Purchased a 12FV in 223... What's the expected barrel life?

[Yoshi]

Just purchased a 12FV in .223. I am toying with the idea of having it immediately shipped out for a new barrel. Havind said that, if the factory barrel can hold sub-moa accuracy, maybe I'll just shoot that one out? Having never owned a .223 bolt-gun, I am not sure of how long that would be. I want to shoot heavier bullets (69gr & up) and safely load as hot as I can... What sort of round count should I expect?

[5spd]

Buy a back up barrel and swap it your self when you shoot the other one out, but that's going to be a while.
My 1st .223 went many thousands of rounds before going south.
All my current .223s have over 5k rounds through them and still shoot under 1" @ 100 yds.
I use mine for p-dogs/coyote, so Im not concerned about all in the same hole.

[Yoshi]

Thanks! Its main use is for training. Locally, I can't stretch the legs of my .308 and .260. Heck, that's a 2hr drive to get anywhere I can. So, because I do have a 200yd range available, I figured a 223 would be a good, cheap way to get behind a rifle. And, if the factory barrel is as good as my other Savage barrels, I'll be a happy camper. But, I do want a "shooter" since I do shoot several kinds of matches and wouldn't mind trying the 223 out in one of those. It'll take me a couple years to shoot +5000rds... I guess that's plenty of time to make a decision. :)

[drysideshooter]

I have more 223's than I should admit to. Particularly if you handload, and it sounds like you do, I can almost guarantee you will be able to get MOA or better out of that rifle. I don't own a Savage in 223, but have several friends that do. The out of the box accuracy of most modern Savage rifles is pretty amazing.

One advantage of a bolt gun is you don't have to be as sensitive to OAL and feeding issues. After a proper break-in I would suggest measuring the distance to your lands. Start with a load .0030 off the lands and load a few rounds up at that length with a few different powders and the same bullet (I suggest using the bullet you would most like to use) at minimum loads, but close to the same fps. You can usually figure out pretty quickly which powder(s) may work best in a particular rifle. If you don't get decent groups, you may want to try the same thing with a different bullet. Once you have settled on a powder, load some more up at .0030 off the lands, and then some at .0025, .0020, .0015, etc. Leave the powder charge the same, but realize the POI will change with the OAL's. What you are looking for are is the length that groups best with your rifle. As you are going longer OAL (closer to the lands) keep an eye open for pressure signs, though at minimal loads you shouldn't see any. Once you narrow in on a length that works best you can further fine tune down to the .0001 that works best if you want, and then start working up the powder charge to get the fps you are looking for, keeping an eye on signs of excessive pressure. It can take a while, but you will zero in on the sweet spot for your particular rifle. I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to get to 1/2 MOA. I have friends that only work on a load until they hit "good enough" for what they are looking for, and that works too. I prefer to try to wring out as much accuracy as reasonably possible for a given rifle.

With good care your barrel will last a long time. Get a properly fitted bore guide for use when cleaning it. A lot of barrels get damaged by not using one, and be sensitive to how you are pulling things like brushes back through your barrel as it's easy to start damaging the crown at the 6:00 position, and that will degrade accuracy over time. If you break the barrel in well it will help ease the cleaning chore. Have fun and enjoy the new rifle.

[kkeene]

I am over 2,000 rounds on my 223 heavy barrel 223 and it is still 1/2 MOA. Note that two of the Savage barrels I have took about 50 to 100 rounds before they started shooting well. They started out shooting worse than an inch at 100 yards. A couple of JB bore paste scrubs and use they were like night and day.

[foxx]

I have more 223's than I should admit to. Particularly if you handload, and it sounds like you do, I can almost guarantee you will be able to get MOA or better out of that rifle. I don't own a Savage in 223, but have several friends that do. The out of the box accuracy of most modern Savage rifles is pretty amazing.

One advantage of a bolt gun is you don't have to be as sensitive to OAL and feeding issues. After a proper break-in I would suggest measuring the distance to your lands. Start with a load .0030 off the lands and load a few rounds up at that length with a few different powders and the same bullet (I suggest using the bullet you would most like to use) at minimum loads, but close to the same fps. You can usually figure out pretty quickly which powder(s) may work best in a particular rifle. If you don't get decent groups, you may want to try the same thing with a different bullet. Once you have settled on a powder, load some more up at .0030 off the lands, and then some at .0025, .0020, .0015, etc. Leave the powder charge the same, but realize the POI will change with the OAL's. What you are looking for are is the length that groups best with your rifle. As you are going longer OAL (closer to the lands) keep an eye open for pressure signs, though at minimal loads you shouldn't see any. Once you narrow in on a length that works best you can further fine tune down to the .0001 that works best if you want, and then start working up the powder charge to get the fps you are looking for, keeping an eye on signs of excessive pressure. It can take a while, but you will zero in on the sweet spot for your particular rifle. I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to get to 1/2 MOA. I have friends that only work on a load until they hit "good enough" for what they are looking for, and that works too. I prefer to try to wring out as much accuracy as reasonably possible for a given rifle.

With good care your barrel will last a long time. Get a properly fitted bore guide for use when cleaning it. A lot of barrels get damaged by not using one, and be sensitive to how you are pulling things like brushes back through your barrel as it's easy to start damaging the crown at the 6:00 position, and that will degrade accuracy over time. If you break the barrel in well it will help ease the cleaning chore. Have fun and enjoy the new rifle.

What brought all that up? :) Besides all of that, I heard eggs in China are getting a little more expensive these days. :)

[bootsmcguire]

Your shooting habits will help dictate your barrel's life. If you keep the barrel cool and space your shots out a bit, that will greatly extend your barrel's life. Also, keeping your loads somewhat modest rather than as fast as possible (yes I said that, speed freak that I am) will help as well. The 223 is pretty mild and you have a heavier barrel so you should be pretty well off.

[GaCop]

Average life for a 223 Rem barrel is said to be between 5000 and 7000 rounds. Military M-16/M-4 barrels have a life of 10,000 rounds with the chrome lining.

[emtrescue6]

I have yet to really shoot the barrel out of any of my 223's....I have AR's and Mini 14's with over 20,000 rounds through them.

[earl39]

I agree. The best answer might be "with proper care it will last a long, long time".

[Westcliffe01]

From the infamous "lucky gunner torture test" http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Accuracy-Sunday-e1357508752680.png

Take note that all 4 weapons were never much better than 2MOA to begin with, so "accuracy" is a relative term... A rifle that shoots reliably 1/4 MOA is going to open up or change noticeably sooner than one that shoots 1/2 MOA. A 1-1.5 MOA barrel is generally going to last a good long time at that level.