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50 BMG Barrel
iceracerx
Member Posts: 8,860 ✭✭✭
I have always wanted a Iver Johnson / Daisy 50BMG rifle. Understanding that my 300 Win target Rifle has a barrel life of about 1000 rounds, what sort of life can I expect out of a bolt action, single shot 50BMG?
Comments
I know that you're as aware as are most of us that shoot with fair frequency that there are a dozen or more variables that can have an affect on barrel life. The .50 BMG is certainly no different because of the groove diameter. Simply assessed:
The .50 BMG powder is noticeably outsized due to the case capacity, bullet diameter and bore volume. It is essentially like shooting charcoal. Therefore you need a hot primer and a longer barrel in order to achieve the best velocity and burning from this slow powder design. If you don't get this powder lit properly with a cartridge and bullet weight balance that provides the correct pressure level you end up with significant fouling. This then forces extra strength and more frequent cleaning which can reduce barrel life.
This volume of powder uses all of the barrel length and in so many cases ends up being wasted by being pushed out the muzzle unburned. The slow continuous burning wears the barrel more evenly than the powders with quicker burning rates that end up burning out the first 3 or 4 inches of throat.
It can however demonstrate effects similar to all other rifles when subjected to long or continuous strings of fire. The interior of the barrel suffers from the enormous amount of heat being generated without a chance to cool.
The one aspect that I have been watching closely is the various unique mono-metals or alloys being used to make competition bullets. These can contribute to a higher degree of barrel wear over the long (or short) run based on how bad the coefficient of friction is for those bullets and the powder load behind them.
Judicious pacing of your shots, efficient loading and average pressures using the more common copper jacketed lead core bullets and careful cleaning should get you the typical 1,500 shots of non-competition fun. Indiscriminate high rate of fire, abusive pressures and loads combined with the tougher mono-metallic bullets will diminish your barrel life.
Best.
ICE
What about it cause you to say "HHHMMM"?
Best.
I know that the 50 BMG is an over grown 30-06, but for some reason I thought it might erode the barrel more then the 06, or even a 22-250.
But as you pointed out, bore size doesn't effect erosion.
And my saying HHMMM isn't a bad thing (it's my general sound for "That makes sense"). Not to be confused with HARRUMPH.
CHEERS
You will shoot your .50 one fourth as many rounds per setting as you will your 300, so if the 300 lasts 4 years, the .50 will last 16 years.
Conversly, your bankroll will dwindle 4 times faster when shooting the .50 compared to shooting the same number of the 300.
I like that response. Do you have a relative bankroll burn rate for all the calibers we shoot?
Some are pretty close. I'm having problems getting costs between .25-20 and .32-20, - somewhere around .003% difference.
one thing to consider is which powders will be available as well,..most of the military ball ammo and H870 similar powders have a lot of coatings on them to control burn rate,..and these coatings foul much faster as well as provide more abrasive in the bore. If I go to own a 50BMG, I will searching for a powder from Vihtavouri which would be extruded grain powder with less coatings and more "modern" burn characteristics.