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Old 04-24-2018, 03:49 PM
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Big Lou Big Lou is offline
 
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Default .204 Barrel Life?

I’ve got a rifle giving me fits. Weatherby Sub-MOA in 204 Ruger. Round count is upwards of 800 for sure but in all likelihood, probably closer to 1000. On average, would I be getting to or into the end of barrel life?

I bought this rifle new and before I started handloading. I have no idea what actual chamber measurements were so no data to compare against what it measures out at now as far as trying to assess throat erosion. I suppose a bore scoping is in order regardless.
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Old 04-24-2018, 04:00 PM
elkhunter11 elkhunter11 is online now
 
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A song as the accuracy is still good, keep shooting. I would expect that if you don't overheat It, the accurate barrel life should be at least a few thousand rounds.
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Old 04-24-2018, 04:46 PM
260 Rem 260 Rem is offline
 
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When scoping, in addition to throat condition, check for heat cracking.
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Old 04-24-2018, 05:27 PM
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Accuracy is urine poor. I can start with a spic and span bore. Fire a few to foul and then start shooting for groups. Maximum round count I can get decent accuracy is 25 total and it’s nothing special. Starts spraying after that. Before handloading commenced it had shot factory 32gr V-max really well. So I ran some of that through as a baseline and it was terrible in comparison to early in its life. I’ve checked and rechecked everything I’m doing at the loading and shooting bench as I was sure it must be a flaw in my process but not so. I alternated rifles a bit today while shooting to test myself and one was great; the rifle in discussion, not so much.

I have got this pipe hot in the gopher patch on more than one occasion. I’m ashamed to say how hot it has been to be quite honest - the stupidity of youth. With the responses both related to heat, likely it’s my own bloody fault and I cooked it. See what the scope reveals. Thank you for the responses.
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Old 04-24-2018, 07:13 PM
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Quest206 Quest206 is offline
 
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Default 204

My 204 has over 1000 rounds down the tube and sill shoots fine. With such a small bore I find after 15-20 rounds the group will open up. Time for a quick clean. I keep a bore snake with me for field cleaning and that will bring my groups back into focus. Heat is the killer. I know it can be hard to take a break when the gophers are abundant but it will extend barrel life for sure.
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Old 04-24-2018, 07:35 PM
elkhunter11 elkhunter11 is online now
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Lou View Post
Accuracy is urine poor. I can start with a spic and span bore. Fire a few to foul and then start shooting for groups. Maximum round count I can get decent accuracy is 25 total and it’s nothing special. Starts spraying after that. Before handloading commenced it had shot factory 32gr V-max really well. So I ran some of that through as a baseline and it was terrible in comparison to early in its life. I’ve checked and rechecked everything I’m doing at the loading and shooting bench as I was sure it must be a flaw in my process but not so. I alternated rifles a bit today while shooting to test myself and one was great; the rifle in discussion, not so much.

I have got this pipe hot in the gopher patch on more than one occasion. I’m ashamed to say how hot it has been to be quite honest - the stupidity of youth. With the responses both related to heat, likely it’s my own bloody fault and I cooked it. See what the scope reveals. Thank you for the responses.
What are you using as a copper solvent? Once the small bores become copper fouled, accuracy can really fall off.
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Old 04-24-2018, 07:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quest206 View Post
My 204 has over 1000 rounds down the tube and sill shoots fine. With such a small bore I find after 15-20 rounds the group will open up. Time for a quick clean. I keep a bore snake with me for field cleaning and that will bring my groups back into focus. Heat is the killer. I know it can be hard to take a break when the gophers are abundant but it will extend barrel life for sure.
Quite a bit easier to take a break these days but I never paid it much attention early in this rifles life. I run a four rifle rotation in the thick patches nowadays.
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Old 04-24-2018, 08:25 PM
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What are you using as a copper solvent? Once the small bores become copper fouled, accuracy can really fall off.
Wipe Out.
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Old 04-24-2018, 08:29 PM
fps plus fps plus is offline
 
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I have found that the culprit is sometimes the carbon build up that creates a ceramic like fouling and copper solvents will not cut it . Try soaking and scrubbing with a bronze bristle brush ( not nylon )and carberator cleaner . It may take 2 or 3 brushes and lots of elbow grease .I like to let it soak for a while .Don't let it touch the stock. I also will saturate bore with kroil while in storage .
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Old 04-24-2018, 09:02 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 260 Rem View Post
When scoping, in addition to throat condition, check for heat cracking.
X2 There's a pretty good chance you have some heat cracking involved .. especially if you were running hotter loads in a hot barrel.. I burnt two of mine doing that. One a .243 and the other a Tac 20.
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Old 04-24-2018, 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by fps plus View Post
I have found that the culprit is sometimes the carbon build up that creates a ceramic like fouling and copper solvents will not cut it . Try soaking and scrubbing with a bronze bristle brush ( not nylon )and carberator cleaner . It may take 2 or 3 brushes and lots of elbow grease .I like to let it soak for a while .Don't let it touch the stock. I also will saturate bore with kroil while in storage .
I should have specified. I don’t just use Wipe Out as I’ve found it does little to nothing in regards to carbon. Part of my cleaning regime is to mop the entire bore with Kroil and run a bronze brush, focussing on the throat. I do this several times as running alternated wet(Kroil) and dry patches has shown carbon that was not removed at all during the foam treatment. I’ve found small deposits of copper that were hidden under carbon when giving another Wipe Out treatment after doing this procedure. I’ve also used a Kroil soaked patch with a dab of JBs as a finishing touch.

I agree entirely with you that carbon can be a real culprit but I feel I’m ahead of the game in that regard. Never tried the carb cleaner though. Makes sense.
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Old 04-24-2018, 10:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Salavee View Post
X2 There's a pretty good chance you have some heat cracking involved .. especially if you were running hotter loads in a hot barrel.. I burnt two of mine doing that. One a .243 and the other a Tac 20.
I’ll be sure to post some pictures from the scoping if anything is found to be awry. I’m suspecting you and .260 Rem are on the money. If it needs a new pipe then so be it. Semi expensive lesson learned and it shan’t happen twice. At least I hope not anyway! On the plus side, if it does need a new barrel I can finally get a twist that will stabilize a longer, heavier pill.
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  #13  
Old 04-25-2018, 10:21 AM
ralph m ralph m is offline
 
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My Savage model 16ss in .204 r quit shooting after 2900 hundred rounds (according to my records) of both factory and reloads. My standard reload was 27.4 grains H 4895 and 39/40 gr bullets of various brands, but usually v-max.
The rifle quit shooting very abruptly with the bullets making keyholes at 40 yards. The rifle was normally cleaned after a maximum of 40 rounds and typically grouped within 1" moa.
It has been replaced with another .204 in a Remington heavy barrel that shoots very nicely.
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  #14  
Old 04-25-2018, 05:35 PM
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6.5 shooter 6.5 shooter is offline
 
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I am running TAC powder in mine (x2) nice clean burn and not to much fouling
40 gr v-max.

One rifle is a custom barrel, the other is a factory Ruger hvb. Both shoot very well with only modest cleaning...I think more barrels are ruined from either too much or improper cleaning methods....
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  #15  
Old 04-26-2018, 10:01 PM
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sounds like you fried the barrel. Buddy of mine had a wicked shooting savage mod12 varminter in 204. Heated the barrel up in saskatchewan on a gopher shoot. Never has shot the same tight groups again. Time for a new barrel if you need that accuracy.
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Old 04-26-2018, 11:38 PM
Fordevr Fordevr is offline
 
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Goto 8:50 in video

https://youtu.be/3d0-FOEpAuw
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  #17  
Old 04-27-2018, 06:29 AM
elkhunter11 elkhunter11 is online now
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ruger300 View Post
sounds like you fried the barrel. Buddy of mine had a wicked shooting savage mod12 varminter in 204. Heated the barrel up in saskatchewan on a gopher shoot. Never has shot the same tight groups again. Time for a new barrel if you need that accuracy.
This is why I find the 17 hornet to be far superior for shooting ground squirrels, when you only use half the powder, barrel heating is far less of an issue. And the hornet is still a very capable round for ground squirrels to 300 yards or so. I use my 20 Tac for coyotes, where the rate of fire doesn't overheat the barrel.
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