When is it time to Re-Barrel - how much erosion is to much?

[UtahMike]

When is to much throat erosion to much?  I've had my Remington 270LH for nearly 20 years now.  About 200 rounds a year, max hunting loads. 130 gr. Sierra with about 58-60gr H-4831 and CCI-200's or 250's depending on the temp of the hunting trip. (OK time for disclaimer, don't try this at home boys and girls)
When I get my trusty Stoney Point and slide it into the chamber, I get an OAL of 2.874", a little more if I push a little harder. this wont even allow the bullet to get hold of the neck with .015" from the lands. Groups have started to open up just a bit, but it's still a MOA rifle.  Average velocity has started to drop a little (ie 3100 down to 3050fps)
I need some help picking a new barrel, I like a 26" tube with a varmint profile, not to sure about stainless or moly, I have both and to tell you the truth the moly seems to be a little more forgiving and shoot better.
The 270 caliber has been very good to me, Muley's, Elk, Coyotes, you name it, it's done the job.  I thought maybe about going to the 6.5x284, but I'm still not sure. Don't know about the number of grooves, etc, etc.  I could use some help!

[rockbilly]

:roll: I wouldn't think the barrel is worn that much after only 4000 rounds.  I have put three-four times that number through my 22-250 and .270 Sakos, both still hold a tight group and shown little or no wear.  Did you buy the gun used and don't actually know the history, or is it you just want a new barrel?

[Ramrod]

I agree with rockbilly, there is nothing wrong with this barrel.
Besides, a new one might not shoot as good!

[Redhawk1]

I agree with rockbilly and Ramrod.  

[redial]

Try some JB on the throat - I'll bet your accuracy will be better than ever.

Redial

[UtahMike]

OK, you caught me, maybe I'm just looking for a new project.  Just finished one and was looking for something to do.  Could you still give me some Ideas about, say a 1x8 twist  6.5x284, somewhere around 26-28"........
Thanks, Mike

It's good to here that the barrel isn't worn out but, why then can I now push a bullet into the throat, when in the past that wasn't in the cards?

[safetysheriff]

:roll: I wouldn't think the barrel is worn that much after only 4000 rounds.  I have put three-four times that number through my 22-250 and .270 Sakos, both still hold a tight group and shown little or no wear.  ?

three-four times the number of 4000!

i can't imagine that is anywhere near true if you took the rifle to a range and shot it til it warmed up before resting it.    

if i shot a .22-250 or a .270 one round at a time, and then waited five minutes before the next one, yes, that Might do it.     but it's hard to imagine anywhere near 12,000 rounds of 'normal' shooting at a range allowing either of those calibers to make it to/past 12,000 rounds.

the man's first post with the excessive length of a loaded round tells us that the throat is probably worn, even if he is in a hurry emotionally for a new barrel.

go to www.long-range.com or its sister sight and read up on stainless steel barrel longevity using the 'search' function.    i'd follow their lead to get a stainless barrel that is cut rifled (leave the button-rifled units to the guys with more money who can replace a barrel more often.)

just my solid two cents,

ss'

[Ramrod]

It's good to here that the barrel isn't worn out but, why then can I now push a bullet into the throat, when in the past that wasn't in the cards?

Why would you worry about it if it still shoots almost as well as it did when new? If you want a new caliber, then just go for it. But you sure ain't gonna justify it due to accurraccy.

[Slamfire]

My only experience at shooting out a barrel came in a .243 which I used a lot hunting deer, jackrabbits and coyotes. After about 20 years it decided not to shoot the lighter weight bullets as well as it once did. It still handled the 100 grainers ok. I had it rebored, nearly 30 years ago, and as a .260 (actually a .263 Express), it is still goin' strong. Probably because I don't hunt the jacks anymore.  :grin:

[rockbilly]

Safetysheriff. I have owned these guns for well over 30 years, during this period I firmly believe that I have put that many rounds through the guns.  Most of my reloading is done during Jan-Feb (nothing to hunt, and too cold for an old man to fish), often I had to load more before the year was out..  I don't shoot as much as I once did, but when I reloaded, it was usually a 1000 rounds of each caliber.  I would shoot the metal at least two days a week, Each time I would burn three-four boxes.  Another thing for longevity is the type of load you shoot.  I have never been one to "hop up" my loads.  I try to duplicate factory loads or load accuracy loads according to my reloading manuels. I can understand someone shooting a barrel out if they try to load every load to the max.  A friend shot a 22-250 out after about three years, but every load he put through it was pushing 4100 fps or better.

I see no reason a quality firearm won't last through 12000 rounds and give  good performance if it is properly cared for and fed a light diet. :roll:  :roll:

[redial]

Just for an element of contrast, we highpower shooters usually rebarrel some'eres between 3,000 and 5,000 rounds for 223, 308, '06 and about half that many for 243, 6.5-284, and some of the other hot rock rounds.

Admittedly, we're not nice to barrels in our course of fire and we often tend to load a little, uh.. warm, let's say.

We rebarrel because the tube has lost its long range accuracy (600-1000 yards). They're still good for many thousands more rounds at the short lines (300 and in). I recently rebarrelled my Rock River AR at 3200 rounds. The throat had grown 400 thousandths since it was new and at 200 yards would still clean the reduced 600 target, the MR-52. The throat was smooth but almost a HALF INCH longer than optimum! I did JB it its entire life and when it was getting wobbly at 600, I firelapped it with a Wheeler kit hence the exaggerated throat length - but it was still quite smooth.

Throat condition, much more than throat length determines short and medium range accuracy. If yours is smooth, it'll still shoot I bet.

A whole nickelsworth!

Redial