03-01-2021, 11:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-01-2021, 11:14 PM by StoneHendge.)
I've been a tad nervous about barrel life since Whitley came on here and said that his customers would generally send uppers in for rebarreling around 3k.
Anyways, I'm trying to figure out some issues where my 95 grain TMKs magically disappear at around 600 yards if the wind is blowing with the theory that they may be destabilizing at that threshold and tumbling or helicoptering into oblivion. Kind of sucks when your spot on to the low 500s and then neither you or the spotter can see any sort of impact on or off the target at 625 on the 5th target of a hit to move on stage. Called Sierra this morning and that of course isn't possible with one of their bullets. The tech theorized that maybe my barrel was shot out and the throat was shredding the jacket and that 600 yards is where the issue is manifesting itself. I'm not anal about keeping round counts and my guess is that it's in the low 2ks.
So I went to the local reloading supply shop and purveyor of $100 bricks of primers (they had Federal Small Pistol Match today!) to buy some JB Bore Paste. Never used it before because it scares the crap out of me and told the son my problem. He said Dad can borescope it for $5 if he's around. Dad was around so I ran home to get my upper. He said it looked pretty good - a little bit of firecracking in the throat but that it wasn't bad and that there was certainly nothing that could damage a jacket and it had plenty of life left. I asked "at least 1k rounds?" and he said most certainly - at a very bare minimum. This shop services a bench rest crowd who are ready to convert their Bartleins to tomato stakes faster than anyone, so that left me feeling pretty good. Maybe the 5k some theorize is correct - I'm certainly feeling like 4k is achievable. And it sees it's share of rapid fire with 15 -20 going down the tube at Hornady max charge in 90 seconds.
The bad news is that the 16" Six Sigma Lilja 6ARC barrel that will be the 243 LBC's replacement is going to have to wait patiently in the back corner of the closet a little longer than I thought. I'm glad I had it cerakoted Patriot Brown to go with GiGi's FDE scheme. Otherwise i'd be tempted to cobble together another AR that I don't need......
Anyways, I'm trying to figure out some issues where my 95 grain TMKs magically disappear at around 600 yards if the wind is blowing with the theory that they may be destabilizing at that threshold and tumbling or helicoptering into oblivion. Kind of sucks when your spot on to the low 500s and then neither you or the spotter can see any sort of impact on or off the target at 625 on the 5th target of a hit to move on stage. Called Sierra this morning and that of course isn't possible with one of their bullets. The tech theorized that maybe my barrel was shot out and the throat was shredding the jacket and that 600 yards is where the issue is manifesting itself. I'm not anal about keeping round counts and my guess is that it's in the low 2ks.
So I went to the local reloading supply shop and purveyor of $100 bricks of primers (they had Federal Small Pistol Match today!) to buy some JB Bore Paste. Never used it before because it scares the crap out of me and told the son my problem. He said Dad can borescope it for $5 if he's around. Dad was around so I ran home to get my upper. He said it looked pretty good - a little bit of firecracking in the throat but that it wasn't bad and that there was certainly nothing that could damage a jacket and it had plenty of life left. I asked "at least 1k rounds?" and he said most certainly - at a very bare minimum. This shop services a bench rest crowd who are ready to convert their Bartleins to tomato stakes faster than anyone, so that left me feeling pretty good. Maybe the 5k some theorize is correct - I'm certainly feeling like 4k is achievable. And it sees it's share of rapid fire with 15 -20 going down the tube at Hornady max charge in 90 seconds.
The bad news is that the 16" Six Sigma Lilja 6ARC barrel that will be the 243 LBC's replacement is going to have to wait patiently in the back corner of the closet a little longer than I thought. I'm glad I had it cerakoted Patriot Brown to go with GiGi's FDE scheme. Otherwise i'd be tempted to cobble together another AR that I don't need......