How long will a Shiloh barrel last?

[Tasmanian Rebel]

I would like to hear from some shooters who have fired a lot of rounds through their Shiloh's. I figured recently that I'm shooting 8-9000 rounds yearly through my 2 45-70 Shiloh #1's. Do I need to be worried about "shooting out" these barrels? I shoot straight black(Goex cartridge) and cast bullets at 30:1. Most of my practice is offhand with a powder charge in the low 60's and I don't leave the range until I clean the bore. I'm fortunate in that I live in a somewhat rural area and can step out the back door of my home and shoot alot on a 200m distance and am taking advantage of this. Recently I have gotten concerned about the volume of lead going down the bore. Is this something I need to worry about?

[Omak Cowboy]

I wouild think that with black poweder the barrel life would damned near be forever, presuming one keeps is clean.

[squire pickett]

Ah Taz,

With that amount of shooting I'm sure both the barrel and guns will be worn out soon. That's our story and we're sticking too it. Next time I see Miss M. I'm sure I can work into the sentence that it would be cheaper for you just to buy another gun rather than than pay a gunsmith to re-barrel and re-work the action. We gotta be together on this bro and I'm pulling for you. I've almost got DH's wife convinced that these are target guns and their life expectency is only about 5000 rounds or so.

Heck, as long as we don't cut off their credit cards they might even buy the argument.

Later,
Squie

[Smokin]

TR,

I think modern barrel steels with diets of greased lead bullets will last for 10's of tousands of rounds, easily. Llikely more damage will be done by cleaning rod contact with the bore than by the passage of bullets. Think babbit bearings. My old Ford PU is retired still running well, but to the easier life at my uncle's farm with nearly a third of a million miles on an untouched engine. Lube and lead and steel seem to make a very workable team. How long will it last? Dunno, but you may yet not even have it broken in.

Smokin

[woodpuppy]

OK, so far I like the answers......how bout for jacketed bullets and smokeless powder? Serious highpower shooters swap barrels long before I'd need to, so I guess it's all relative.

[Tasmanian Rebel]

Squire,
Hush up, I'm trying to rationalize getting ANOTHER Shiloh Sharps.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Well I wore out a Ruger 'Old Army' pistol barrel firing lead and BP only in 23,400 rounds. The 'smith said that the stainless used was very soft and we replaced with a CM Shilen which has lasted another 14years of competition or about 38,000 with no sign of wear. The frame of the Ruger is another story as after 60,000 rounds it is cut about half way through from gas erosion, just in front of the cylinder.

[Omak Cowboy]

Ger's wife, Ker, told me a funny story about her Dan Wesson. Seems the star wheel went Ka-put so she called the factory. Ker had competed with the .44 for years and knew just about everybody, including Dan himself who she said was about 5 ' 5" both in height and width.

Anyway the star wheel is gone so she calls the factory and they say "Taint So, our guns don't wear out". To which she says "well after 250,000 rounds they do!" Again denial and then they ask her to send it in. She does and a bit later the gun is returned with a note that the factory can find NOTHING wrong with her gun...course it DID have a NEW star wheel...so they must have been right all along..nothing was wrong.

[rdnck]

woodpuppy--I got a new Shiloh Number 1 Sporter in 1984. I ran about 1500 rounds through it using 400 grain Remington jacketed bullets and 3031 along with some Reloader 7. I got tired of buying bullets and began casting using wheelweights. Still using 3031, as I neared 6000 rounds I saw what appeared to be throat erosion. At 10,000 rounds, I KNEW I had throat erosion.

After making the transition to black powder, I have rifles with over 23,000 rounds through them and the barrels are perfect. My Number 1 Sporter that I use for match work was delivered just before last year's Quigley, and it has just over 11,000 rounds on it at present. The barrel shows no signs whatever of wear and it shoots well enough to set a range record at 600 yards this past Memorial Day at Kenny Wasserburger's match. It has never had a jacketed bullet or smokeless powder go down the barrel, in fact none of my rifles have, nor will they.

I agree with Smokin'. Think babbit bearings, and expect barrel life to be something other people have to deal with, as long as you shoot black powder and lead bullets and take proper care of the rifle. Shoot straight, rdnck

Chairman
Caddo Lake Chapter
FES

[Smokin]

TR,

Ah, food for rationalization, pardon me. The thing's worn out, obviously. I don't think I would scrap it, but I would definitely order reinforcements. There's no telling when it will begin to group them side by each rather than one atop the other, and that would be a tragedy indeed were the stand in not ready in the wings. While I haven't the problems of worrying about miniscule groups, I know where you are coming from as I am a very experienced practitioner of stand-in philosophy. As WC Fields once replied to someone asking him what he had in the glass, "snake bit medicine." And then made the aside, "Always keep your serpents handy." Or as Custer was believed to have said in in the near reaches of Montana, "replacements, I really need replacements."

Hope this if of help,

[steve witt]

TAS- I don't think you have to worry much. I remember reading somewhere, maybe Ned Roberts books, that Harry Popes barrels lasted and shot well after 10's of thousands of rounds. I don't think you can wear one out if you treat it right and stick to BP. Also the info on the Ackley, Ia Mid and Long Range and Fall Buffalo Matches are now posted on the Match forum. Smokin, how bout a trip down to Iowa to shoot.
Kodiak----hope you see this also... Best regards Steve Witt...

[Tasmanian Rebel]

Thanks Steve. I'm going to try to make one of your buffalo shoots. After hearing about the details of this, it sounds like a fascinating shoot. It SOUNDS like an easy match but obviously it's not. Will get in touch with you about this when I get some semblance of regularity with my work schedule.

[Kodiak]

Steve,

I will try to make the later buffalo match this fall. I hope you guys have a good summer. Take care,

[deerhuntsheatmeup]

Dr Taz.....

Not to want to rain on your parade but I feel quite sure that both your rifles are worn slam out! I would not spend another penny putting new barrels on them, I would just sell them for whatever I could get. Then I would call Kirk and talk to him about some speedy replacements.........I know you like to shoot, so, after I pay you a fair price for these rifles, I will let you shoot one of my rifles until your new rifles arrive......I know this doesn't seem fair to me but I pride myself on going the extra mile for my friends! I don't mind you getting the best of me on a deal, just kiss me after....or let Mrs Taz do it........yeah I like that idea.

Oh well, gotta go get ready to load test Sunday and Monday, let me know and check your PM's.

PS the check is in the mail for your (2) 45-70's even though I am quite sure they are both wore slam out....

Later, David B

[Smokin]

Steve,

I'd like to come shoot at your matches and am penciling them in on my busy social calendar. They seem to fall on either side of our recently thawed Frozen Tundra LR match on the last weekend of August. Which, by the way and in turn, I'd like to invite you to attend. We shoot 800 and 900 on Saturday and 1000 on Sunday - 15 shots per target.

Hey, where is Iowa, anyway?