Steel-Cased Ammunition

[JackEllis]

I got curious about barrel life last night and was doing a little digging around when I ran across this article that discusses how brass and steel-cased ammunition affect barrel life. If you haven't seen the article, it's lengthy but worth a read. Bottom line: it appears to be less expensive in the long run to use cheap practice ammo and periodically replace barrels, unless of course your rifle is a family heirloom or collector's item in which case the cost of ownership is irrelevant. Doesn't apply to guns used for competition.

Even though I've probably put 10 or 15 boxes of steel-cased Wolf ammo through the .30-06 I hunt with during practice over the last few years, the barrel in that rifle will still outlast me at the current rate of fire (~200 rounds per year).

[elk hunter]

Jack, be careful with the Wolf 30-06 or .308 Win. in years past I have seen some pretty high pressures with the stuff. .223 seems to be OK as is the 7.62X39 and the pistol ammo I have tried in particular the .45 acp. I had to hammer the bolt open on one guy's .308 and the primer was totally flattened, I mean big time. Wolf may have fixed these problems but I'm not using those 2 calibers. A 30-06 barrel should last from 5-8 thousand rounds and still deliver hunting accuracy unless your running it to hot, the crown is far more important to accuracy than the throat.HTH

[JackEllis]

Jack, be careful with the Wolf 30-06 or .308 Win. in years past I have seen some pretty high pressures with the stuff. .223 seems to be OK as is the 7.62X39 and the pistol ammo I have tried in particular the .45 acp. I had to hammer the bolt open on one guy's .308 and the primer was totally flattened, I mean big time. Wolf may have fixed these problems but I'm not using those 2 calibers. A 30-06 barrel should last from 5-8 thousand rounds and still deliver hunting accuracy unless your running it to hot, the crown is far more important to accuracy than the throat.HTH

Thanks for the heads-up on Wolf ammo. I'm out of the stuff and since Prop 63 took effect, I'm reloading since the nearest LGS in California is 90 minutes away and mail order is too much hassle.

[elk hunter]

You "way" better off reloading your own. Brass and other components are available in mass and dirt cheap. I'm still unpacking from the move and making more discoveries each time, sorta like Christmas. You anywhere Dunsmier?

[JackEllis]

You "way" better off reloading your own. Brass and other components are available in mass and dirt cheap. I'm still unpacking from the move and making more discoveries each time, sorta like Christmas. You anywhere Dunsmier?

Nope. I live at Tahoe. Dunsmuir is about a 90 minute flight.

[elk hunter]

OK, I used to drive over on 80 but 88 is a much nicer drive. Tahoe is nice but way to many people for me. Your a far better man than I am if you can put up with that.

[divingin]

JackEllis: Nothing in Reno? Has to be closer than a 90 min flight.

[JackEllis]

JackEllis: Nothing in Reno? Has to be closer than a 90 min flight.

The airport in Dunsmuir is for small airplanes like mine