Worst Year Ever...Magnum Barrel Life?

[JohnVH]

but its a magnum so I wouldnt expect it to be.

Uhh, huh?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[washelkhunter]

It takes 10,000 +/- rounds to wear a hunting rifle barrel out under normal use conditions.

[sirmissalot]

I had something somewhat similar happen to my rifle this year. I was worried it was the scope but turns out it was just a fowled barrel. I used sweets and it took a long time to get clean patches but it solved the problem for me. This rifle has mostly shot barnes though. Bummer you've missed two bucks!

[ICEMAN]

Copper fouling throwing the rounds... IMHO...

[JackOfAllTrades]

I've been shooting the same 03-A3 barrel for 30 years. My uncles and grandfather shot it since the war. While accuracy is better with hand loads, it still shoots near moa with factory ammo. I have a Ruger77 from the mid 70's that was a 300winmag, (with the original Varmint Trigger), and has been a 30-338 shooting 190gn slugs at more than 3100fps since 1991. It shoots near moa with thousands of rounds through the pipe. Age should not wear on a barrel. Barrel errosion is brought on by repetition and is seldom noticeable other than trend from beginning to end...   I would have a smith bore-scope your barrel looking for a fowling that you're not seeing. But like was said before.. rebarreling it, (as long as all other potentials are eliminated), if there is a flaw found in the barrel, would be a cost effective action.
 
-Steve

[thinkingman]

My first thought is copper fouling, but you say the first two score then it goes bad.....As in 'when the barrel heats up, it gets wild'.
That's a bedding/barrel pressure against the stock changing as it heats up issue.

[arees]

but its a magnum so I wouldnt expect it to be.

Uhh, huh?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a 30+ year old 700 shooting 7mmMag that will shoot 1/4 inch groups.  Float it, bed it, handload and expect accuracy.  It certainly shot crappy groups until I floated and bedded it.

I just wish I was as consistent as it is.

I would worry about something messed up with your stock to barrel contact.

[JackOfAllTrades]

My first thought is copper fouling, but you say the first two score then it goes bad.....As in 'when the barrel heats up, it gets wild'.
That's a bedding/barrel pressure against the stock changing as it heats up issue.

After I wrote, I sort of thought the same thing, but in the OP he says he's missed two animals. I figure those are cold bore shots, (I won't address unknown environmental conditions or shooter ablility), where the heat factor is completely removed. But, if the stock is loose, POA/POI will be affected and provide intermittent accuracy issue. Also, in the field, temperatures during this fall's mornings are likely to have been much different than sighting sessions during the day prior to season. A crack in the stock/bedding could be the culprit.
 
I want to bring reloaded ammunition into the picture. Premium bullets or not. Experienced reloader or not.  Have you shot some good 'ole factory offerings through this gun at paper? Have you let another accomplished shooter fire it with the same ammo, getting the same results?
 
-Steve

[yorketransport]

My guess is either bedding or the scope. Make sure the stock bolts are tightened properly and that the barrel isn't making hard contact with the stock in one spot. If that all looks good I'd suspect a scope problem.

Andrew

[Bob33]

I call BS on metal fatigue or fouling. A gun that was fired 10-20 per year and always shot great up to and including this year, and then suddenly shoots 8 inch groups means something else is going on.  I think you would see a more gradual decline in accurary from fouling problems.

[fishngamereaper]

Ok, heres the skinny. Still kind of an unknown. Ive pulled the gun apart again. Put her back together. Cleaned the barrel, even let the bore cleaner sit in it for a couple of hours. Brushed the heck out of it. Ran patches till they where white. Havnt pulled the scope yet as I dont think that is the issue.

Shot 4 rounds got a nice group. 5th round flew. 6th round flew. Switched ammo and 3 good rounds. Ugh.

Now Im at the point where Im running out of like ammo to test, I have 3 of this and 4 of that, so I need to go get a couple more boxes to finish the trial and error process. It does seem that the rifle does not like remmington ammo. Normally I dont shoot remmington but I had some and figured I would give it a try. Over the last two days Ive shot about 40 rounds through it(shoulders a little stiff). Seems to like the 140gr Federal, and the 160 Winchesters I normally use, but hates 175gr remmingtons with a passion.

Now its becoming an expensive experiment with ammo. $50 a box sucks, but what do you do.

During this process my groups are getting better, as I am cleaning it after every 4-5 rounds. The problem is I thought I had it dialed in the end of yesterday with a solid three shot group, then #4 was a little off. Ill be getting more ammo today and getting to the range again next week to try and get it figured out.

Thanx to all that replied. At this point I think its a barrel issue, wether its fouling or a burr that I cant see.

And for some of the questions brought up, its a wood stock, never had any custom bedding work done, and I shoot factory ammo, dont have time to reload anymore. So ya, I dont expect super tight groups. AND no, its not me, all my shots on deer where rock solid, and at the risk of sounding to much like an arogant arse I wont comment on how competent my rifle skills are.

[arees]

When you pulled it apart, did that include pulling it out of the stock?  A pine needle or something else stuck between the barrel and the stock can throw a pattern out.  With a floated barrel you can run a dollar bill between the barrel and the stock all the way back to the action to make sure it is clear.  Perhaps it is never a problem with barrels that are not floated.

Did you look for any points where the stock is rubbing against the barrel?  Are the bolts holding the receiver to the stock evenly and correctly torqued?

[shoot-em-dead]

Check the mounting screws on the scope and where it secures to the rifle. I had one do that to me and I couldn't see the scope moving off the barrel with the naked eye, but one turn of the allen wrench proved it was loose.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Shot 4 rounds got a nice group. 5th round flew. 6th round flew. Switched ammo and 3 good rounds. Ugh.

The problem is I thought I had it dialed in the end of yesterday with a solid three shot group, then #4 was a little off. Ill be getting more ammo today and getting to the range again next week to try and get it figured out.

Thanx to all that replied. At this point I think its a barrel issue, wether its fouling or a burr that I cant see.

A burr or fouling will generally not allow a few/several shots in a good group, then leave one flier/flier after that.  All would be fliers/or a wider dispersion of group.   I have to agree with some other posters, that there is a sighting/optic issue since you have eliminated stock/action fit possibilities.
 
-Steve