Barrel Life

[egraham]

I have a match grade douglas air guaged barrel that I only shoot 208 grain amaxs out of at 1050 fps. What type of barrel life should I get?

Thanks

[Spook]

Kept cleaned and oiled it'll outlive you.

Out of curiosity, with all the barrels out there...why Douglas?

[egraham]

Kelly Kyle built it for me so that is what came on it. It shoots great. 1/2 inch at 100 yards with 208 grain amax's, LC Cases, 205 Match Primers, and 8.6 grains 1680.

I am going to build another one. What barrels do you reccomend. It will only be used for subsonic use with a silencer for critter control.

Thanks

Emris

[Rikky Lee]

I don't even bother with oil on mine! Treat it more like a 22lr barrel!

A Shilen 1/8 would be the ticket - there is no need for Match barrels in a Whisper IMHO.

[LouBoyd]

Originally Posted by Rikky Lee

there is no need for Match barrels in a Whisper IMHO.

That depends on whether you're plinking at 100 yards or trying to do precision shooting at 500z+ yards. Subsonics are very sensitive to muzzle velocity. They required match grade barrels and ammo as much or more than high velocity rifles since vertical dispersion controls accuracy at even moderate ranges

I'd expect barrel life similar to a 9mm pistol. It won't be as good as 22LR. I'm not concerend with bore wear or throat erosion in my 300 Whispers, but any barrel can be ruined by poor cleaning practice such as dinging the crown with aluminum cleaning rods or leaving strong chemicals cleaners in the bore. Partiularly with chrome moly but to some extent with stainless barrel alloys rust can ruin a barrel if moisture can condense in the barrel. Moisture will condense when the temperature of the barrel is lower than the dew point of the air surrounding it. Rust damage can occur in a few hours.

[Rikky Lee]

Yet to push a subsonic 240 to 500 plus in any match myself. But the key issue from my perspective that the Whisper doesn't need the TLC that a BR barrel requires and that maintenance can be left to common sense.

Which is why I like shooting it.

[Spook]

Originally Posted by LouBoyd

That depends on whether you're plinking at 100 yards or trying to do precision shooting at 500z+ yards. Subsonics are very sensitive to muzzle velocity. They required match grade barrels and ammo as much or more than high velocity rifles since vertical dispersion controls accuracy at even moderate ranges

+1 , good advice Lou.
My best accuracy has come from Rock Creek, Brux, and Benchmark barrels.