These chamberings pump a lot of powder through a small bore. Basically, the .308 Winchester round is simply a civilian version of the 7.62x51mm NATO round, which was originally developed for the M14 rifle. This is when a re-loader chases accuracy in a degrading barrel by seating a bullet further out of the case, reducing the jump to the degraded lands. powders, then that might tend to speed things up. Infinite barrel life. The .243 Win is a necked down version of the .308 Win and was introduced to the shooting world in 1955. Well, like everything in shooting, it comes back to physics. The two I have burned lasted 2700 and 2950. Heavier bullets and more powder make more recoil. Well there are a few things. Rodent control work is another shooting chore that can easily overheat barrels, especially with … to the .243 WSSM, down through the .22-250 Rem, .223 Rem, and the .204 Ruger, some are said to be hard on barrels, some easier, but I have yet to wear out a barrel where it becomes unsuited for use. The .308 entered the scene in 1952 as a military service cartridge. Is barrel life a serious concern for 99% of readers? So your question is posed backwards. This is the section immediately forward of the action, before the projectile reaches the rifling. Don’t fire unnecessary long strings of fire and waste your barrel’s life. (Not really but it's a lot more.) The .243 Winchester is simply the .308 Winchester necked down to hold .243″ diameter bullets. It was the wildcatters who brought it back to life by fiddling with a couple of popular designs. I've always figured to load my hunting loads to max pressure with acceptable accuracy. that people are getting 2500-3000 rounds from 6mm Creedmoor barrels, while 800-1500 or so seems to be the expected life of a 243 AI barrel. The barrel life of the 308 is more durable than that of the 300. Probably double the life of the creed. I seem to recall reading (on the GAPrecision site?) I figure most short life barrels were abused. As far as being bad on barrels, when they were first introduced, the steel wasnt as high of quality as they are now. While the two cartridges have a very similar case capacity, throat erosion occurs faster with the 6.5 Creedmoor because it uses a smaller diameter barrel. They ran high twist barrels way back then. You should not expect to much at … I purchased both of my 243's used, both have had a lot of rounds through them, and are still under moa. Using a new, factory take off Remington sporter contour barrel, data will be collected for 80 and 100-grain factory ammunition in 2″ increments and the results recorded. test barrels fired 4 to 8 times a minute got the same barrel life as his match rifles in .308 Win. Both cartridges were introduced in the 1950s. If you're just punching paper, the .260 is probably a … ... which is one reason moderate volume cartridges like 308 Win. I am here to tell you that is not true what so ever. Even if you are camped on a prairie dog town, you are very unlikely to shoot as many rounds as fast as in target competition. When you think about it that makes sense, this is were all the heat and pressure is at its most fierce. At long distances, the 6.5 Creedmoor is far superior. If you take good care of it, you should get plenty of use out of your barrel. Before you get too excited about changing a barrel, you have to consider if there isn’t some other aspect negatively affecting accuracy. At this point we would say that it has reached the end of its barrel life. Some precision shooters make claims to barrel life can be a difference. Well put simply, by today’s standards, that is when a rifle is no longer considered even factory accurate. goosebrown. Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: The Art of the Rifle: Bolt, Lever, and Pump Action, http://www.riflebarrels.com/faq_lilj...rrels.htm#Life, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiegZyhd5l0, http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubb...94#Post2686494, http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubb...56#Post2653056. You are highly unlikely to ever reach the end of a single barrel unless you are doing something horribly wrong with your maintenance. Not in the least bit, not for the type of shooting we do. 243 will be 4 dollars ahundred cheaper to load than the 308 useing a sierra gameking as a bullet choice. How many rounds can you shoot at a time before you have to worry about throat erosion in your rifle bore? I am a bit particular for a hunter, I require my bolt action hunting rifles to be at least 1.5 minute of angle. A good bit downward in pressure to avoid burning the leade at some minimum amount. In fact my rifles are still much more accurate than required, even after many hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of rounds. The .308—a fine design in and of itself—has been responsible for a number of successful cartridges, but the .243 has to be the most successful. If I'd been better doping the wind back then, I would have shot more good scores with it. Now for the meaty part, barrel life, barrel life, barrel life. vs. .243 Win. Were you on a stable bench? I have 3 rifles, all set up for the following load, all run 8 twist Bartlien barrels. It is at this smooth transition, between the chamber and the rifling, that the barrel degrades and we see a decline in accuracy. The combination of higher speeds and a smaller bore does not augur well and eventually, the 6.5 Creedmoor will have a shorter lifespan than a comparable barrel in .308. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .243 Winchester vs .30-06 Springfield ammo rounds. You should replace your barrel when the barrel no longer provides the accuracy that you require from the rifle. The typical barrel length for a repeating hunting rifle chambered for high intensity cartridges, such as the .243, .260, .270, 7mm-08, .308, or .30-06, is 22-24 inches. 's barrel life is exactly correct. I'll also explain what causes barrel wear, and how to prolong the life of your barrel. Barrel life is the downside of both the .243 AI and standard .243. They're all made with the same steel. I was thinking somebody you talked to was referring to the 243 wssm. You can always double check to confirm barrel wear, and the need for replacement, with a bore scope. I can shoot 100 to 200 rounds per month for practice and still use the same barrel in competition and never have to worry about changing it for a … .243 barrel life is as long as any other popular rifle (30-06, .270, etc). These tend to offer substantially lower recoil and are usually much cheaper to purchase ammunition for. The expense for shorter barrels in any chambering is velocity. No magic bullet there (pun intended) Case life on the Swede is phenomenal with the old low pressure loads. As far as being bad on barrels, when they were first introduced, the steel wasnt as high of quality as they are now. A 6BR barrel should give 2,200-3,000 rounds of accurate life, and a .308 Win barrel could remain competitive for 4,000 rounds or more. Some precision shooters make claims to barrel life can be a difference. Poor cleaning practices can reduce the life of a barrel. For instance, the .308 barrel that normally gives 4000 accurate rounds should now easily provide 5500 accurate rounds. The truth is people don’t treat their rifles the same. Match barrel throats wear out the same amount dimensionally per shot as hunting, sporter or plinker barrels. The hottest commercial .243 Winchester load I can find is quoted as driving a 100 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity (MV) of 3120 f.p.s. These are "drop in" replacements with no additional machine work required. Even though both remained shooting sub MOA the velocity dropped by more than 100 fps from one day to another. These chamberings pump a lot of powder through a small bore. The 6BR I would think would have better barrel life than a 243, but I haven't shot out a 6BR yet! The 243 Winchester’s 6mm (.243″) bullet offers reduced recoil and the ability to use lighter, faster bullets for varmints and small game, while heavier, 100 grain loads can be used to harvest deer. If you have a firearm related question, please register and post it on the forums. Either they weren't cleaned or were over cleaned with harsh metal eating cleaners and not rinsed out. These are useful all-around barrel … You aren’t impressing anyone (probably). 308 vs 6.5 Creedmoor Barrel Life. Depending on your skills, you may still need to see a gunsmith if this is the issue. Winchester introduced the cartridge to the civilian market shortly thereafter in the Model 70 bolt action and the Model 88 lever action. I had a .308 that I had several thousand rounds through and it was still very accurate to the day I sold it. (22 inch barrel). In an attempt to find the better of 6.5 Grendel vs .243, I tried out both rounds and conducted an analysis of its user’s feedback. I'm sure you wouldnt go wrong with a quality rifle. For barrel life, 308 for the win. The .243 Winchester was developed by wildcatters who immediately grasped the accuracy potential of the .308 parent case and then necked down the case to accept .243 caliber (6mm) bullets. Varmint shooting and competitive target shooting are very different in the their effects on barrel life. A deformity here can greatly affect accuracy and is a simpler fix than replacing the barrel. The .220 Swift is a round that puts much more pressure on a barrel then the humble old .308 (one of the reasons why .308 is so great). By comparison, the fastest heavy bullet .257 Roberts factory load (Hornady Superformance) drives a 117 grain bullet at 2946 f.p.s. This 22" AR-STONER™ LR-308 Barrel is perfect for use in competition or hunting where both accuracy and reliable function are important factors. Why is it one minute of angle at which we say a barrel has had its day? The table above shows your barrel cost per shot, based on various "useful lives." If your shooting required shooting over a sustained period of time (varmint hunting maybe) then it really might be worth considering a bull barrel or some other method of reducing heat soak. Even though it is a win for the .308. The .243 can shoot flat and good in the wind shooting faster and cutting flight time. The newer steels hold up well to the cartridge and they are no longer a "barrel burner". ... a .308 Winchester should last longer than a 7mm-08 Remington, which should last longer than a .243 Winchester. The result, typically, is rather short barrel life, sometimes less than 1500 rounds. A 6.5-284 barrel can last 1,300+ rounds, but it might need replacement after 1,000 rounds or less. Barrel Life. There is no fun in that I know, but do you really need to be chasing up close pigs with a 300 Win Mag? Even though the cartridges share the same roots, there is a pretty big difference in the ballistics of each cartridge that reflects the different priorities wildcatters had when designing the .243 and 7mm-08. Use a bore guide when cleaning your rifle. Warbirdlover, your statement about the .264 Win. For barrel life, 308 for the win. Typically it is the throat of the barrel that wears out. The core rule to extend barrel life is to not shoot it fast and hot. Even “shot-out” barrels in an infamous barrel burner like the 220 Swift are usually in excellent condition at the cooler muzzle end. I understand that some folks use lighter bullets in the .243 and that's fine, but I've never found a load that works, but I admit that I didn't try real hard to nail down a light bullet load in that rifle. But then again, I launch 55 & 58gr bullets just under 3800fps with Ramshot Big Game powder- if your sources are correct, my bbl should have been toast many moons ago. Is there a more reliable way to predict barrel life — one that will work for a broad range of calibers? The .308 entered the scene in 1952 as a military service cartridge. Scopes can also stop holding zero for whatever reason. I have not yet worn out a single barrel by my accuracy standards. These are useful all-around barrel … and 6.5 Creedmoor are popular target cartridges. I know some guys that have squeezed way more than 3000 shots. Simply put, burning the same amount of powder in a smaller space will result in shorter barrel life. Winchester introduced the cartridge to the civilian market shortly thereafter in the Model 70 bolt action and the Model 88 lever action. The 6.5 Creedmoor has less recoil. 243 vs 7mm-08 vs 308 Ballistics. So what can you do to prolong the life of your barrel? Assuming you treat them the same, a .308 Winchester should last longer than a 7mm-08 Remington, which should last longer than a .243 Winchester. A lot of wear that is imparted on the life of a bbl depends on it's diet. You can choose the hottest and flattest shooting caliber for your Long Range build, but keep in mind you will most likely have to replace that barrel once a year if you shoot enough. If you are a TFL member and can access TFL, please do not use this link; instead, use the forums (like Questions, Suggestions, and Tech Support) or PM an appropriate mod or admin. I'd say .308 even though my first gun ever was a winchester .243 given to me by my grandpa about 4 years ago, and I do love to shoot it. At long distances, the 6.5 Creedmoor is far superior. I dunno, that seems like a mighty low number to me. If you are a target or precision shooter though you will almost certainly see the end of a few barrels. Varmint shooting and competitive target shooting are very different in the their effects on barrel life. 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