Has anyone ever shot out a barrel by testing loads

I think I may be on the edge here. I have shot 143 rounds from my new barrel and think I have found a good load or starting point. Im kinda joking around about shooting the barrel out but it seems that the hunt for "super accuracy" is alwyas there. I have pounds of powder that I cant use and sometimes lose track of load data it keeps my head spinning. I shot a 2 inch group at 500 yards today I mean I was shaking and praying for no flyers and before I was done Im already thinking how can I improve this.....Im just checking to see if Im the only one that does this to myself...

Very Respectfully Submitted

I've got 458 rnds through a sav-10 that I'm still not happy with so yea youre not alone

2" at 500yds is nothing to sneeze at. For a factory rifle that is really really hard to beat. I have seen guy who spent big bucks on custom rigs that will not shoot that good at. That is .40 group at 100yds.
Best regards,
Grit

I apologize Sir that is with a Criterion Bull barrel I didnt even think to add that. It is also with a Sightron III 10x50x60 Mini Hubble.

That is still a great group size and it will probably get better, some barrels don't settle in until they have had 300 rds or more run through them. It may drop down into the threes. If you were shooting F-class you would have a match winning rifle as it is right now. What else have you done to the rifle besides the barrel?
Best regards,
Grit

Mr Grit I have a Sav 2 trigger and a simple Choate Varmint stock at the moment. Nothing special to be honest. The rounds that I loaded up were thrown together for a quick day at the range I didnt even use the concentricity gauge on them. I am using 44.0 grains of RL-15 with CCI-Magnum primers with 175 grain SMK. Im unsure of the velocity I was in a hurry today. The winds were calm and I think a lot of luck played into it. I didnt think it was great to be honest, I thought at 500 yards you had to be inside an inch to be any good....the rifle is very basic maybe I just got lucky..


Very Respectfully

what caliber you shootin there? 2 inch,,hummmm

308 Mr Ben Franklin and yes two inch brother, Im not the type to BS I know for a fact it was luck. I will go out this weekend and try to repeat it. The winds were dead calm just a great day, the barrel had about 45 rounds through it before I shot. I am not a good shot I know that for sure. Ive been shooting in the Marine Corps for 15 years so I have the very basic fundementals of shooting down but still learning Im hoping to be at the level of most of the guys on here in the years to come.


Very Respectfully Submitted

Hi RL15 has basically the same burn rate as Varget so 44gr and a 175gr pill with a 26inch barrel I would say you are expediting them @ 2700 fps, I know mathematically 2 inches @ 500 yrds equals .40 @ 100 yrds, but there is a lot factors and things that happen in the following 400 yrds, so I can't actually put a number on how much smaller the grouping would have been @100 yrds, but I am willing to bet the farm that it was tighter than .40, I can only aspire to become a crappy shot like you one day ;D

Tanks Dean

Im gonna go out this weekend with the same medicine and see if I can repeat it. The gun that im using is also very heavy Dean I am about to have shoulder surgery but refuse to stop shooting so i filled the stock with lead wherever it would hold any so the gun settles down nicely. Theres no doubt in my mind that ill be hard pressed to repeat that. Also Ill Chrono the rounds to be able to post that here as well. If I shoot 50 foot groups Ill post it I dont care because if I lie on here then theres no way I can fix what is wrong.....Im the one always looking for help and advice I dont think I have one post where I answered someones tech question....

Very Respectfully Submitted

Chesty,
I only post the good target pictures...
If it can do it once then the weak point is the nut behind the stock on all the others.

Hey Shanon you know you are probably creeping up to 2800 fps with that 28" barrel with that load.
And also you can ask a thousand questions, and never answer one, "know one is keeping score" and
when someone posts an answer or reply, it is for everyone to benefit not just the person who ask the question. and
last I have been to the range and been on FIRE could not miss if I tried, went back the next day, total frustration same
gun same ammo everything the same except for the cursing ;D

Tanks Dean

Personally I have found that with my McGowen, Shilen and Douglas barrels I spent more up front but actually can get a load tuned in them for less final cost than the Shaws I have been buying lately because I shoot them so much more to get to the load that they like...One 260 barrel I played with last year actually moved the throat ahead at least ten thou after about 400 or 500 rounds but now shoots nice little cloverleafs.....a second one I started playing with during the winter is starting to really come in now after 300+ shots.....I don't consider them shot out but sometimes I think they are when I become frustrated with my shooting...

2" group at 500 yards? You shot it, you saw it so who cares wheather anybody believes you or not? Well done and OUTSTANDING! 8) 8) 8) ;D

2" group at 500 yards? You shot it, you saw it so who cares wheather anybody believes you or not? Well done and OUTSTANDING! 8) 8) 8) ;D

ditto ! :D

To answer your question, Yes. I had a Douglas Super Duper, Premium, Air Gaged, XX, Quadruple Lapped, well you get the idea! Chambered in 7mm STW that never shot better than 1 1/2 MOA even after several scopes and stocks. About 500 rounds it went to 9 MOA and makes a real nice SS Tomato stake! No plans at present to ever chamber any caliber over 50 grs. powder capacity again. ;)

Sure you can shoot out a barrel testing loads. It can be pretty easy with an extreme overbore chambering.

I know my 7mmRUM barrel only lasted a few hundred rounds before the throat eroded and the first few inches were firecracked.

My 22-243AI isn't going to last long either.

My first outing with my barrel I shot 84 rounds with a variety of bullets and didn't get a load I liked, 2nd outing I shout 105 rounds and still didn't get any good load. It wasn't till my third outing and 273 rounds later that I found a load I liked (200gr. LRX, 65.2gr. RL-17, .4MOA). This was with a 300wsm, so my shoulder was beat to heck after all that haha. I also found a load using 230gr. Berger Hybrids and 61.5gr. of RL-19 at 2651fps, not for a powder that is a bit too fast for the round, going to have to pick up some RL-22 or 7828 to test it further. But back to the point of this thread, it took me almost 300 rounds to find a load I liked, and I'm still not done with all of my load development, I still have to find a load for Hornady 208 A-MAX's, Berger 215 targets and Barnes 175gr. LRX rounds (as you can see, I like shooting the heavy bullets out of my 300wsm), and I have to take my other proven loads out past 1000 yards to see how well they perform.

I think I am about too. Rifle started life as a 30br could never get it to shoot better than 1". After trying 3 different stocks a couple of different powders and loads I decided to remove the barrel and rechamber to 308.
Now it shoots like a shotgun using 00 buck. 4 different scopes numerous loads different bullets(all 150-155gr) and a total of 400 rounds I am at my wits end and will probably rebarrel with a CBI and turn this Douglas into a corner marker for my yard. After $450 for barrel and who knows how much in reloading cost,stock purchases,and scope I have had it.

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Originally Posted by chesty for president

308 Mr Ben Franklin and yes two inch brother, Im not the type to BS I know for a fact it was luck. I will go out this weekend and try to repeat it. The winds were dead calm just a great day, the barrel had about 45 rounds through it before I shot. I am not a good shot I know that for sure. Ive been shooting in the Marine Corps for 15 years so I have the very basic fundementals of shooting down but still learning Im hoping to be at the level of most of the guys on here in the years to come.


Very Respectfully Submitted

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Sorry you took it the wrong way..I know when shootin at camp perry I saw some amazing shots made..
I am in no way doubting your word...Thats damn good shootin..When I was younger I done pretty good but at
my age now,I'm lucky to do a 2 inch group at 300 yards,lol....