Barrel temp management

[FireFlyFishing]

I enjoy shooting, but I have better things to do than spending a ton of time at the range watching my barrel temp.

Here's a 10 shot group out of my 22 Creedmoor. Again, maybe 20-30 seconds between shots and the time it took to load my 5 round magazine again.

View attachment 647867View attachment 647868

Totally agree.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

When I can't see through my scope because of the mirage on my suppressor, I'll switch rifles. Otherwise, I let er rip.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

I bought a battery powered, portable air mattress inflator and added a few feet of tubing. I don't use it all the time but it is handy if i get impatient. It cuts the cooling time maybe in half.

This is also what I do. I don't wait between short strings of fire. My typical load development is 3-4 rounds of each charge, so I will typically fire those 3-4 rounds back to back to back, without any rush, but also without any deliberate time for cooling.
On heavy barrel rifles with sub 40 gr. Of powder, I can typically fire 2 sets of 3 or 4 rounds without any deliberate cooling. Larger case capacities of 40-45gr or thinner contour barrels, I will wait 3-5 min in between groups. Cases 50 gr or above, usually only takes the barrel 2-3 rounds to 'warm up'. Then I will shoot at whatever pace necessary to maintain a relatively consistent barrel temp.

I shoot suppressed a lot, so it is often the hest signature off of the barrel or suppressor that I see through the scope that serves as an indicator of when I need to slow down.

 

[Driftin]

Thin hunting barrels I get the normal 2-3 shots that group. My MTU target heavy barrels shoot 30-40 shots before the poi moves.

A small battery operated fan helps cool the barrel quickly.

 

[quandary]

I used to spend time thinking about barrel break in, throat erosion on successive shots, barrel heat and wondering POI until I went to the Barbour Creek Long Range School. Keep in mind that the school guns are not over bored, 6.5CMs. I learned a few things first barrel break in, they don't do anything for barrel break in. Screw the barrel on and shoot. In fact James has a video on this. In the school he relates a conversation that he had with the owner of one of the bigger high end barrel makes about break in. The owner of the barrel maker said the only reason they put some break in recommendations on their website is because customers think its a thing and expect it. Second when shooting, everything is single feed, a lot of the time you are walking the shots out from say 300 yards to over 1,000 yards with no pause other than reloading, aiming, getting the wind call. Before you know it you've put 20 down range in 10 minutes or less. The over 1,000 are the last and you are banging the kill zone steel (life size animal targets with steel in the kill zone) without a problem. So no wondering POI in that scenario. This goes on all afternoon with your shooting partner alternating these long strings. Barrel life is normal according to James.

That said I generally shoot 3 to 5 then allow barrel cool down. Just can't help myself.

 

[bowhunter123456789]

All my rifles are hunting rifles, so 2 shots maximum, then let cool at least 5 min. Shooting more than 2 is not a real life hunting situation unless you can't hit what you're aiming at. Heat reduces barrel life and adds inconsistencies. Just my .02 cents.

 

[ARlife4me]

I think there's a mixture of rifle types being used in these comments. Most of my shooting through the year is with a heavy barrel used to shoot accurately and at long range targets. My hunting rifle uses a thinner barrel which I do wait between shots and limit the number of shots.

Probably not just types, but profiles.

I'm not a bull barrel shooter, so the profiles I shoot are pencil, socom and/or modified socom with a few different cf profiles. The ba's are of magnum (which is usually smaller than varmint) and just smaller than bull cf's.

Here's a question for those in break in procedures? Have you found any jacketed bullets that leaves less copper? Not sure if most are created equal?

 

[WYO300RUM]

It shoot a few rounds, then a few more, and watch the stringing start, and then get mad and try and wait for the barrel to cool down but like a drunken sailer spending money i send another five bucks down rage, then I get mad I wasted ammo, then I walk away and come on forums like this one or check my email until I can't fry an egg on the barrel, then I shoot more, then I feel up my barrel like it's my prom date to see how hot it is, then shoot more, then a few more instead of waiting and then get mad I waisted ammo again, then wonder why I'm not getting the groups I want, repeat till the ammo is gone, then drive home vowing to myself that next time I'm going to show a little patience and restraint and shoot small groups.

Kind of sounds familiar

 

[Radman]

I bought a battery powered, portable air mattress inflator and added a few feet of tubing. I don't use it all the time but it is handy if i get impatient. It cuts the cooling time maybe in half.

Exactly what I do!

 

[VinceMule]

Rubbing the barrel with a saturated wash rag containing 50/50 Water and rubbing alcohol will cool it faster than you would imagine. You want enough liquid on the rag to have it drip off the bottom of the barrel.

Letting your barrel cool in between shots over time is often a measurement of how much the wind moves the bullets at that particular time of day.

 

[Radman]

When shooting strings with the chronograph for velocity or shooting for load development or maybe just target practice, what are you guys doing for barrel heat?

What do you consider too hot that it will start affecting your groups or velocity?

I know there are a lot of variables: Ambient temp, load you're shooting, etc but what is your procedure or thought process?

I hear some guys will only shoot two rounds at a time then wait until another two, some guys will shoot three then wait. How long are you guys waiting and how many

I usually slowly shoot 2 rounds, often 3, then insert a battery-powered air pump. Just leaning the rifle upright with the bolt open (drawing effect) works better than one may think.
When my barrel is slightly or almost uncomfortable (??) to touch I let it rest while it cools. In most rifles I have used accuracy appears to begin to fall off slightly on the third shot. (With my muzzle loader I only get 2 accurate shots but that's because of a dirty barrel, not heat)

 

[WYO300RUM]

I try to let cool down after 2nd shot. Then a couple minutes apart up to 5th shot. Grab another rifle and do the same. Some
hunters say they don't need to know what it does after first or second shot. I hunt.
But if you don't know your 5 shot group size then how do you know your load is as accurate as can be ? I guess it could shoot a half inch group or 5 inch and it wouldn't matter if you scope was dialed in for that load and you took only one shot.

 

[nomo91]

Well im a hunter commenting on my methods for developing loads for a hunting rifle on a hunting forum. Not a single reason known to man to rip 22 shots in 7 minutes or 10 shot strings as fast as I can just for the sake of making it acceptable to a guy in a PRS comp or an F-class shooter. If thats you than more power tk ya. But I can't relate to the idea that because I don't do that and the fact that I'm methodical and consistent when it comes to developement somehow makes you think there's something wrong with the picture. There are probly millions of freezers out there filled with meat by people who don't have any logical reason to rip 22 shots in 7 minutes or shoot 10 shot groups because we prefer to let our barrel cool between shots during load development...seems more like some moral superiority idea than anything....just saying....

Plus could you imagine what 22 shots in 7 minutes of a healthy dose of 570 would do to the throat of my 28 noz?

In regards to barrel life with your 28, wondering how long your barrel has lasted, what barrel maker, material, any extra processes i.e. nitride or cryo, and load specs. Starting to gather materials for a 28 build but want the longest lasting, most accurate barrel possible. Thanks.

 

[dogz]

Say you shot a 5 shot string with a magnum cartridge, do you shoot them all consecutive or do you cool after 2-3 shots?

I shoot them all consecutive, not rap rap rap but not farting around either. I go pretty fast and hard