity case cartridges which have been castigated by the less than knowledgeable as barrel burners. I don't like paint personally so that leaves the stainless with only one color choice for other rifles.
Herein ends the sermon. I have more resources for you to read and consider but the GB forums mail system has been cut off by the powers that be.
Best.0
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