Bullet Speed VS Barrel Life

[volt2amp]

Well I am having hard time finding bullets over 150gr. for my 308. However, a local gunshop has a quite a few boxes of Sierra Varminter Bullets in 110gr. The velocities would be considerably higher than the 168gr. I was planning on shooting. If I were to use these for less than 300yrd shooting would the increased velocity prematuraly shorten the barrel life?

volt

[diesel]

been shooting 125 Sierras in an Axis 308 at around 3000 FPS for a few years now, still MOA after many 100s of rounds. bore still looks pristine yet. hope this helps. dang accurate bullet

[volt2amp]

diesel, i figured its a noob question, but thought it better to ask then to regret later.
volt

[scope eye]

Are you kidding me, those are my favorite bullets, once you start shooting those you might even never go back to heavier ones, and I have not seen any ill effects on my barrels, and I cram as much powder as I can in those casings 55gr in a 308 will get ya 3600FPS, 65gr in a 30-06 is good for 3800FPS, 85gr in a 300 Win Mag is good for 4000+FPS, and 105gr in a 300RUM is a good for a whopping, well I would rather not say, You would not believe me if I told you, one thing is for sure flat shooting is an understatement, prepare to readjust your elevation, and you can actually hear those hollow point howl, as they are headed down range, they are a blast to shoot.

Tanks Dean

PS I even have a load for the M1 Garand if anyone is interested.

[ellobo]

Throat errosion will occur usually in advance of bore wear and is a function of powder charge and type. Of course higher velocity requires more powder. More velocity and rounds down range will wear a bore faster. Laws of physics apply. See dissertation below.

El Lobo

[scope eye]

The secret to substantially increasing throat life, is to not over heat the barrel, it makes a world of difference for longevity.

Tanks Dean

[volt2amp]

Dean, I have a question for you.

How long should I wait between shots?

If this is too vague then lets assume an 85 degree ambient temp, shooting GMM 308, how much time do you think would be sufficient for barrel cool down to minimize throat erosion? Is it minutes, seconds, or when the spit quits sizzling?

volt

[scope eye]

Hey Volt my method is, as long as I can touch the barrel, near the chamber with the back of my hand,with out making a face your good to go, you don't have to wait until it is totally cooled down, you can keep shooting when it is still warm, just don't let it get HOT, and keep the bolt open with no round or spent brass in the chamber let it breath it cools down twice as fast.

Tanks Dean

[JCalhoun]

A .308W doesn't have issues with wearing out barrels terribly fast. You'll be bored with it by then.

[Klayton]

longer bullets cause more erosion..... I.e. more drag more friction. also cooler burning powders help with erosion so keep this in mind.. its not always a function of velocity.