Blued v stainless shot count

[BladeRob]

Hi,

Just trying to decide on what to buy next hence my question... (Sorry if it has been covered before).

If a blued barrel lasted 10k rounds before being worn out, what would the expected shot count be from a stainless barrel if everything else was the same (same gun model, cleaning regime ect.)?

[meles meles]

Stainless. iIdeally precipitation hardened. Don't over clean.

[BladeRob]

Should have said that the gun will be used for hunting - probably a Tikka. Can't decide if a stainless one is worth getting instead of a blued one.

[BamBam]

Stainless, but that's personal preference.

[IainWR]

Can only speak from target rifle experience, but a typical pre-stainless barrel would retain match accuracy for 3000 rounds if you were lucky. TR shooters universally went to stainless barrels by the early 1990s. Stainless barrels firing .308Win 155 I start worrying at 6000, I know an elite shooter who got 11000 out of one before he lost confidence.

Also, you MUST clean a mild steel barrel within hours. A stainless barrel will put up with being left for quite extended periods.

[BladeRob]

Stainless, but that's personal preference.

I prefer the look of a blued barrel but if there is a good reason to go stainless instead I will go with that.

[kennyc]

you will never shoot out either in hunting use,unless you choose a real barrel burner and use it for target use as well.
my personal preference is stainless for hunting/wet weather use (although you still have to clean dry and oil it or it will rust) and blued for target (cheaper and less likely to sit for hours in the wet)

[BladeRob]

Can only speak from target rifle experience, but a typical pre-stainless barrel would retain match accuracy for 3000 rounds if you were lucky. TR shooters universally went to stainless barrels by the early 1990s. Stainless barrels firing .308Win 155 I start worrying at 6000, I know an elite shooter who got 11000 out of one before he lost confidence.

Wow - I didn't expect the difference to be so big. Think I may have to think about stainless.

[IainWR]

Can only speak from target rifle experience, but a typical pre-stainless barrel would retain match accuracy for 3000 rounds if you were lucky. TR shooters universally went to stainless barrels by the early 1990s. Stainless barrels firing .308Win 155 I start worrying at 6000, I know an elite shooter who got 11000 out of one before he lost confidence.

Wow - I didn't expect the difference to be so big. Think I may have to think about stainless.

Do remember that the F-Open guys firing 7mm at 990 m/sec get 1000 rounds or so out of a barrel at match accuracy. It depends what you are up to.

[BladeRob]

you will never shoot out either in hunting use,unless you choose a real barrel burner and use it for target use as well.
my personal preference is stainless for hunting/wet weather use (although you still have to clean dry and oil it or it will rust) and blued for target (cheaper and less likely to sit for hours in the wet)

Good point! If they generally last well into the thousands of rounds it will probably last longer than me!