Round count on 300win mag

K

ky hunter

New member
I have a 26'' SS 300 Win Mag full contour Encore barrel with around 2000 + rounds shot.
I reload to get the most I can speed and accuracy using 165 & 180 grain bullets. Now my groups are all over the place nothing has changed. Yes the barrel is clean. Wondering if the barrel is burned out.
 
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I've toasted a 300 wm barrel with fewer shots than that; get/borrow a bore scope and check the bore out, in particular look for signs of throat erosion and also possible damage or build-up at the muzzle and crown. I suspect you'll find some "alligator cracking" in the first third or so of your bore, but sometimes that may not in itself badly throw your shot. If you have a muzzle device, it too could have some wear that could conceivable disrupt exhaust flow. Hot, fast and frequent in 300wm is a good recipe for toasting them.;)

Sometimes one might think their bore is clean, but successive layers of lead, carbon etc can look like shiny SS when it really isn't.
 
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have you checked to make sure your scope base and rings are still properly torqued?

I would also get a bore scope, or have a gun smith check check the barrel and crown.

I would say with 2000 hot rounds it might very well be burned out though.
 
Nothing has changed? Well, hardly anything. Check the points mentioned.
But yes, you could very well have shot out the "gilt edge" of a .300 Magnum in 2000 or so full power rounds.
My Master class friend can tell the decline of a plain old .308 in 2500 rounds of F Class with scope and bipod, although he says it is not obvious in a service rifle shot with iron sights and sling until maybe 4500.
 
Top ranked competitive shooters typically get 1000 to 1200 rounds of best accuracy with the 300 Winchester Mag.

A formula was developed years ago to calculate barrel life

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Jim Watson said:
Nothing has changed? Well, hardly anything. Check the points mentioned.
But yes, you could very well have shot out the "gilt edge" of a .300 Magnum in 2000 or so full power rounds.
My Master class friend can tell the decline of a plain old .308 in 2500 rounds of F Class with scope and bipod, although he says it is not obvious in a service rifle shot with iron sights and sling until maybe 4500.
Click to expand...
Top classified competitive service rifle shooters I shot with rebarreled 308/7.62 versions after ~3500 rounds. Accuracy had degraded to almost MOA at 600 yards.
 
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