Thoughts on reloading, with an older rifle ?

[Leveraction]

I’d like the advice/ opinion of several members here please.

I’ve hunted this coming season (2021 ) 42 years.
in that entire time I have never reloaded my own rounds.
During those years Ive shot federal, Remington, hornady , and having choice will stay with Remington.
I group within a tennis ball out to 250 yards, and site in 2-3 inches above dead centre.
I have good results and am pleased with how my rifle performs/scope perform ( new scope this year though )
Ive also taken my fair share of animals so am not unpleased.

Shooting 500-800 yards, is not me and never will be for the simple reason that at that distance the cross hairs on my scope blot out 75% of the animal, and in addition my heart beat bumps me off target, and I know this happens to Many others as well. I’m going to change up to a vortex for this coming season, still doing research on choice.
for reloading : it looks like a very cool hobby, and from what I’ve read increases accuracy, and gives you a little more distance and not that that is my objective here,

I prefer hunting with an older piece of Iron, it’s a little heavier, walnut stock, no synthetic stock or lightweight metals.
A friend did say if your gonna reload, you will increase your accuracy, gain some distance, tightened groups over factory rounds, but all that comes with a hotter load and can burn a barrel out on older guns rather quickly.

so my question Gents is : is this true ?, can I burn out a barrel on my 45 year old rifle.

[Ride Red]

What caliber are you shooting currently?

[Leveraction]

Sent you a pm

[Gateholio]

Burning out barrels is possible but unlikely in a hunting rifle. What cartridge and what rifle ?

[Downwindtracker2]

I regularly shoot rifles that are from the WW 1 , that will put them at over 100 years old if my math is correct. Barrel steel , if you go by what the military expected then, were good for thousands of rounds. That's with hot burning, nasty powders that they had. Where the barrel burning comes from are small bores with big cases, the classic example is the 264 Winchester Magnum , even the 243 will do damage. With my favourite, the 264, you can expect a 1000 round life. That means allowing the barrel to cool. That is one of the worst cases. If anything reloads may prolong the life by using a cooler burning but more expensive powder. Stainless will last a little longer, but not that great a deal more.

Reloading is rocket science you can work with. And it's a voyage of discovery. A Blast.

I hear you on wood and blue, these modern rifles are like taking an ugly girl to the dance.

[Island Idiots]

Reloading is not always about high pressures and high muzzle velocity. Reloading has provided me with increased accuracy and ver manageable recoil. This has provided me more enjoyment in shooting my pre 64 mod 70.
All of the above have given me off hand deadly accuracy to 200 yards.

[Jagermeister]

Yeah, if it's a 264 Win. Magnum.

[Brno22F]

The combinations of primer/powder/case/powder charge and powder type, while not infinite, is pretty huge. You may spend a lot of time searching for that perfect combination or you may just luck out and find one that works very early in your re-loading career. I got into it in the early '80's in order to load for uncommon calibers like 6.5x54 Mannilncher Schonenauer, and wildcats like 340 Gibbs.
Reloading is not always necessary to get acceptable hunting accuracy. It sounds like you already have a pretty good rig that shoots factory ammo very well.

I prefer hunting with an older piece of Iron, it’s a little heavier, walnut stock, no synthetic stock or lightweight metals.
A friend did say if your gonna reload, you will increase your accuracy, gain some distance, tightened groups over factory rounds, but all that comes with a hotter load and can burn a barrel out on older guns rather quickly. NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. I hunt with a 30-06 pre-64 M70 Winchester and I shoot a load that is under max pressure and velocity that gives all the accuracy and killing power I will ever need. I also hunt with a Ross 1905R in 303 British that is over 100 years old. It was made around 1909-1911. It fires factory loads, reloads and cast bullets just fine. The bore is pretty frosty but shootable. I have no idea of the actual rounds fired in this rifle.

so my question Gents is : is this true ?, can I burn out a barrel on my 45 year old rifle.
My experience says no. I have over 1000 rounds through my 30-06 and many hundreds through my Ross. Both were well used second hand rifles when I got them. You probably have more chance of degrading accuracy in your old gun by improper cleaning or lack of cleaning than by shooting it.

[Rieber]

Yeah, if it's a 264 Win. Magnum.

Really, do you know this first hand or just repeating what Remington lovers have been saying? Nothing wrong with modern day flame-throwers.

I have a .264 WM, I love it and I'm sensitive to such caliber bashing. :lol:

[REMINGTON JIM]

Sent you a pm


You ask for Opinions - Help and then its a secret to what your shooting ? :razz: RJ

[Redthies]

You ask for Opinions - Help and then its a secret to what your shooting ? :razz: RJ

Now where is that “like” button?

Two people have asked what calibre he’s shooting and he won’t say.

[Downwindtracker2]

I have one too. Great round, a 140 at 3200 is ballistic magic. Just look at the charts. That's why Winchester brought it out, they had read the charts. I haven't shot mine much, being aware of the possibility of throat erosion . In the early days they got a lot of hard use with varmint rounds, so that was one aspect. I was thinking about this earlier today. Another thing, Olin wasn't able to make a specialty powder like mother DuPont did for Remington and it 's 7mmRM. So the powder was faster burning and more and likely hotter. The F-Class guys are hard on their barrels, 15 or 20 at a time, and the smaller 6.5-284 only lasts under a 1000 rounds for them.

If you are careful, it's meaningless. It's not the rifle for gopher town, though.

[BromBones]

The 264 Win Mag barrel burner reputation comes from early days of varminters shooting lighter bullets, fast burning powder, and steel quality/construction. It was probably a relevant argument 40 or 50 years ago.

It’s one heck of a hunting cartridge. I’d own one but it’d make my poor little 6.5 Creedmoor feel left out. :grin:

[Downwindtracker2]

:wink: closer to 60 years ago. While the 6.5mm s have always been a passing fads in North America, there have been numerous 6.5s over the years , here are few off the top of my head, 6.5x55,260,256Newton, 6.5-06, 6.5RM. 6.5-284, 6.5x57. 6.5x57Rimmed, 26Nosler, 6.5x54 , 6.5Arisaka . I'm sure I missed a few. As a reloader you can access them all.

[tigrr]

wierd thread.

[Leveraction]

Hi RJ

yes I keep it quiet in my original post as I don’t want a ballistics argument. But here it comes.
I shoot a savage model 99c in 308, given to me by my dad when I was 16, I’m 58 now.

[Rieber]

I don't think a HUNTER can shoot out a barrel out of a .308 in two or three lifetimes. .308's used for hunting will last forever.

[REMINGTON JIM]

Hi RJ

yes I keep it quiet in my original post as I don’t want a ballistics argument. But here it comes.
I shoot a savage model 99c in 308, given to me by my dad when I was 16, I’m 58 now.

Hi I would not think you would BURN that Sav 99 barrel in 308 Win unless you repeatly shot it so Fast it got RED Hot ! :smile: LOL I would estimate you should be good for a FEW thousand round's ! jmo RJ

[BromBones]

Hi RJ

yes I keep it quiet in my original post as I don’t want a ballistics argument. But here it comes.
I shoot a savage model 99c in 308, given to me by my dad when I was 16, I’m 58 now.

I have the exact same rifle. It is very accurate with almost any factory ammo.

I hand load for it but nothing that has ever exceeded factory ammo. Keep the barrel cool when testing loads at the range, it’ll last forever.

[Downtown]

Nope !

Cheers

[B.C.Boy(100%)]

I recently picked up a 94 in 32W.S., it has probably been through quite a few hands in its life, next to very little bluing left, definite character marks on the wood from use, and it still shoots just fine at 73years old.