I'll quote Layne Simpson as best I remember:
I have a .220 Swift in a 40 X that shoots little tiny groups. It's now got over 5,000 rounds through it and I've loaded them hot and the gun still shoots 1/2 MOA. As long as I keep the barrel clean and don't shoot the gun HOT it keeps on shooting. Barrel burner????? I don't think so......something to that effect printed in Nosler's reloading book.

Probably no other gun has the reputation as a barrel burner as the .220 Swift.....and it was all from a small contingency of folks that couldn't be satisfied with the factory performance.......They insisted on loading it to 70,000 psi (unwittingly). I truly suspect more of them died of copper fowling than barrel burnout.....I have personally seem some of these so-called "gun experts" look at the muzzle end of the barrel for burnout.

I've always wondered how the .264 Win Mag got such a reputation as a "barrel burner" and the .257 Weatherby escaped that label.....essentially they're the same cartridge.

If I wanted a WSSM today, I'd get one without giving the issue a thought. Frankly I see nothing in it over my .22-250 but that's me.....

If we chose to talk about buying a stainless steel Sako today, it'd be a little different story!!!!!