BARREL WEAR vs. light fast or heavy standard speed bullets

[ACES&8S]

Probably been covered here before but I got to know what you guys think.
Every time I load a light bullet I wonder about this, will a fast moving bullet wear the
barrels out on my rifles & single shot pistols ???
Like the 7mm mag using a 100 grain bullet or as much as a 120 grain.
Seems like the light bullets are more accurate in the Win model 70 - 7mm mag or the Encore
pistol 15" barrels 7mm 08.
Then on the heavy bullet side I wonder the same thing since there is obviously more bullet
surface running the length of the barrel from the 7mag at 26 inches down to the
308 at only 20 inches.
Only using them as an example since the question is asked for all the rifles & single
shot pistols.
Some other calibers include : .223
30.06
.308

 

[troy fairweather]

the barrel throat will go first but barrels do ware. the more heat the more ware.

 

[jmr40]

The ratio to powder burned to bore size determines how soon a barrel wears out. Generally speaking, there are other factors that could have an effect. A 7mm mag burning 65-70 gr of powder inside a 7mm barrel will wear out a lot sooner than a 7X57 burning 45-50 gr of powder in the same diameter barrel. And a 308 burning 45-50 gr of powder in a larger diameter barrel will last longer than either. A 243 burning 45-50 gr of powder in a tiny 24 caliber barrel really burns up fast.

 

[Bbear]

It's also how many rounds are fired before letting things cool down. As jmr40 mentioned, a 308 will last a lot longer than many, unless it's going through a barrel at the rate of 500 rounds per minute. One reason why full auto guns the military uses can swap barrels fairly easily.

But, as stated, take a very over-bore cartridge (example: 26 Nosler or 6.5x300 Wby) and fire 100 rounds through it one after the other, and, you'll be getting a new barrel pretty soon.

 

[Blue68f100]

That's more throat erosion than actual barrel wear. The hot gases just eat the grain boundaries in the steel. SS resist this a little better than carbon steel. Rapid fire (MG) is why most barrels are chrome lined to get better life out of them. Bench rest shooters who chase the lands, can tell you how may rounds it takes to erode the throat 0.001" . They are constantly adjusting there OAL if they are not letting the lands seat the bullet.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Bottom line, it's temperature and pressure that wears out barrels. High pressure, over-bore cartridges are the worst for barrel wear.

 

[ACES&8S]

Thanks for the info so far.
What got me started was several years ago, I bought a 270 Weatherby Magnum. It was a lot of study that brought me to decide
on that caliber in a MK 5, which was going to be for Elk & stuff, but health problems have since halted any chance of a trip
west. The price of ammo was steep as it is now, so I bought a whole reloading outfit & started back reloading, which has
been a great hobby for me since then.
The first & [ ONLY ] ammo for it was a single box of 100 grain hollow point ammo. I used 5 shots to sight it in & killed
game with every last shot of that box [ missed twice ] before while I relearned reloading. Lee made me a set of dies for that one
rifle which was fantastic & I used 140 grain bullets which absolutely destroyed deer so I went to 90 grain bullets which was
like shooting a laser at stuff. I quit using the light bullets or heavy for anything except target shooting, the light bullets always
are the most accurate & could group tight at 280 yards which is my limit, until next month. I know heavy bullets can hold
up better at long range.
Anyhow I sold the 270 mag & some others to stop loading so many different calibers.
Now the 7mm Mag has fallen into the same abilities as the 270 Web Mag.
I love to shoot, not just punch holes but tight groups & the 7mm Mag with 100 & 120 grain bullets
is real tight. I guess what I am doin her is convincing myself that to much of a good thing is enough.
Another point I wonder about is the Magnum version of the .223 which in my mind has a few, but
best of all is the 22/250 which burns large volumes of powder & runs the barrel at fantastic speed.
In a carbon steel barrel wouldn't that be a [ somewhat ] short life from the start or are we talking
a standard 2500 to 3000 round barrel.
Sorry for the long wind.