Rifle barrels that will withstand a barrel burner caliber - 6.5X68S

[Brent James]

Members, I am in need of knowledge and opinions in regards to the following issue :Are there, with new technology rifle barrel manufactures that make rifle barrels that will withstand the destructive force of a caliber like the 6.5x68 ?

I really want to hear from any person who have knowledge about barrel manufacturing processes /metallurgic knowledge as well and any person who has a caliber that is known as a "barrel burner" ...

All information/opinions /practical experience will be welcomed ...

G'day, I've burnt out just over 90 barrels in the last 35 years, working as a pro roo shooter.One thing you will notice, is that with chrome moly barrels, once they have been used, they will continue to harden for the life of that barrel.It doesn't matter if your using a 204, 22/250 improved, or a 300 weatherby or 338 lapua. The same applies.Chrome moly will always outlast a stainless.Depending on where you are, shilen or hart barrels do seem to outlast others. Once you do start getting a lot of barrel wear, stick to a flat base projectile & you'll find you extend the barrel life by at least 30 % , if you seat them out.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

G'day, I've burnt out just over 90 barrels in the last 35 years, working as a pro roo shooter.One thing you will notice, is that with chrome moly barrels, once they have been used, they will continue to harden for the life of that barrel.It doesn't matter if your using a 204, 22/250 improved, or a 300 weatherby or 338 lapua. The same applies.Chrome moly will always outlast a stainless.Depending on where you are, shilen or hart barrels do seem to outlast others. Once you do start getting a lot of barrel wear, stick to a flat base projectile & you'll find you extend the barrel life by at least 30 % , if you seat them out.

Brent, thank you kindly for your input, it is much appreciated...It seems Shilen is a great quality barrel in any caliber????

 

[Brent James]

Btw, stainless steel , being non porous , is easier to clean. It is also softer by nature, which makes it far easier to make a more precise barrel. All things being equal, the average game hunter will never burn out a barrel. Expect around 800 rounds from it before you have to tinker with flat base projectiles.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Taking in account all the great opinions from members, suggestions and great info in regards to technology in barrel manufacturing these days I am contemplating focus on a 7mm bullet caliber for a fun shoot long distance rifle ..as well as a hunting application...Would like members opinion in regards to the 7mm bullet/caliber as a long distance shooter and hunting caliber????

 

[Brent James]

Brent, thank you kindly for your input, it is much appreciated...It seems Shilen is a great quality barrel in any caliber????

I've had most * decent* brands of barrels over many years , for last 12--5 years have stuck with slilen , select match. I have had Krieger, & although they do shoot well , they just don't last.Douglas is no better . . .Have had a number of lilja, & I won't have anymore. Yes they do shoot, but they don't last.

 

[Brent James]

I've had most * decent* brands of barrels over many years , for last 12--5 years have stuck with slilen , select match. I have had Krieger, & although they do shoot well , they just don't last.Douglas is no better . . .Have had a number of lilja, & I won't have anymore. Yes they do shoot, but they don't last.

I've had stolen, in everything from 17 Remington, to 378 weatherby.

 

[Hogpatrol]

G'day, I've burnt out just over 90 barrels in the last 35 years, working as a pro roo shooter.One thing you will notice, is that with chrome moly barrels, once they have been used, they will continue to harden for the life of that barrel.It doesn't matter if your using a 204, 22/250 improved, or a 300 weatherby or 338 lapua. The same applies.Chrome moly will always outlast a stainless.Depending on where you are, shilen or hart barrels do seem to outlast others. Once you do start getting a lot of barrel wear, stick to a flat base projectile & you'll find you extend the barrel life by at least 30 % , if you seat them out.

Have you had any of your CM barrels melonited? I'm considering doing this to my next "barrel burner".

 

[Brent James]

No . I used various stainless barrels for years, now I just stick to shilen chrome moly match. In the high intensity varmint calibres , they more than doubled the barrel life. Hart was the same, just very difficult to get them here. Even with my 300 & 378 mk5s , I have doubled the barrel life. What you pay for isn't necessarily what you get with barrels.When your loads don't change, & you get double, or in some cases triple the barrel life with a certain barrel brand it speaks volumes.

 

[Inline6]

What type of accuracy are you seeing out of the CM barrels? To be honest I never even thought of giving one a chance.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

First I will say if any on the forum wants a Shilen barrel I can offer them at 25% off their list plus $20 shipping in the CONUS. I have not found that any barrel, stainless or CM, land and groove amount or design makes a difference. My luck with Melonite treatment has been great for longevity. Sorry Hogpatrol hasn't had the luck that I've had.

Looking at the good report from the members like Brent James who shoots animals as varmint/pest control on a professional basis , on the forum about Shilen barrels I really think matching it with the price you can get it from Butch Lambert I think it is the way to go,,hopefully there are barrel blanks in the calibers a person needs..

 

[Butch Lambert]

A list of barrels that Shilen makes:
http://www.shilen.com/calibersAndTwists.html
List prices
http://www.shilen.com/pricesRifleBarrels.html

 

[Butch Lambert]

No . I used various stainless barrels for years, now I just stick to shilen chrome moly match. In the high intensity varmint calibres , they more than doubled the barrel life. Hart was the same, just very difficult to get them here. Even with my 300 & 378 mk5s , I have doubled the barrel life. What you pay for isn't necessarily what you get with barrels.When your loads don't change, & you get double, or in some cases triple the barrel life with a certain barrel brand it speaks volumes.

A list of barrels that Shilen makes:
http://www.shilen.com/calibersAndTwists.html
List prices
http://www.shilen.com/pricesRifleBarrels.html

Who does your chambering?

 

[Gert Odendaal]

I like the .323"/8mm rifling in the 1:10 twist unfortunately it is not chambered for a 8x68S caliber ..

 

[kiwihunter 260]

This was the same thing I was wondering about????When we were in the army, forty years back we used the R4 automatic rifles( brother of the Galil of Israel) we send thousands of rounds through the barrels and in two years of constant use and abuse shooting a lot on full automatic the R4 rifles kept their accuracy...

Since I am looking at a solution to minimise barrel wear when shooting a 6.5x68 caliber in the near future I am looking from a total different perspective...like the Polygon rifling , longer knox ( heat sink-more steel around the chamber where the most heat is generated, a long barrel to disperse as much gas/burning powder , and maybe a more resistant steel that will degenerate at a slower pace when all the burning/sand blasting takes place when firing the rifle...

Maybe the most important issue being not shooting this caliber lie an ordinary hunting rifle sending a lot of rounds in a short time on a shooting range..

I have a lot of time to study /do research on this issue , it will be great to have members participate in this discussion, so we will be able to get an answer about what combination will be the best to counter the destructive power of a barrel burner caliber like the 6.5 x 68...No where in Germany/Austria can I find any negative views /opinions /literature on the 6.5x68 caliber rifle ..and these are the countries who use this caliber extensive...why would this be???? The 6.5x68 caliber is not seen as a barrel burner in European countries??????

What bullet weight are you looking at the lighter projectiles and there high speed tends to wear out barrels faster than the heavyer ones.
I run 140gn at 3000fps in my 6.5x68 with no problem

 

[bruce moulds]

on what basis do you make that statement?
bruce.

 

[IvW]

For all practical hunting purposes a 7x64 Brenneke(or 7x65R) would do anything I would ever need at what I would consider longer range.

 

[Dr Ray]

Gert,

Just get a quality brand barrel and shoot it. Allow it to cool during extended range session and you'll be fine. I recently had a Krieger barrel made for my 404 Jeffery project and the gunsmith really raved about the quality of it when it arrived from the factory. All I know is that it is indeed very accurate and no copper fouling or cleaning issues.

I have a Remington 700 titanium and the barrel gets very hot withing 4-5 shots. Therefore, I let it cool for about 5-10 minutes before shooting another 5 shot string. I often will shoot another rifle while the first one is cooling.

Here's an article by Ron Spomer.
https://ronspomeroutdoors.com/blog/top-10-tricks-extend-barrel-life/
https://ronspomeroutdoors.com/blog/how-to-identify-a-barrel-burner-rifle/

A couple others from Chuck Hawks:
https://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_barrel.htm
https://www.chuckhawks.com/6-5x68S.htm

Dave

And I think stainless steel barrels are better than the chromy ones

 

[rookhawk]

Taking in account all the great opinions from members, suggestions and great info in regards to technology in barrel manufacturing these days I am contemplating focus on a 7mm bullet caliber for a fun shoot long distance rifle ..as well as a hunting application...Would like members opinion in regards to the 7mm bullet/caliber as a long distance shooter and hunting caliber????

Gert, the difference between moderate recoil, not-so-flat-shooting 7mm cartridges and super intense, barrel eating, hard recoil monsters that "are flat shooting" is nearly a rounding error.

Anyway you look at it, to get a major improvement in "flatness" you're doping the wind and turning turrets. For reasonable shooting distances almost anything is point-and-click or a simple known holdover.

Let me give you a couple examples all at 200-yard zeroes:

7x57 has 12-14 pounds of felt recoil. It sends a 175gr bullet at 2450fps.
-3" @ 250 yards
-8" @ 300 yards
-15" @ 350 yards
-24" @ 400 yards

The 7x64 (and the 280 Remington clone). It sends a 140gr @ 2950fps with 17 pounds of felt recoil. Even dropping from 175gr to 140 gr, look at all you get for ballistic improvement - almost none!
-3" @ 250
-7" @ 300
-13" @350
-21" @ 400

Now lets go to the nastiest recoiling, baddest 7mm of them all, the 7mm Weatherby Magnum with a 140gr bullet @ 3250fps with 20lbs of felt recoil.
-2" @ 250
-6" @ 300
-11" @ 350
-17" @ 400


As you'll note, the high cost of ammo, the excessive wear to barrel, and the increased recoil aren't getting you very much for all the trouble of say the 7mm Weatherby versus the old fashioned 7x57 / 275 Rigby.

At 400 yards, you're figuring out a firing solution with any of the 3 examples above. At 300 yards you're pulling the trigger with a center body shot on all three, firing solution not required. If you do a 7mm weatherby versus a 7x57, you are getting nearly 80% more recoil for the benefit of about 5" less drop at 400 yards with like-for-like ammo.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Disagree on the 7Wby being the most powerful in that caliber. The 7STW and 28 Nosler have more juice. Having said that, it depends on how much long range horsepower is needed for one shot do dispatch the animal. My 28 Nosler 1-9 pushes the 168 HVLD accurately at 3219 and the 180s VLDs 3140. The flip side of the 28 is recoil which can be tamed with weight and a brake.

 

[Gert Odendaal]

Gert, the difference between moderate recoil, not-so-flat-shooting 7mm cartridges and super intense, barrel eating, hard recoil monsters that "are flat shooting" is nearly a rounding error.

Anyway you look at it, to get a major improvement in "flatness" you're doping the wind and turning turrets. For reasonable shooting distances almost anything is point-and-click or a simple known holdover.

Let me give you a couple examples all at 200-yard zeroes:

7x57 has 12-14 pounds of felt recoil. It sends a 175gr bullet at 2450fps.
-3" @ 250 yards
-8" @ 300 yards
-15" @ 350 yards
-24" @ 400 yards

The 7x64 (and the 280 Remington clone). It sends a 140gr @ 2950fps with 17 pounds of felt recoil. Even dropping from 175gr to 140 gr, look at all you get for ballistic improvement - almost none!
-3" @ 250
-7" @ 300
-13" @350
-21" @ 400

Now lets go to the nastiest recoiling, baddest 7mm of them all, the 7mm Weatherby Magnum with a 140gr bullet @ 3250fps with 20lbs of felt recoil.
-2" @ 250
-6" @ 300
-11" @ 350
-17" @ 400


As you'll note, the high cost of ammo, the excessive wear to barrel, and the increased recoil aren't getting you very much for all the trouble of say the 7mm Weatherby versus the old fashioned 7x57 / 275 Rigby.

At 400 yards, you're figuring out a firing solution with any of the 3 examples above. At 300 yards you're pulling the trigger with a center body shot on all three, firing solution not required. If you do a 7mm weatherby versus a 7x57, you are getting nearly 80% more recoil for the benefit of about 5" less drop at 400 yards with like-for-like ammo.

Rookhawk, thank you , your informative reply is much , much appreciated. Yes, it is always about "trade offs" driving a fast sports car you need to pay for the fuel, and a lot of it too...fast , flat shooting caliber almost all will be barrel burners...the higher muzzle velocity the higher barrel wear..still there is always something about a caliber that is known for high velocity..