Varminterror
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- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
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- 14,855
I've seen tests going over 20,000 rounds of 223 with no measurable loss of accuracy.
I’ve never seen a test with such high roundcount without measurable change, but rather in these tests, barrels make it that far without falling below a certain standard. I’ve also never gotten anywhere close to that many rounds from anything larger than 22LR without seeing accuracy or velocity changes - including 223/5.56 barrels. Whether stainless, nitrided, chrome lined, doesn’t matter, barrels change long before 20,000.
Highpower competition tends to be the best barometer of barrel life for accuracy of 223/5.56, with most shooters replacing button rifled barrels around 3000, and cut rifled barrels around 4000, or as much as 5000. As another common dataset, Go-fast gunners in 3 gun will often triple or quadruple that roundcount, but obviously don’t have the same standard for precision and stability, so that 20k mark becomes far more attainable - again, living at a minimum standard limit rather than “no measurable change.”
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