Sporter barrel and heat

[Joefrazell]

Took my wife's rifle out to see how some factory ammo would shoot. It's a bergara b14 hunter in 30-06. Shot the barnes vor-tx 168 gr. 1st 3 shot group .777 moa. Let barrel cool for over an hour while shooting other guns. Brought it back out and dialed the scope to zero. Leopold vx3i 4.5-14 30mm cds. 2nd group .931 moa again 3 shots. Barrel was very hot after 3 shots as its 100 degrees outside. I needed to come over just about .5" so I did and decided to take another shot to make sure it was on for hunting and the shot was 1" high and so I shot 1 more and it was right there with the last one .7" to the right. My question is is it normal to shoot high with a hot barrel? I didn't shoot another just because it was too hot. Anyways these bullets shoot well. Way better then my handloads so far lol. I was tired of trying and we're to close to season.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Three in a hunting situation is unusual. Four is rare. I would fire two and let it cool before firing again.

 

[Barrelnut]

My question is is it normal to shoot high with a hot barrel?

Also a good idea not to leave the loaded cartridge in a hot chamber before shooting either. I try to shoot it within 5 seconds of loading it, in very hot weather like that. If the load is using temp sensitive powder it might make a difference.

A chrony would be a good tool too, as it would determine if the 1" shots were due to increased velocity.

 

[ATH]

It is not unusual for a thin barrel to climb as it heats. I've seen it many times. If I have doing load development I typically wait 3 minutes between shots and at least 5 minutes between group.

I gave my buddy a take-off Savage 22" 243 sporter barrel I had lying around just to keep him shooting when his barrel went south. He shot it in a mid-range F-class match on a 95F day, I warned him to watch for the start of the vertical climb and prepare to compensate. Darned if that barrel didn't go all ~70 shots without changing vertical, we were both shocked. You couldn't hold your hand to the muzzle end.

 

[Joefrazell]

Yeah this rifle did something very funny to me with my magnettospeed. It shot good groups with it on with my handloads. Got my load all dialed in and took the magnettospeed off to sight it in and bam ... groups doubled in size. Not one group but all. The barrel was never hot then either. I'll figure a good handload eventually but being my wife's rifle that will be shot 50 rnds a year tops, Im not in a hurry when these factory loads shoot this well. Plus 400 yards is as far as she will shoot.

 

[Pdvdh]

Yeah this rifle did something very funny to me with my magnettospeed. It shot good groups with it on with my handloads. Got my load all dialed in and took the magnettospeed off to sight it in and bam ... groups doubled in size. Not one group but all.

That's not surprising with a lightweight contour barrel. Which is why I don't own a magnetospeed. If I did own one, I'd figure out a way to mount it off the stock, rather than hanging it off the muzzle.

 

[Pulpwood]

I have several of the Winchester s with the small sporter barrels and they shoot well but at the bench you just have to take your time and not let the barrels heat up . In most hunting situation s it just doesn't matter . I personally wished Winchester would give the option of a heavier barrel

 

[Dosh]

Here in Az it's always hot. For years I've cooled my barrel using a WallyWorld battery powered air bed pump with a flexible hose and an old bore guide. Works very well.

 

[AZShooter]

I also hate waiting for a barrel to cool. I live in S. Az. where it is hot for months at a time.

I use a 20 lb tank of CO2 with a ball valve attached for modulating the flow. A 3/8" diameter rubber hose with tapered tip is pushed into the chamber. Low flow for 20 seconds or so will bring it down to ambient for more testing. I can shorten a load development session from hours down to 1/2 hour or less.

I shoot two and cool. I agree with Rich to only shoot no more than two shots at a time.
A local gunsmith, Dave Miller, will shoot one shot then cool to ambient for testing his hunting loads.

 

[Joefrazell]

I typically leave them in my pickup with the ac going but your guys ways seem much more effective

 

[CoachChris]

I shoot drills with my rimfires between shots with my sporter barrel centerfires

 

[truck driver]

I have found a wet cloth laid over the barrel between shots helps the cool down quicker when the temps are warm and I try not to shoot more then 2 rounds in a row especially if i'm shooting a load development ladder while chronographing my loads.

 

[JJMoody]

Slightly off topic, but related... Anyone ever notice adverse affects on a barrel due to water, air or any other cooling technique other than naturally cooling? My impatience shows at the range waiting for a barrel to cool

 

[Barrelnut]

Anyone ever notice adverse affects on a barrel due to water, air or any other cooling technique other than naturally cooling?

I haven't and I use the same method as Dosh. AZShooter's method is pretty wild. I'm looking up CO2 canisters now....

With Dosh's method, I used to run my air host thru a 2 gallon water drink cooler with a spiraling aluminum tube inside with apiece of dry ice. This worked somewhat but I noticed condensation in the clear plastic tube that went from the output of the drink cooler to the action. So I quite doing it. Don't really think it was hurting anything though.