Hi, I'm new to this site, and new to predator hunting. Before I got started buying stuff (a gun, optics, calls etc.) I read a ton of posts on this website and decided, based on the area I live that a 223(Savage 12 FV w/bulll barrel) would fit the bill. One thing that comes up once in awhile in posts is "burning up a barrel" or "shooting it out". How often does this happen? How many rounds can I expect to be able to shoot before it needs to be replaced? I don't reload, and plan on using 55 grain bullets for most if not all of my shooting. I shot 50 rounds through it last weekend to get myself sighted in and to check elevation from 50 to 200 yards (that's the range my hunting will generally take place). I'm wondering how much of my barrel life I wasted just getting sighted in? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
Barrel life for 223
- Thread starter snowking
- Start date
Happy New Year, Snowking! When it comes to barrel life, how hot you heat up the barrel is a major factor. Guys that shoot p. dogs heat up a barrel and "burn them out", but even shooting p. dogs, it will take a long time for you to shoot the barrel out of your rifle.
I can usually get 3500 extremely accurate rounds out of the 223's.
It is important for you to get a proper cleaning rod guide that will keep the cleaning rod off the sides of the rifling in the barrel. There are two guys that make such a cleaning rod guide, one is Neil Jones and the other is Lucas. If you are not using one of these two cleaning rod guides, then a cleaning rod is rubbing against the bore in your rifle. Send me a Private message and I will give you the guy's phone number.
Good luck with your new gun!
I can usually get 3500 extremely accurate rounds out of the 223's.
It is important for you to get a proper cleaning rod guide that will keep the cleaning rod off the sides of the rifling in the barrel. There are two guys that make such a cleaning rod guide, one is Neil Jones and the other is Lucas. If you are not using one of these two cleaning rod guides, then a cleaning rod is rubbing against the bore in your rifle. Send me a Private message and I will give you the guy's phone number.
Good luck with your new gun!
OldTurtle
Moderator - Deceased
Snowking, This is an excerpt from a barrel break in comment sheet:
Quote:
A. Bore guides- If you don’t have one, get one! Without a good bore guide you are just wasting your time trying to break-in a barrel or cleaning it for that matter. More barrels are destroyed by cleaning without a bore guide than by shooting. There are many types and brands of bore guides available on the market and range in price from $5.00 to $50.00. The only one we recommend is the Lucas two-piece bore guide. They are the best insurance you can buy for that new barrel. All other bore guides in my opinion are only good for keeping the solvents out of the trigger and action.
and it's from: S G & Y Barrels printed in:
Varmint Hunters Magazine
While I'm always skeptical about one company or publisher promoting another, the reputation of both Lucas and Neil Jones it too great from many sources to ignore.
As to your original question. I've been shooting competition for the last 30+ years.. Most of it handgun and more recently the 'action' type 3-gun matches (rifle, pistol, & shotgun) where we are shooting ARs in three to four stages and sometimes 30-60 rounds per stage and this is against time as well as accuracy. We heat up barrels plenty during one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
My primary AR still has the original barrel in it and between the matches and shooting Prairie Dogs, it is still accurate... If you take proper care with your cleaning, don't shoot excessively hot loads, you shouldn't have a problem, for quite a while. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Quote:
A. Bore guides- If you don’t have one, get one! Without a good bore guide you are just wasting your time trying to break-in a barrel or cleaning it for that matter. More barrels are destroyed by cleaning without a bore guide than by shooting. There are many types and brands of bore guides available on the market and range in price from $5.00 to $50.00. The only one we recommend is the Lucas two-piece bore guide. They are the best insurance you can buy for that new barrel. All other bore guides in my opinion are only good for keeping the solvents out of the trigger and action.
and it's from: S G & Y Barrels printed in:
Varmint Hunters Magazine
While I'm always skeptical about one company or publisher promoting another, the reputation of both Lucas and Neil Jones it too great from many sources to ignore.
As to your original question. I've been shooting competition for the last 30+ years.. Most of it handgun and more recently the 'action' type 3-gun matches (rifle, pistol, & shotgun) where we are shooting ARs in three to four stages and sometimes 30-60 rounds per stage and this is against time as well as accuracy. We heat up barrels plenty during one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
My primary AR still has the original barrel in it and between the matches and shooting Prairie Dogs, it is still accurate... If you take proper care with your cleaning, don't shoot excessively hot loads, you shouldn't have a problem, for quite a while. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
I have 7000 'recorded' shots through one of my chrome-lined AR barrels ( and probably another 1000 or so that weren't recorded) and it still shoots as well as it ever did. It was never a benchrest contender but it shoots 1-1.5 MOA +/- with open sights.
Since the 12FV is a blued barrel, chrome-moly not chrome lined, you probably won't get that many rounds through it before the accuracy starts to fall off.
A barrel that is considered 'shot out' by benchrest standards could still be used for most hunting situations for several thousand more rounds.
Don't overheat the barrel and don't shoot really hot loads and you will get many, many rounds of service from that barrel. Barrels for Savages can be replaced for $130 when it does finally give up the ghost so I wouldn't sweat it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Since the 12FV is a blued barrel, chrome-moly not chrome lined, you probably won't get that many rounds through it before the accuracy starts to fall off.
A barrel that is considered 'shot out' by benchrest standards could still be used for most hunting situations for several thousand more rounds.
Don't overheat the barrel and don't shoot really hot loads and you will get many, many rounds of service from that barrel. Barrels for Savages can be replaced for $130 when it does finally give up the ghost so I wouldn't sweat it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
DogBeGone
New member
My 1st varmint rifle was a Savage 110FP Tactical, .223. I put 7000 rounds thru it, and accuracy at the end was just beginning to get dicey.
The rifle started out shooting as well as .25 moa, and at the end, it was closer to .75 on average.
So probably more like 5-6k would be a good estimation of accurate service life.
The rifle started out shooting as well as .25 moa, and at the end, it was closer to .75 on average.
So probably more like 5-6k would be a good estimation of accurate service life.
Thanks for all the replies. I'm new to the world of rifles. I own several shotguns and a couple 22's, but this is my first centerfire rifle. I duck and goose hunt as much as I can, chase squirrel once in a while, and deer season in my area is "shotgun only", so I've never needed a "longer" range gun before. Some of you mention the cleaning aspect of it, what the right way to do it? How often? Smoothbore shotguns are pretty easy, I've never cleaned a rifle barrel. Brushes? Solvents? Patches? Any help?
IDBob
New member
snowking with a barrel nut wrench, barrel vice and a go headspace gauge (all available from Midway) it takes about 15 minutes to change out a Savage barrel. Which means you can have a 223 for one day and a 204 Ruger for the next. You can shoot a light barrel for a calling gun and a heavy barrel for a PD gun.
Coyotejunki
Well-known member
If you clean the barrel properly and don't shoot it when it's really hot, let it cool down, a 223 Rem barrel should last you thousands of rounds. I'm guessing from 5K-10K for the average shooter. Perhaps more
Chupathingy
New member
Yep even hard shooting you can easily get 5k-6k rounds out of a .223, Take care of her and don't let her get too hot and she will last many thousands more. My Savage 112 has about 6 thousand down the tube and still shoots bug holes.
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
Even when used in across-the-course competition, where there is quite a bit of rapid fire, a 223 is usually good for 7000 or better. The rapid fire stages are 10 shots in 60 seconds sitting and 10 shots in 70 seconds prone with the timing starting from standing.
Jack
Jack