Order one or two?

This is not a question/rebate about how many rounds can you put down the pipe on a 22-250 before its "shot out" and long range accuracy is still there, but not as good as you want it to be. (loads have been altered as necessary to retain accuracy over the barrel life)

For all intents and purposes we will say the barrel is "shot out" at 2,000 rounds on a McGowen, Shilen or other quality pre-fit barrel.

With 10-20% of the barrel life used for load development, zeroing, gun tests, weather tests and ballistics table verification, how many people order a 2nd barrel so you have higher chances of having a matched chamber and bore to the pipe you used for load development?

I know there is a lot of variables to this question (hot powder, abuse, rounds per year, did they actually run two barrels on the same reamer with the same smith, etc etc etc). I am looking for how many people order two at once in hopes of the replacement pipe is a match.

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Originally Posted by jon8777

I know there is a lot of variables to this question (hot powder, abuse, rounds per year, did they actually run two barrels on the same reamer with the same smith, etc etc etc). I am looking for how many people order two at once in hopes of the replacement pipe is a match.

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If this is what you really want, I'm sure you could request two as identical as possible from the manufacturer.

Barrels have there own personality, and no two are a like. To get 2 barrels in hopes that they will shoot the same is a gamble. I would say it is a good idea if something is working to have the second barrel cut with the same reamer, and set up the same way. It is also possible to order 2 barrels from barrel makers and they could be cut with different reamers, as some of them have mutiple reamers. So lets say you order 2 barrels they have one in stock, and they need to make another run of x caliber, they may not know wich reamer was used on barrel (A), and the chances of them pulling another reamer is good.

When most competitive point blank benchrest shooters order barrels they will order them at 4, 8 or 10 at a time, have them all chambered up (Exact same reamer and smith at the exact same time.) then pick the best shooting barrel out of the bunch, and either sell the others, or use them for fireforming, or pratice, or other things. With that said your chances of getting 2 barrels exactly the same is like hitting the lottery.

Another option is to order your barrel a bit on the long side of things and have it chambered by a smith, then as needed you can send the barrel back to that smith, and have him set back and re-chamber the barrel as needed, this would give you the best posibility of a longer barrel life, and keeping the same load, and everything else. The load will need tweeked as it is changed, but it should be in the ball park. If you go with a thicker profile barrel like a Shilen #7 you should be able to set it back a few times, before there is not enough barrel to thread.

If you ordered a 1" full bull they can cut a 1/2" off the tenon and re-cut the chamber?

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Originally Posted by jon8777

If you ordered a 1" full bull they can cut a 1/2" off the tenon and re-cut the chamber?

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I am kind of confused, if your asking a question, yes they can be set back and rechambered, depending on the taper of the barrel depends on how much can be cut off, and how many times it can be cut. I would say if you had a barrel with a strait taper, you could have it rechambered several times. The set back or cut off would depend on how bad the throat, and lead in was. The idea is cut off enough to clean up the throat.