07-18-2012, 08:06 AM
I highly doubt you could (safely) push the Grendel round fast enough to make it a barrel burner .... which is a good thing. Some other issues that effect barrel life is the type of powder you use. Some burn hotter and are harder on the throat than others. Many time, velocity has a lot to do with a rifle being a "barrel burner". The faster you push the round, the hotter the load, the higher the pressure, the greater the friction etc. Which, all take thier toll on the throat and rifling. Then of course, the type of steel you use in a barrel has probably the greatest effect. A stainless barrel will last much much longer than a carbon steel barrel. Chrome Moly of course being the middle ground. These are all factors a shooter should take into account when buying a barrel or reloading
As for the life, it all depends on the use. If all you ever do is hunt short ranges and shoot paper at 200-300 yards. Well, you'll probably never burn out a barrel. Not to the extent that it would make any practical difference. Now, if you are shooting 1000 yard matches or extreme long range hunting, you may have a different/higher standard for what acceptable accuracy is. I have a 5.56 AR which is set up with a red dot sight, a green laser zero'd at 100 and co-witnessed iron sights. It's a close in weapon set up for short range intent. I'll shoot that thing that way till the barrel falls off (unless I decide to change the set up) because I don't really need it to be hyper accurate, minute of front door works just fine. Could I use it for long ranges? Sure, but it's not set up for that. I should also point out that most Grendel shooters only shoot semi-auto and probably don't just dump rounds through them (like bump firing etc. or full auto). And being kinder to a barrel (by not over heating it) also extends (or at least fails to shorten) barrel life a little.
I don't think 8000-10,000 rounds would be too much to ask for ...... for the average shooter.
That's just my .02 cents
As for the life, it all depends on the use. If all you ever do is hunt short ranges and shoot paper at 200-300 yards. Well, you'll probably never burn out a barrel. Not to the extent that it would make any practical difference. Now, if you are shooting 1000 yard matches or extreme long range hunting, you may have a different/higher standard for what acceptable accuracy is. I have a 5.56 AR which is set up with a red dot sight, a green laser zero'd at 100 and co-witnessed iron sights. It's a close in weapon set up for short range intent. I'll shoot that thing that way till the barrel falls off (unless I decide to change the set up) because I don't really need it to be hyper accurate, minute of front door works just fine. Could I use it for long ranges? Sure, but it's not set up for that. I should also point out that most Grendel shooters only shoot semi-auto and probably don't just dump rounds through them (like bump firing etc. or full auto). And being kinder to a barrel (by not over heating it) also extends (or at least fails to shorten) barrel life a little.
I don't think 8000-10,000 rounds would be too much to ask for ...... for the average shooter.
That's just my .02 cents