Flyer wrote:It's all relative, isn't it?
A 22-250 will burn barrels faster than a 243 which will burn barrels faster than a 260 which will burn barrels faster than a 7-08 which will burn barrels faster than a 308 etc, all running similar pressures.
So by your logic - and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm going by this post . . .
bladeracer wrote:If I want more velocity I grab a different rifle. I'm quite happy to load them comfortably for accuracy without being concerned about velocity.
. . . You would rather grab a barrel-burning calibre to go faster than explore the rifle you already have?
I'm not sure I get it.
The Creedmoor was designed from the start for long-range competition. It will easily handle higher pressures than most 6.5x55 and other cartridges due to its steep shoulder, thicker brass, short action and small primer pockets. Creedmoor chamber tolerances are also a lot tighter than other SAAMI spec cartridges - especially military based ones such as 6.5x55 - so they don't work the brass as much, and there is a lot less difference in case capacity between full-length and neck-sized brass.
What I'm saying is, why would you go to an inferior (in terms of expected barrel life) cartridge to get more velocity when you can use the Creedmoor towards its full potential . . . and still have better barrel life than a 243?
The 6.5CM burns less powder for the same velocity as the 260 and 6.5x55 - which are both going to burn barrels faster than the CM. So what's not to like?
My use of the word velocity was a poor choice, energy would be more precise. If the rifle I'm using won't achieve my goal without having to run it at the ragged edge, I'll use a different rifle or cartridge that will provide the result at lower pressures. That cartridge won't be the .22-250 as it does nothing for me at all. If I'm shooting my 6.5x50mm and it's not giving me the result I want, then I'll try a 6.5x55mm, 6.5x58mm, 6.5-06, etc, and if I still can't get where I'm going with a 6.5mm bullet, then 7mmRemMag, .300WinMag and so on, until I'm happy with the result. Or, more likely well before that point, I'll re-examine the goal to see if there is simply a more-effective way of reaching it altogether, like learning to stalk a hundred meters closer to my target, or learning to read the wind better rather than rely on more velocity. I don't see any genuine reason to push any rifle into the realm of barrel-burning, unless your goal is the bragging rights of burning out a barrel in the least number of shots. I guess if you only have one rifle, and you need to get the absolute maximum out of it, then you have to weigh the damage you're doing against the result you're getting. But I see no positive value in simply trying to drastically reduce the life of your firearm. Choose something that is more realistically able to achieve your needs. Only one of my firearms (.204) is loaded even close to factory levels, but still well short of case-damaging pressures, everything else runs at significantly lower pressures. Even if I owned a barrel-burner, I'd be running it at reduced pressures anyway. The reason I asked about being able to run longer rounds is because it reduces the pressures for the same velocities. It's also why I really like using high-BC bullets, they hit harder but with lower velocities/pressures.
In these "comparison" discussions it seems to invariably come down to how much velocity a particular cartridge can achieve over others. I see it and just wonder, who cares what velocity it might be possible to push any of them. What matters to me is which one is more consistently accurate, or even more importantly, easier to build accurate loads for. I don't want a rifle like a two-stroke Grand Prix motorcycle that needs to be rebuilt and tuned for each specific circuit, on each day, for each race. I want a "four-stroke" rifle that does the job every time I take it out, regardless of the conditions, and without wearing itself out.
My dealer is a huge 6.5mm fan, so he eventually got himself a .264WinMag. It took him quite a long time to nail down an accurate load, but as soon as he'd found it, the rifle reused to maintain it. He worked out that he had put 500rds through it to find this load, and had totally destroyed the throat. It cost him two-dollars worth of barrel for each of those shots. He rebarreled it with a 7mm (I think he said 7x57mm) and sold it on. He mainly shoots long-range cartridges, .338Lap, .300WinMag, and such so I'm guessing he knows about barrel burning.