Barrel temp management

[WYO300RUM]

I have a question that I've wondered about . I have only one rifle with a carbon barrel. I know that it's a very thin steel barrel wrapped with carbon fiber layers.
I'm guessing it would take longer to feel barrel heat on it than say pencil steel barrel. If that's true , and I don't really know that., how do you know if you are over heating your barrel . Example, 10 shots a minute apart with carbon barrel doesn't even feel as warm as 5 shots a minute apart with steel barrel. My thinking is that very thin steel barrel in carbon is twice as hot as the pencil all steel barrel but you don't feel the heat because of carbon . I probably repeated myself but I've always wondered about it. Because I didn't know it treated the carbon barrel like a steel barrel between shots.

 

[Rebell]

I have a question that I've wondered about . I have only one rifle with a carbon barrel. I know that it's a very thin steel barrel wrapped with carbon fiber layers.
I'm guessing it would take longer to feel barrel heat on it than say pencil steel barrel. If that's true , and I don't really know that., how do you know if you are over heating your barrel . Example, 10 shots a minute apart with carbon barrel doesn't even feel as warm as 5 shots a minute apart with steel barrel. My thinking is that very thin steel barrel in carbon is twice as hot as the pencil all steel barrel but you don't feel the heat because of carbon . I probably repeated myself but I've always wondered about it. Because I didn't know it treated the carbon barrel like a steel barrel between shots.

Thanks for asking about the carbon wrapped barrel. I have one on my Fierce 300 RUM. Obviously warms differently than my 300 RUM in my Sendero. Curious what will be shared??

 

[NW Hunter]

I have a question that I've wondered about . I have only one rifle with a carbon barrel. I know that it's a very thin steel barrel wrapped with carbon fiber layers.
I'm guessing it would take longer to feel barrel heat on it than say pencil steel barrel. If that's true , and I don't really know that., how do you know if you are over heating your barrel . Example, 10 shots a minute apart with carbon barrel doesn't even feel as warm as 5 shots a minute apart with steel barrel. My thinking is that very thin steel barrel in carbon is twice as hot as the pencil all steel barrel but you don't feel the heat because of carbon . I probably repeated myself but I've always wondered about it. Because I didn't know it treated the carbon barrel like a steel barrel between shots.

Whether a steel barrel or carbon wrapped barrel, I use a temp gun to read the temp on the outside of the barrel where the lands would be located. I do this before I start shooting the barrel so I know the barrel's ambient temp.
It's easy to take the barrels temperature at any time while shooting groups. I try to keep the barrels temperature within 5 degrees of the barrel's original temp before it was shot.
I have used wet cold cloths and mattress inflators with aquarium tubing in the chamber to aid cooling in the past.
All this being said, my wife says I'm obsessed with my hobbies.

 

[NW Hunter]

Whether a steel barrel or carbon wrapped barrel, I use a temp gun to read the temp on the outside of the barrel where the lands would be located. I do this before I start shooting the barrel so I know the barrel's ambient temp.
It's easy to take the barrels temperature at any time while shooting groups. I try to keep the barrels temperature within 5 degrees of the barrel's original temp before it was shot.
I have used wet cold cloths and mattress inflators with aquarium tubing in the chamber to aid cooling in the past.
All this being said, my wife says I'm obsessed with my hobbies.

I should add that I check the barrel temps at the same spot where the lands are located every reading.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Thanks for asking about the carbon wrapped barrel. I have one on my Fierce 300 RUM. Obviously warms differently than my 300 RUM in my Sendero. Curious what will be shared??

I have a Rem 700 BDL with a 28 in. Bartlien 5R Varmint contour barrel on it. I had a new Sendero barrel I was going to put on it instead got talked into the Bartlien. Stupid. Putting a carbon barrel on it didn't even cross my mind at the time. My go to mountain rifle for 20 years went to a safe queen. Weighs 13 pds. with just scope on it. It only has around 200 rds through it. I guess I could take it off and sell it and buy a carbon barrel. Thought about finding a gunsmith who could turn barrel down to sendero size. Cut 2 in. off and re thread. Spiral or straight flute barrel and flute bolt. Then I'd be in love with it again. I'm sure that would cost more than a new carbon barrel. I heard turning down barrel would stress it . I'm not sure. It's a tack driver but too heavy for mtn. hunting. The only carbon barrel I have is a C.A. Ridgeline 6.5 PRC. I like it a lot.

 

[skipglo]

I Shoot three shots at a comfortable ( 5-8 second) interval between shots and let the gun cool.

 

[southpa]

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.

There is a ton of useful knowledge on here about the 28 nosler. Try using the search function, it will provide more info than I can in one response. I don't expect my 28 barrel to be around for a long time back to the OP.

 

[huntoregon]

Thank you to everyone for the opinions and input. I like the idea of a little air pump.

 

[HandgunHTR]

A properly manufactured barrel will not walk when it gets hot. In most instances, the reason that groups open up with "pencil barreled" guns is due to recoil fatigue, not your barrel walking. "But," you say, "my heavy-barreled rifle doesn't do that!" Exactly! It is heavier, so the recoil is mitigated better.

As for not needing more than 3-shots, the reason you take more shots isn't to prove that you can still hit the target it is to find the true center of your cone of impact (i.e your true zero). Three shots are not statistically significant enough to make conclusions on. So the "I don't take more than 1-2 shots at game, so I don't need to shoot 10-shot groups" argument is moot.
I am not saying you need to bang out 20 shots in a single string, but you should be taking 10-20 shots at the same point of aim in order to determine your true zero point. If you are off by 3/4", that could lead to a miss or a bad hit when you add in variability due to field positions and wind.

Now, to answer the OPs question. I shoot 5-shot stings, usually single loading during load development, so say 20-30 seconds between shots. I stop after 5 to reduce recoil fatigue. I do run a barrel cooler on the gun I am not shooting, but it is strictly to reduce mirage, not because I believe that the heat of the barrel will affect my groups at all.

 

[Koda_]

I have a question that I've wondered about . I have only one rifle with a carbon barrel. I know that it's a very thin steel barrel wrapped with carbon fiber layers.
I'm guessing it would take longer to feel barrel heat on it than say pencil steel barrel. If that's true , and I don't really know that., how do you know if you are over heating your barrel . Example, 10 shots a minute apart with carbon barrel doesn't even feel as warm as 5 shots a minute apart with steel barrel. My thinking is that very thin steel barrel in carbon is twice as hot as the pencil all steel barrel but you don't feel the heat because of carbon . I probably repeated myself but I've always wondered about it. Because I didn't know it treated the carbon barrel like a steel barrel between shots.

Buy a quick read kitchen/cooking thermometer and stick it in the muzzle (or chamber if at gun club if you can angle it in just right).

 

[WYO300RUM]

Buy a quick read kitchen/cooking thermometer and stick it in the muzzle (or chamber if at gun club if you can angle it in just right).

Great idea. I actually just bought one a couple months ago for cooking. Couldn't find old one. I'm going to put it in my shooting bag now .

 

[Gabe22BR]

I do my load development in the temps I plan on shooting in-

Usually 3 rd groups- with 1 barrel warmer/fouler-

If 2 doesn't go into a single hole, there's no need to fire the 3rd- gets saved for the next load-warmer/fouler
I go and load up 3 more rds while everything sets in current temp to be tested, then let the ammo set for 5-10min to temp stabilize.

Been doing it for long time this way-
Even suggested it on another thread, guess it got over looked as well…

 

[huntoregon]

I do my load development in the temps I plan on shooting in-

Usually 3 rd groups- with 1 barrel warmer/fouler-

If 2 doesn't go into a single hole, there's no need to fire the 3rd- gets saved for the next load-warmer/fouler
I go and load up 3 more rds while everything sets in current temp to be tested, then let the ammo set for 5-10min to temp stabilize.

Been doing it for long time this way-
Even suggested it on another thread, guess it got over looked as well…

Thanks for the advice. As far as the other thread getting over looked, if that was directed at me I must have missed it.

 

[Gabe22BR]

It wasn't- directed…