Yep, barrels age kind of like people. You will not see any Olympic gymnasts above a certain age, tennis players last longer, but you can play golf (at some level) as long as you can walk and swing your arms. It all comes down to the demands of your sport. Club level competition barrels last a long time and hunting rifle barrels usually last a lifetime or two unless you mistreat them. I do know some prairie dog shooters that cook their barrels often but they are exceptions to the rule. A mild cartridge like the 6.5 Creed, 7-08, etc. should be easy on barrels and bang those steel plates for a long time.