barrels

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garrisone

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I don't claim to be an expert on 22 rifles or barrels or anything but I have to ask some of you that seem to claim you are more knowledgeable than I about barrels. It gets confusing at times and it is hard to know just what qualifies as the best barrel a man can buy. what with ratchet. four grove, 2 grove ,and the like. Then there is tapered, straight and bull or heavy barrels and etc. Then what gets me more than anything else is the statement that a certain barrel will wear out after only two cases of bullets. This doesn't make sense to me. a lead bullet is softer than steel and it seems to me you would have to shoot many many lead bullets over several years to wear a barrel to the point you would have to replace one. I read here and hear from time to time folks replacing barrels after only one season. It doesn't seem possable ,at least to me why you would have to replace a barrel so soon. Back in the old days a man bought the best rifle he could afford and knew that the barrel was the heart of the gun. We still have many examples of these old guns in museums. I can understand a person in the business wanting to sell all the barrels he can to stay in business but for the life of me I can not understand why a supposedly good barrel will be shot out after such a short time. The purpose of this rant is to learn answers to questions about putting togeather the best possable rifle and one that will last longer than a couple of years. It is not meant to step on any body's toes . Just asking for answers. garrisone.
 
My personal thinking is if a barrel wears out after two cases, it's because of cleaning. Also, sometimes a shooter will have a really good run or a really good lot of ammo and lose that edge and blame the barrel.

Most people will talk about the wear at 6 O'clock, which is true. They will wear there because of what occurs in the shooting cycle even though most people don't understand why. However, if you watch, you will see a lot of people bend that rod and push down instead of straight out. Not saying that causes the natural 6 O'clock wear but it hastens it. Bronze brushes are generally used incorrectly and wear out or damage barrels. And then there is just plain old envy and jealousy. If I can't have the barrel, I'll just criticize, and one of the best ways to do that is talk about how fast it wears. Still, even if it does wear fast, I'll take a really hot barrel that wears out after two bricks than a mediocre one that lasts for 100,000 rounds.

What's best today generally won't stay the best because builders are flooded when they get a really hot barrel and quality control starts to suffer. So, you have to constantly look.
 
Almost all of the barrels made today are capable of maintaining 1/4 inch groups - up to 150k-200k rounds. But 1/4 inch groups will only agg out to 2000 ARA or about 240 50/50 - not sure about 50/50 as I shoot ARA. But a 2000 agg won't keep you in the top 20 on the a-line or the top 70 on the agg line. That's why most shooters will replace their barrels from 10k to 50k depending on the barrel - so they can maintain 2 tenth or better.
Joe
 
Garrisone, from the short time I've been shooting bench my guess is that more barrels are changed from improper bedding and tuner setting than anything else. blaming on the multiple reasons such as cleaning is mainly from a lack of understanding tunning, might not be what a lot of guys want to hear but thats the way it is.
 
garrisone,
This is a Benchrest forum so I'll try to answer pertaining to WINNING BR rifles. Nothin' else don't matter. After all a barrel will last a lifetime on a good squirrel rifle, and maintain squirrel rifle accuracy, will it not? That's of no interest here.
A benchrest rifle that will not WIN is pretty useless, not even as a squirrel gun. The difference in a GOOD barrel and a GREAT one is small, but that SMALL difference becomes signifigant if the rifle will give you the opportunity to win. And, if it isn't up to snuff, you change the barrel out with another and go from there.
Some barrel makers are more consistent in producing winners, and some turn out a barn burner here and there, but don't know why, or how to replicate that barrel's performance because it's nearly impossible to make 'em all great, or that seems to be the case. Lots of folks are making good barrels.
Some barrels shoot well in the wind and some don't, some shoot great in the calm but go wild in the wind, and some will shoot well in calm and in the wind. That's the one we are all after, or should be!
Of course, none of any of this makes any difference if the shooter isn't will ing to invest the time in buying top notch ammo and testing, and tuning, and correct bedding, with a good stock and rest setup. That should go without saying.
A killer barrel on a rifle with bad ingition, and bad bedding, and a scope that won't hold point of aim, won't help much, might help a little, but not enough.
 
Kent summed it up well, but I'll bet there are only a handfull of top shooters out there that have the capabilities to take advantage of a great barrel vs a good barrel.
 
I agree with Beau. If a barrel wears out fast, it's most likely improper cleaning. You ever been to a match and just hear a shooter slapping that rod against the side of his barrel. Ouch! Pretty soon he's out of the game and looking for a barrel. I also agree I had rather have one shooting great for two cases than mediocre for 20. It's all in what you want. Bad barrels are like bad ammo; you can't use a tuner to make up for the poor quality. Don't even try. If you buy a barrel, have it evaluated by a competent, experienced gunsmith and if it's not up to par, send it back.
 
Martin

martin hammond said:
Kent summed it up well, but I'll bet there are only a handfull of top shooters out there that have the capabilities to take advantage of a great barrel vs a good barrel.
Click to expand...

Martin, a great barrel will make a good shooter into a great shooter more often than not. Three of the shooters that answered Garrisone are top shooters. Beau, Joe Besche and Kent are all top shooters. You don't realize how many good shooters there are across the country. Go to a national event, there is a lot to be learned.
May Wilbur will chime in, he knows a thing or 2 about "hummer" barrels.
 
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James, that's my point ara nationals and ir 50/50 indoors 155 total shooters. of the thousands of guys shooting one form of bench shooting not everyone can and will ever shoot competitively at that level.
 
Thank you to all who responded to my post. J Papas, Beau, Kent Owens and martin especially. garrisone.
 
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