I've just finished my second brick of Remington LR Magnum primers, which are only used in my Model 70 375 H&H. So, in the last 13 years I've shot just over 2,000 rounds through it, with about 300 of them lightweight bullets up to 3,300 fps.

I was cleaning it on Sunday and took a good look at the throat. I could still see the sharp edges of the lands in the throat area and the throat looks like there is no erosion at all.

When I first got it, I remember people telling me that I'd never wear this barrel out and now I'm starting to believe them.

Frank, using my time tested system, the SWAG system (scientific wild ass guess), and “not” knowing your age.....it will probably “outlive” you! memtb

Guesstimate time

Most of my loads are with H4895, IMR4064, R-15, BLc-2, etc., so I'm looking at 6,000 rounds before it wears out.

So, another 26 years at this pace. It looks like I won't be handing down a worn out rifle to the kids.

Whenever the question of barrel life come up my response is always the same regardless of the chambering.

"May you be blessed with long enough life and enough shooting opportunities to wear out a barrel."

375 is not a large bore to chamber ratio, which I think makes a difference.
We no longer have to use Cordite and Mercuric primers, death on steel, nor carbon steel barrels.

quote:

Originally posted by mart:
Whenever the question of barrel life come up my response is always the same regardless of the chambering.

"May you be blessed with long enough life and enough shooting opportunities to wear out a barrel."

While I am sure that your prognostication applies to the average hunter, the average target shooter is another animal altogether. I can assure you that a couple of seasons on the high power rifle circuit will destroy the accuracy of a barrel, particularly at long range (300-600 yards),

On the bright side, I made it a practice to order my new barrels extra long to allow for cutting off, rethreading and rechambering, and some of my best scores were fired with barrels which had been "honed" in that fashion,

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by mart:
Whenever the question of barrel life come up my response is always the same regardless of the chambering.

"May you be blessed with long enough life and enough shooting opportunities to wear out a barrel."

While I am sure that your prognostication applies to the average hunter, the average target shooter is another animal altogether. I can assure you that a couple of seasons on the high power rifle circuit will destroy the accuracy of a barrel, particularly at long range (300-600 yards),

On the bright side, I made it a practice to order my new barrels extra long to allow for cutting off, rethreading and rechambering, and some of my best scores were fired with barrels which had been "honed" in that fashion,

I should revise that to read long enough life and/or enough shooting opportunities.

If one shoots enough, regardless of the activity, to wear out a barrel, then much fun has been had.

quote:

Originally posted by mart:

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by mart:
Whenever the question of barrel life come up my response is always the same regardless of the chambering.

"May you be blessed with long enough life and enough shooting opportunities to wear out a barrel."

While I am sure that your prognostication applies to the average hunter, the average target shooter is another animal altogether. I can assure you that a couple of seasons on the high power rifle circuit will destroy the accuracy of a barrel, particularly at long range (300-600 yards),

On the bright side, I made it a practice to order my new barrels extra long to allow for cutting off, rethreading and rechambering, and some of my best scores were fired with barrels which had been "honed" in that fashion,

I should revise that to read long enough life and/or enough shooting opportunities.

If one shoots enough, regardless of the activity, to wear out a barrel, then much fun has been had.

Absulutely! My 14 year old 6.5x284 is on it's fourth barrel. I've had a lot of fun with it.

Could be worse; our M256 tank cannon barrel has a life of 1500 EFC rounds and some of the ammo has an EFC of 4 at normal temperatures. (so you get 375 shots) And the hottest M829A3 ammo is $8k per round.
And each new barrel costs $100,000.
I used to sell them.

If you will just shoot at game and not paper, it will be going long after you are dead!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
If you will just shoot at game and not paper, it will be going long after you are dead!!!

Yes, but shooting it at paper means that I don't miss when I shoot at animals.

I have had heaps of 375 H&Hs but only one where I had a fairly solid number on shots fired. In fact it was my second 375, a Sako Finnbear.

The rifle was bedded and very accurate. It had a second recoil lug mounted on the knox form. The second lug was a ring around the knox form and the lug projecting below. The ring was sweated to the barrel and the lug was tapped and so screw could go in. There was a ring about a 1/4" thick, a bit thinner actually and about 5/8" in diameter inletted into the stock.

You could bet your life that a 5 shot group, including first shot from cold clean barrel or the first shot from a barrel with cold hard fouling would be under an inch.

It fired more than 2000 rounds but less than 2500 rounds. The barrel would often be hot when shooting. It would fire at least 400 shots on a shooting trip which include spotlight shooting.

You could see throat erosion and the start of the rifling rounded off. it still shot extremely well and was sold nd the buyer was very happy after a demonstration of the rifle.

In my experience there was nothing out of the ordinary with that 375 and barrel wear. In my experience most centrefires will show erosion at 2000 rounds or so. Different barrels reflect light differently so you can have two barrels with identical erosion but they will look different.

The bloke who bought that 375 was very happy but he did not fire a lot f shots.

There is no doubt in my mind that more rapid shooting brings on erosion with less shots. in bench style rifle in 270 nd 300 Winchester I is common to see erosion at 1500 rounds.

For reason I can't explain calibres with a case capacity to bore size like the 270 and 300 Winchester (and less capacity to bore size) continue to shoot well with the same load as was developed when the barrel was new. Calibres like 220 Swift, 22/243. 22/8mm rem Imp need the load altered in both powder and seating depth.

Lastly, in my experience most rifles have shot a lot less shots than the owner thinks they has shot.