“Your groups are too small” vs barrel life

[Frank in the Laurels]

..in a hunting rifle there's no reason to go nuts over trying to shoot the smallest groups possible because the size if your target area is at least the size of a volleyball and maybe as big as a beachball, so why put your barrel through all those shots for zero gain...lots of us claim to be "shoot it in the eye" but none of us pass up chest shots on big game despite what we claim. Real "group" benchrest shooting is obviously a completely different story and then you must put some shots down the bore despite the wear and tear but never in a hunting barrel. No one can convince me it makes a difference whether I hit the left or right side of a heart or top or bottom of the lungs...so save that barrel and wear and tear on your brain worrying about shooting 1/4 hunting rifle groups...that little puff of unforeseen wind will have affect and effect than a 1/2 or 3/4 inch group..

 

[QuietTexan]

Doing all this for several bullets and what are we talking 1000 rounds of barrel life? How much is left for match shooting. Does this mean I can develop on one barrel and apply results to the next 2-3 barrels? Maybe.

Absolutely. This is why I buy my own reamers, and sometimes have multiple barrels cut at the same time. Multiple 6PPC barrels shoot not only the same loads.... but the same brass. These kind of cases can last 30+ reloading cycles, there's no need to chuck them if the groups are still small. 100 cases can last two to three barrels. Some guys run only 20 cases for one barrel life.

There's a reason when you look at Cal Zandt compiling 6 Dasher loads in PRS that so many guys end up in the same ~1-2gn charge weight range, because it generally just works. Same concept behind FGMM 308 Win loads, it's a rare rifle that doesn't shoot them well.

My 30-338 LIMP I fireform brass in one rifle to use in another (big heavy bench gun vs hunting weight gun), but the barrels were cut back to back on the reamer.

If you don't have it already, Bryan Litz's Modern Advancements Vol 3 has a chapter on theory of rifle precision based on weight/recoil, it's a good read to establish baseline precision for a rifle so you have a good idea when to stop.