.223 barrel life with J-words

Yeah, I know its a cast bullet site. Still...

I'm posting this because my CZ 527 in .223 tempted me to load J-words, because "its just so easy!". Now, we all know that our barrels will outlast us, when shooting cast - but did you ever wonder what sort of barrel life J-words would allow?

I entered Quick Load estimated pressure and velocity into the Accurate Shooter. com barrel life spreadsheet, substituting VV N110 for SR 4759, VV N105 for Steel, and a blend of ADP 100 (velocity) and Unique (pressure) for SR 4756. A barrel length of 22" was specified. The powder heat potential for 4895, 3031, H4198, and IMR4227 was entered from published data, and estimated for SR4759, Steel, and SR4756. These loads are all with a 55 grain bullet, in caliber .223 Remington.

IMR 4895 - 25.5 grains - 100% load density - about 3,000 fps - 4,000 shots for fine accuracy.

IMR 3031 - 23.5 grains - 99% load density - about 3,000 fps - 5,000 shots.

H 4198 - 20.5 grains - 85% load density - about 2,900 fps - 6,000 shots.

IMR 4227 - 17.5 grains - 75% load density - around 2,800 fps - 7,500 shots.

17.0 grains - 73% load density - about 2,700 fps - 8,500 shots

SR 4759 - 13.5 grains - 75% load density - about 2,500 fps - 17,000 shots!

All of the above are either from published .223 data, or can be extrapolated from published .222 data by adding 5% to the .222 charge weight.

However - the following loads are Quick Load estimates only, with NO published, tested data to correlate - you are on your own with these! Do be aware of the controversies swirling about reduced loads before trying them - I show them only to illustrate how lower velocities can extend the barrel life by a factor of 5 or even 10, if the spreadsheet assumptions are correct.

Alliant Steel - 10.5 grains - 60% load density - about 2,000 fps - 20,000 shots

SR 4756 - 6.5 grains - 40% load density - about 1,800 fps - 50,000 shots before loss of fine accuracy.

Hey! - these are just estimates of estimates. Take them with a grain - or maybe a block - of salt.

I'm working on a decent cast load with my own Lyman 225438 bullets, and have several hundred NEI #2 on order from Bullshop. Let's hope that one of these pan out! But darn, the flesh is weak, and I confess to having tried that SR 4759 load with Speer 55 grain J words. Accuracy was decent, a solid 2 MOA (with me behind the rifle). I doubt that I will burn out the barrel in my remaining time, even if I shoot more of these. Do these figures mesh with your own experience?

The factory heavy stainless barrel in my Rock River Arms National Match, lasted well past 7000 rounds ( running warm hand loads with 69 grain projectiles)

When you can get Hornaday fmj bt for 10 cents each, that's the way to go

4895 works well, CFE 223 shows promise, vagrant is good

I figured up it cost me 24 cents a shot with Hornaday projectiles

Load J acketed bullets ,enjoy your cz,and cast for your revolvers and cowboy guns

I've been shooting prairie dogs with a couple of .223's since the late 70's and I've wore out several barrels.
I seem too loose top accuracy after about 4000 rounds. This number is based on keeping the barrel from over heating. However, you can regain some of the lost accuracy by seating you bullet out 0.015-0.030, but, it won't last that long. 1000 rounds, maybe!
When I miss more prairie dogs at 250 yards then I hit, it's time for a new barrel.
One barrel, I managed to get close to 9000 rounds. The others just 7600-8000 rounds. This is based on group size going well over 1" at 100 yards and never going below 1".

The heavier the bullet the less barrel life you get. On match rifles shooting 75 -90 grain bullets 4,000 plus is normal before you have elevation issues at 600 yards.

My primary prairie dog rifle shooting 40 grain bullets (hex boron coated) bullets over 28 grains of H335 has 11,000 plus rounds on it. It has a 28" Krieger. It still holds 3/8 moa at 200 yards for 5 shot groups.

I have a Krieger 26"ar barrel here that came off my match rifle. almost all 75 grn jacketed bullets and some 80 grn as well. Bullets were JLK 80 grn VLDs and 75 grn Hornady BTHP match. Powder was Varget 24.5 grns and mag length. 80 were seated long to single load. Other powder was reloader 15 at 24.2 grns same seating. This barrel started dropping Xs around 7700 rds. Most of these were moly coated bullets also.
A friends AR service rifle is running good at a little over 10,000 rds still. I believe it on of the colt 1-7.7 h bar barrels.
Barrel life is affected by more than just the loading. Cleaning, rapid fires, bullet desighn ( some are more forgiving of rough throats and jump).

I shot a Ruger M77 Stainless barrel in 223 over 10K rounds.
My load was 26 gr. of IMR4895 and 52 gr. junkyard bullets.
By junkyard bullets, I mean bullets made from 22lr cases.
The barrel was never super accurate. Typically at or near 1 MOA.
After 6-7K rounds there was throat erosion and it needed cleaning more often.
Like every 50 rounds to remain accurate.
I decided to shoot the barrel until I had used up all my junkyard bullets before rebarreling.
BTW, I rebarreled to 221 FB with a heavy Benchmark barrel , hoping for longer barrel life......dale

The late Bob Bell, scope editor for GUN DIGEST for many years made an interesting comment on barrel longevity some years ago. His was a Sako .222, not a .223, but I doubt there would be a lot of difference between the two. He was a woodchuck hunter and used IMR4895 powder. I don't recall the jacketed bullet he used, but think it was a 50 grain. He got 12,000 accurate rounds from the barrel before having it setback and re-chambered to .223.

Bell computed the number of rounds fired by keeping track of powder consumption. I think very few people keep good records of rounds fired and their estimates are often far, far more than the real number which makes it impossible to get meaningful information.

Thanks, guys. And 55fairlane, I think you may be on to something! Those tiny little cast slugs are fun, but so far I haven't been able to get them to group to my satisfaction - will keep trying, but if I don't hit the winning combo soon, I'm going to revert to your advice.

Accuracy, the word gets thrown around pretty widely at times. Accurate to one person is junk to another.
As mentioned, barrels, loads,bullets and rate of fire. I will throw cleaning in there also. I have seen guys clean barrels like they were churning butter, makes me cringe to think of it.

Like the old commercial and the wise old owl "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop".

Amen, brother! Cleaning is not a benign act. One of the things that I like about cast bullets is that with a good load, a couple of oiled patches will take care of things until my next range session. It's more of a chore to get the copper out after firing jackets, but Bore Tech Cu+2 minimizes the trauma.

Ive got one cheap dpms that has been my beater ar. It has shot well over 10k and even wore a bump fire stock for a few years and was shot to the point the barrel smoked MANY times. It gets cleaned seldomly. Every few times out shooting I oil it but I can count the times ive actually cleaned the barrel on my fingers. Same loads that shot moa out of it new still shoot just as well today. 223s last pretty well. Now if you were talking a 220 swift or even a 22250 I'm sure it wouldn't put up with that kind of abuse. Id guess to if you had a 223 that shot 1/4moa and are anal enough to get upset if it opened up to a 1/3moa you might have a different opinion then me.

If I ever shot a 1/3 MOA group I would go into catatonic shock. 2 MOA is more my style. Bill

I had a AR15 that lasted 19K before it was not a 1" MOA group gun anymore. It depends on what you want to do with it. I shot that rifle for over 30K before I could not hit a pop can at 100 yds anymore. I replaced it after that. This was just a range and play gun.

I shot everything in it. From Russian steel to South African to reloads.

I never worried much about barrel life on .223 and similar cartridges. By the time you buy a $700+ gun, with a $500+ scope and churn through 4,000-12,000 (30k?!?) rounds, I figure another $300 for a rebarrel is a drop in the bucket. Some guns are so inexpensive they're almost disposable.

My Savage mod 11 started losing best accuracy about 4000 rds. I rebarreled at 5000. Prairie dogs at 250 were still in harms way but much beyond that and the were in more danger from shrapnel and rocks than they were from the actual bullet.

To be honest I was pretty hard on the barrel. If I crawled up a wash and got on a good town I shot 100/150 rds as fast as I could load them. The barrel would sizzle when I run a wet rag down the outside. I never left the truck with more than 150 rds. Cleaned it when I went after more ammo.

As a side note the Shaw barrel I replaced it with wouldn't outshoot it when I first put it on. As it broke in it got better and by 100 rds it was shooting fine.

This is why I went with 223 for a prairie dog gun. Cheap brass and more forgiving. Once the battle is engaged I shoot until I'm out of ammo or out of targets.

Thanks all, for your encouraging words. It sounds like I shouldn't worry. I'm hitting 70 my next birthday, so it will be a gift if I can manage to wear that barrel out!