300 Win. Mag. barrel life.

[Sargesniper]

I feel the same about the 300WM. Just discovered it when I moved to N Colorado.
The 300 bucks wind phenomenally ! Where I am the wind can bitch slap my 243 and 308. Not so much my WM

Yes, so much more velocity in the WM. I do love the .308 for it's accuracy even though it wont get any speeding tickets.

The WM is so new to me. Never had a belted cartridge until now. Thought I would give it a try. Just beginning to get everything together to begin shooting it. Might be asking some questions when I reload for it. Brass and Fed primers are scarce for it right now so it may take some time to get the right load for it.

I found some PPU brass but don't know how good it is yet. Still unfired at this time.
Powder I have so far is IMR 4831 and 4350. Some old RL-22 and a number of 30 cal. bullets up to 208 gr.

I don't know what to load at this point to start. Plenty of time left to gather good components though. I am not going to hurry into loading and just shoot it.

 

[deadidarren]

I use Hoppe's carbon cleaner, I do know it contains a very mild copper solvent, but I don't let it soak as per the instructions on the bottle. When cleaning copper, I use Sweets 7.62 copper cleaner.
This is important, after using Hoppe's, I ALWAYS follow with petroleum spirit (Shellite) on a patch and scrub the throat, then the bore. When using Sweets, I follow with methylated spirits on a patch and scrub the throat, then the bore. I also blow out the bore with compressed air, then a very light coat of oil, one pass and out the muzzle.
If I detect a carbon ring in the throat, I use scotch brite pads on a jag and Hoppe's and a battery drill.
Unfortunately, living in Australia, we don't get all the goodies available to you guys in the US. Would love some JB paste to try on my throats!

Cheers.
gun)

really how much do you want

 

[Aimsmall55]

My 300 win has stole my heart. It is truly the one rifle I will never be without. My round count has passed 1500 rounds and the accuracy is same as day one. This rifle with 215 Bergers will shoot .3 moa groups from a bipod and rear bag on a regular basis. .5 moa at 1000 and beyond. The rifle has now logged 31 big game cold bore one shot kills with the 215's alone. Those shots were from 200 yards to 1300. I have and always do clean with BoreTech Eliminator. BTE has corrosion protection so I never add oil to the bore after cleaning. This process for me has proven to make the first shot from a clean rifle go into group.

Gotta love a good 300 win mag. I get 3035 fps with a 215 Berger from its Broughton 5C 28" barrel.

Jeff

Broz, you actually inspired me to build a .300 Win Mag after seeing your results on SH. I took a Broughton 5c finished at 30" and throated it for the 230's and 215's.

It is truely an awesome rifle. I'm running the 230 Hybrids at 2975 fps... And they bug hole.
But what's really impressive is the 215's running 3075 fps!!

 

[Aimsmall55]

Here's the rifle. Custom build.

 

[Bart B]

When the .300 Win Mag was popular in 1000-yard prone matches, those using one to win and set records got about 1100 to 1200 rounds of accurate barrel life. That's based on them testing 15 to 20 shots in 5 to 7 inches at 1000 yards when new but opening up to 8 to 9 inches at that round count. That's about a 50% increase in test group size which has been a popular standard for competitive rifle shooters for decades.

I've measured throat erosion in three .30-.338 Win Mag match barrels over their 1200 to 1300 round barrel lives. They all eroded away about .001" for every 15 to 20 shots fired. Bullets needed to be seated about .070" further out at the end of barrel life to gently set back by the rifling when chambered. Therefore, I think a .300 Win Mag will wear out its barrel a bit faster as it uses 5 to 7 grains more powder for a given bullet weight compared to the .30-.338.

No barrel shoots as accurate 1500 rounds into its life as it did when new. But the way a lot of people test them, I understand why they will come to a conclusion they shoot the same accuracy at that many rounds of barrel life. Sierra Bullets uses a .300 Win Mag test barrel checking their 30 caliber match bullets 190 grains and heavier for accuracy. They start out probably 1/4 MOA average at 200 yards with their reference lot of bullets, but the last I heard from them, when it gets to about 1200 rounds, it's opened up about 50% to 60% to around 3/8 MOA average. But that keeps their accuracy extreme limit under 1/2 MOA at 200 yards for all their match bullets. Sierra uses a .308 Win test barrel for ligher match bullets and get the same accuracy standards but a 3000 round barrel life is typical.

 

[Pdvdh]

Bart B,
Any of the competitive shooters meloniting their barrels? If so, any insights on its affect on barrel life in match use?

 

[Bart B]

Regarding melonite:

Melonite Surface Treatment for Barrels, Bolts, and Actions « Daily Bulletin

I don't know anyone who uses it, but it may well help barrels last longer.

 

[Pdvdh]

OK. Thanks. It's been out and in use long enough now that I wondered if the competition shooters were using it.

I've read competitive shooters may try a number of barrels before they select the one they'll go after the world record with, so competition shooters may not be a good source of knowledge. Because it cost extra money to melonite and if that barrel doesn't perform up to standards, then it's even more money down the drain if the barrel is discarded.

 

[Bart B]

OK. I've read competitive shooters may try a number of barrels before they select the one they'll go after the world record with, so competition shooters may not be a good source of knowledge.

I have never heard of any competitive shooter who does that. Nor any who specifically go after world records.

All the one's producing the best results I've shot with compete only against themselves. They compete with each other. And they share info readily to new shooters on what they do to get their results. There are no secrets.

 

[Pdvdh]

I have never heard of any competitive shooter who does that. Nor any who specifically go after world records.

Bart,

Let me reword. A barrel that doesn't perform is removed and replaced with one that does. The definition of "Perform" in competitive circles at the Tubbs level must entail precision at a very high level.

Even I'll pull a barrel, cut my losses, and move on if I can't get it to shoot. And that's just for my hunting purposes. I suspect competitive shooters also move on to a new barrel if they suffer repetitive disappointments.

All is well, but I believe you've focused on minutia within my prior post. You must understand the concept without me providing an accounting of real life experiences. A melonited barrel that doesn't perform would be a greater financial loss than a non-melonited barrel that doesn't perform.

Which is why I shoot a new barrel to confirm acceptable precision before I send it off for melonite treatment.

 

[Bart B]

I've bought good aftermarket barrels and had them installed that shoot my loads as accurate as David Tubbs barrels. And I never worked a load up for any of them. He and I have talked together about this stuff.

How well do you think his barrels shoot accuracy wise tested in his machine rest at 600 yards for 10-shot test groups? It's the one his Dad had built back in the 1960's: