how fast is too fast?

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OFFGRID

OFFGRID

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ive heard that too much velocity can damage a barrel. how fast is too fast?

gun in question is 243 win with 87 grain ballistic tip estimated around 3000 fps.
 
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OFFGRID said:
ive heard that too much velocity can damage a barrel. how fast is too fast?

gun in question is 243 win with 87 grain ballistic tip estimated around 3000 fps.
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3000 fps is fine in just about anything.
4000 fps is considered a barn burner in any caliber. I run 75grainers at 3500 or so in my 243 but it is a hunting rifle that doesnt get shot very often.

Even 4000 fps in your gun will not burn out the barrel for about 2000 rounds. All depends on what you wanna use it for.
 
AJC1 said:
It's not the speed it's the powder volume eating your throat. If you fire one to kill a deer and that's it no big deal. Shoot 50 at the range in a short period of time and you can roast the throat in short order.
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Yup 220 swift will burn out a throat much faster than 223 due to all that powder pushing a teeny tiny bullet. 223 barrels can last 10,000 rounds. Ive never heard of a swift barrel lasting half of that.
 
AJC1 said:
It's not the speed it's the powder volume eating your throat. If you fire one to kill a deer and that's it no big deal. Shoot 50 at the range in a short period of time and you can roast the throat in short order.
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whats a good time to wait between rounds when target shooting? couple minutes?

im gonna take my kid to a range pretty soon for target practice. i plan on getting him familiar with 100, 200, and maybe 300 yard shots before the season starts. last year he missed a couple good bucks and definitely needs practice
 
OFFGRID said:
so 20 or 30 rounds a season is no big deal? thanks for the info guys.
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Not at all. Thats 100 years for 2000 to 3000 rounds.

Shoot a magazine full if internal mag or 5 rounds if detachable mag. Shoot as fast as you want or as slow as you want. But wait 10 minutes or so between strings. If the barrel is hot enough that it immediately registers as hot to the palm, thats too hot. Warm like a baby's bottle is fine.
 
It's the volume of powder in relation to bore size that eats up barrels. A 243 uses the same parent case as 308 and burns very nearly the same amount of powder. But through a much smaller diameter barrel. Conventional thinking is that a 308 barrel is good for around 5000 rounds before match grade accuracy starts to fall off. Closer to 10,000 rounds before hunting accuracy begins to be unacceptable. Of course, hot loads, and rapid firing letting the barrel overheat accelerates that.

A 243 will burn up a barrel in a fraction of that. I've seen estimates of 1000-1500 rounds for match grade accuracy and 2000-2500 for hunting accuracy.

You see similar numbers when comparing rounds like 30-06 to 25-06 or 270. The magnum 25 and 26 caliber barrels may not last over a few hundred rounds.
 
Really no need to try to get to max velocity unless you are shooting out to 600 yards or something. Its best to find a good safe load for your rifle that is easy on your gun, easy on your brass, very reliable and close to max velocity. 100 - 200 off max velocity is a good load and probably will be most consistent. Get a decent chronograph and work up the load until you think you are close to max and consistent. Each gun is different. If you are within 200 fps, you are about close enough.
 
If it were me and I was target shooting I would use hunting groups. Slow fire 3-5 round and walk out to check target. At 600 yards walking there and back should take 10 ish minutes. I never get any of my barrels to hot to hold near the chamber. I shoot my 223 and 308 in ten shot strings. Less would be better but that's a standard round in competition. I leave the bolt open between strings. A cooler would probably help but I don't have one.
 
BigAlShooter said:
Really no need to try to get to max velocity unless you are shooting out to 600 yards or something. Its best to find a good safe load for your rifle that is easy on your gun, easy on your brass, very reliable and close to max velocity. 100 - 200 off max velocity is a good load and probably will be most consistent. Get a decent chronograph and work up the load until you think you are close to max and consistent. Each gun is different. If you are within 200 fps, you are about close enough.
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Single base faster powders also help. Nitro ups the heat and a faster bun rate means less volume.
 
BigAlShooter said:
Really no need to try to get to max velocity unless you are shooting out to 600 yards or something. Its best to find a good safe load for your rifle that is easy on your gun, easy on your brass, very reliable and close to max velocity. 100 - 200 off max velocity is a good load and probably will be most consistent. Get a decent chronograph and work up the load until you think you are close to max and consistent. Each gun is different. If you are within 200 fps, you are about close enough.
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good to know. thanks for the info.

where my kid and i hunt a 200 yard shot is long and 300 would probably be max unless you see a hog and then theres no such thing as an unethical shot and the rules are you take any shot. (farm land)
 
OFFGRID said:
its definitely a family heirloom. i hope to see my grandchildren hunt with it
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In that case - shoot it as often as possible and enjoy the rifle. Teach your kids to do the same. Teach your kids to teach your grandkids to do the same. Equally, teach them all that barrels are consumable, and should be replaced to breathe new life into dad’s/grandpa’s old rifle any time it needs it. What would be better - your great grandkids shooting the same rifle some day, or your kids or grandkids selling it after you die because you never shot it much, or because THEY never shot it much, and don’t have any sentimental attachment to it, OR sticking it in the back of the closet because it shot great when grandpa was alive, but the old barrel is just shot out now, so nobody uses it any more…?
 
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I have a wildcat version of the .243 necked down to .22., called the Middlestead after it's first creator. It shoots in the Swift range 4000fps+.

I really don't shoot it much.....for reasons of barrel longevity.....but boy oh boy is it fun to shoot! Some who shot that caliber nick-named it the Laser....for good reason.

Your .243 will last longer that that one.... I have a cheapy in that caliber that I bought new for $105 dollars, back in 1973. Short barrel Remington Mohawk 600. Admittedly I never shot it as much as avid hunters do....nor shooting range addicts, but it has killed a few deer, and is still a tack driver today. My Grandson got a buck last year with it.....and the year before that as well. Very enjoyable to pass on the fun to the next generation!
 
I’m a cool barrel fanatic.

Especially when developing a load. I usually set up 3 targets and shoot 3 guns, 1 shot from each gun at a time.

Between removing the gun from the line, getting the next gun on the line, adjusting the Lead Sled, it’s usually 2 minutes between rounds, 6 minutes before I shoot the 1st gun again.

But that’s me.
 
I assume that the barrel steel can take much more heat than my hand, and also that the erupting gas plume burns the layer of steel it’s going to burn with every shot, cold or not.
So, shoot them fast or slow, but certainly don’t worry about it.
After all, efficiency be damned, we’re here for performance!

(Unless you’ve melted more than one rifle bag to a gas block…:oops:)
 
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