Keeping your barrel cool…

[Bang4theBuck]

Any suggestions on ways to keep my barrel cool during load development? I'm in Phoenix area so it's 113* today. Working up a load for elk and trying to find a way to cool off my barrel. Trying to shoot 1 every 10-15 minutes but still gets hot and trying to maximize my time at the range

Lots of good suggestions on howntomkeep.the barrel cool. However, getting close to ambient or a little warmer should be completely fine. It is the ammo temp that will affect load development the most. So, if you control the ammo temp and then don't let a cool round sit in a hot barrel for very long, you should be fine.

I personally use an air mattress inflator with a washing machine hose taped to the inflator. I then cut one of the ends off the hose, and it fits straight into the back of the action. It brings the barrel to ambient from the inside out in a minute or so, no matter the starting temp.

Less than $20 invested.

 

[Ol' Red]

I just read this thread while having my first cup of coffee. There are a lot of great ideas for barrel cooling here. I have to work in hot temps, but hate shooting in hot temps. I can't keep sweat out of my eyes, let alone worry about barrel temp. You are brave men, I shoot mostly between -10 to 65 degrees. My hat is off to you guys.

 

[44-40]

It cooled down to 102° today but much hotter on the garage, when I got aroundto it. ...so I annealed some brass cases the old fashioned way one at a time, with a propane torch.
I don't worry about the barrel heat too much, and make exceptions on hots days, to let it get hotter.
..then go to the next gun and let it cool a bit...sometimes, I just finish shooting the test. When on a hot day, hot barrel, a piece of hot 308 brass ejected and bounced back under my arm, burning into the flesh before I could move. That will get your attention.

 

[Tommy T]

I use a small air pump with a 3' rubber hose on it in side a cooler with ice packs in it and it works great ,you can get them off of Amazon with rechargeable battery

 

[asd9055]

I've been using an air mattress inflator hooked to a booster pack.
Blows through a drinking straw. I'm lucky to have shade also.
Im assuming you want cooler than natural air, so you might have to pull out of an iced down drink cooler.?
never tried it for myself

Use the air mattress inflater...run the clear hose you can get at hardware store through ice cold water (Kind of like a cooling coil of a still)

 

[baldhunter]

I also have near or over 100 degrees temps to deal with here in South Texas in the summer.It's a real PITA dealing with the heat when your rifle is producing heat everytime it's fired.When it gets hot,it stays hot at those high temps.I've tried putting the fan in a Styrofoam cooler with cold packs blowing air down plastic tubing into the rifle bore.It worked in a couple of minutes I had a cool barrel.I've just about given up shooting during those really hot days.It a good time for case prep in the a/c and save on powder,primers and bullets.If I was insistent in shooting in the heat,I'd build Styrofoam box out of a 4'x8' sheet of Styrofoam used for insulation,that would fit my rifle or rifles,with enough room for some cool packs.Also keep in mind,keep your ammo cool too once you get into those extreme temps,it can really have an affect on powders and what about primers?Here is an old thread about Temperature Sensitivity https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/temp-sensitivity.112966/

 

[ART W]

I am in Florida, not 113 but it is hot in summer. I am in the shade at the range. Last time there it was over 95 degrees. I used a reusable ice pack wrapped in towel over the chamber and took the bolt out for about 5-10 minutes. This was after 15-20 rounds .308 rounds that had fired with a minute or longer pause between shots. The Inflator mentioned here sounds much better. The Magneto Speed cooler looks interesting.

 

[jessej]

If there is a place more humid than Venice I hope I never have to visit.
bottom of the river/earth/universe

But the spear fishin is 2nd to none.

I hammered the bolt open, then hammered it to the rear

I lose more bolt handles that way.

That only ever got me in trouble, or burned…

A finger is definitely a good way to find out if she's hot enuff.
We are still talkin bout guns aint we…..

 

[DoneNOut]

A finger is definitely a good way to find out if she's hot enuff.
We are still talkin bout guns aint we…..

At no time were we talking about motorcycle exhaust. Please stay on topic...

 

[SteveBurton]

I usually shoot at Rio Salado in Mesa and to be honest, there isn't much that has helped. I rigged up a mattress inflator to some tubing and that helps a little but like you said, when it's 113 out, nothing really works. During the summer, I try to get to the range when they open to take advantage of temps in the 90's. Most of my load development is in the winter months though when it's under 80-90. I usually wait 3-5 minutes between shots and bring several guns so I can swap out after firing a group.
IMO, I would not use cold towels. There is no way for you to make sure that the barrel is cooled to around the same temp it's entire length. I don't know what results you would get from a barrel that is 50+ degrees cooler in some areas. Maybe none? I'm not an engineer. One of my friends puts those temp stickers on his barrels. I bought a cheap infrared thermometers from Harbor Freight to check my barrels.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I usually shoot at Rio Salado in Mesa and to be honest, there isn't much that has helped. I rigged up a mattress inflator to some tubing and that helps a little but like you said, when it's 113 out, nothing really works. During the summer, I try to get to the range when they open to take advantage of temps in the 90's. Most of my load development is in the winter months though when it's under 80-90. I usually wait 3-5 minutes between shots and bring several guns so I can swap out after firing a group.
IMO, I would not use cold towels. There is no way for you to make sure that the barrel is cooled to around the same temp it's entire length. I don't know what results you would get from a barrel that is 50+ degrees cooler in some areas. Maybe none? I'm not an engineer. One of my friends puts those temp stickers on his barrels. I bought a cheap infrared thermometers from Harbor Freight to check my barrels.

Go to CO2 and 20lbs tanks. Set up with on/off value, and tubing from value to a bore guide. Need 2 full circel clamps. That way you can lock it in there to cool the barrel. The set costs, but once done it's done.
I have to drive about 100 miles round trip, which is about $8.00 in fuel just alone.

 

[Rich Coyle]

You boys cost me some money today. I went online and bought one of those battery mattress blowers.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Great topic!! This past Wednesday and today, I shot may usual 270 Win Hunting load, with 3 different OGIVE lengths, out of my Weatherby Ultralight, which has a 24inch thin S/S Fluted barrel. Needed to wait 2 full min after shot # 3 and on, for the barrel to cool. Temp both days was mid 80, s and humid. The 100-yard range is covered, but the front of the barrel is in the sun. I will check out the Magneto speed cooler . Thanks all,

 

[dasaher]

I have an alternate opinion... Why would you do load development in 100 plus degree temperatures when your elk hunt will likely be 50-100 degrees cooler? Even with Varget or similar powders that aren't temperature sensitive it would surely skew your research. Plus there's the temperature difference effects on the various metals involved not to mention steel, copper etc. Plus the material in the stock will have different characteristics even with bedding.

Also I think the metallurgists would agree that uneven and/or really rapid cooling of a barrel might cause warping and possibly other changes in the metal. I'd stick with shade and fans both inside and outside the barrel with ambient temperature air. Air conditioning in the vehicle would likely not be harmful but the application of cold wet materials to a hot barrel or cold air introduced to the inside of the hot barrel smacks of serious issues in the future to me.

Consider this also. Every shot lays a layer of powder fouling and at least some copper fouling inside the barrel. Imagine what that does to that layer as it becomes soupy as you rapidly cool it and condensation occurs then it's reheated and rapidly cooled and copper bullets travel through that soup at thousands of feet per second. Now compare that to a single shot from a clean or slightly fouled bore at elk hunting temperatures. LOL

Just one man's opinion tempered with many years of experience and reading expert opinions.....

Well said LD Hunter, logical