Cooling a barrel 🤔

[david.eustache]

Recently saw a barrel cooler $55 Amazon also read articles on ice water with a plastic syringe and a small hose followed by dry patches. Also Utah long range shooters tells me there's no such thing as barrel break in simply shoot it and don't look back gun work says the opposite Weatherby says the opposite. Serious push me pull me affect ie: who's right and who's wrong?? I've got all the right equipment no knowledge of the subject. Any advice?? Simply going to be test driving a new barrel for several rounds in the summer heat.

 

[Mrvmax]

I think there are people on all sides of the argument on break in. I never break in my barrels with the exception of my Nosler M48 Independence (I followed the Nosler break in process). Of course, the most expensive rifle I have is a Weatherby Mark V, if I had spent several thousand dollars on a rifle I would follow manufacturers recommendations. For barrel cooling I have two different battery powered coolers I use, I would use water but I do not like to run patches down the barrel to dry it.

 

[david.eustache]

I think there are people on all sides of the argument on break in. I never break in my barrels with the exception of my Nosler M48 Independence (I followed the Nosler break in process). Of course, the most expensive rifle I have is a Weatherby Mark V, if I had spent several thousand dollars on a rifle I would follow manufacturers recommendations. For barrel cooling I have two different battery powered coolers I use, I would use water but I do not like to run patches down the barrel to dry it.

I wonder if the battery operated cooler would successfully dry the water without using a patch?? I can appreciate your advice on the Weatherby Mk V. #3 contour .300 mag.

 

[FEENIX]

Recently saw a barrel cooler $55 Amazon also read articles on ice water with a plastic syringe and a small hose followed by dry patches. Also Utah long range shooters tells me there's no such thing as barrel break in simply shoot it and don't look back gun work says the opposite Weatherby says the opposite. Serious push me pull me affect ie: who's right and who's wrong?? I've got all the right equipment no knowledge of the subject. Any advice?? Simply going to be test driving a new barrel for several rounds in the summer heat.

Do a search; this has been covered plenty of times.

 

[L.Sherm]

To answer your question on break in, factory barrels yes. Quality lapped barrels you will need to essentially firelap the throat area usually between 5-15 rounds you will see less blue from Copper depends on the finish of the reamer.
Let the barrel tell you get a Teslong borescope and you can see for yourself.

 

[L.Sherm]

Then you have definition of break in, I consider it what I described above.
Barrels almost always go through a speed up process ive seen as little as 35 rounds to as high as 100 I call that settling in some may call it the break in process

 

[Muddyboots]

Number one rule in my book is keep you barrel from heating up no matter what. Plenty of documentation on barrel life being maximized. I use cheap bait bucket battery powered aerator running tubing into chamber every three shots to bring back to ambient temps. Shooting P-dogs entirely different situation though!

Len has good break in discussion worth reading.

 

[AZShooter]

After chambering a barrel I used the bore scope to view the results. There was a tiny "feather edge" on the lands of the throat. I shot one shot and looked again, it was gone. It is just an observation. As to how to break it in, do what the manufacturer says to do.

In 2007 I made a CO2 cooling system. Since then I have refined it. The picture shows a regulator. It is not necessary. Just a fitting with a ball valve is all that is needed. a 20 lb tank is minimum. The hose should be tapered at the chamber end for ease of sliding it into position. The CO2 is released with low flow. It only takes 20-30 seconds to reach ambient temp unless the barrel is quite hot. When I feel the barrel is approaching close to the same temp at the scope, the CO2 is turned off. It will continue to cool from inside out. Many at the range have adopted this system. In fact Dave Miller the gunsmith made one too.

I generally use the system if I am working up a load, only brought one rifle or it is during the hotter months.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I use a cordless portable air mattress inflator (from Amazon) and a surgical hose. It works MUCH better than just waiting around for a barrel to cool down. It's cheap, simple and fairly effective.

 

[Muddyboots]

If I lived in AZ, I would have this set up for sure! This makes shooting in heat the "Easy Button"! I do most of my shooting in winter in MI so temp no prob except for me! Since I hunt 99% cold temps no concerns for temp effects.

Any idea on how many shots you can get out of that CO2 bottle? I still like that I could shoot in July like January!

 

[milo-2]

To answer your question on break in, factory barrels yes. Quality lapped barrels you will need to essentially firelap the throat area usually between 5-15 rounds you will see less blue from Cooper depends on the finish of the reamer.
Let the barrel tell you get a Teslong borescope and you can see for yourself.

Sherm, what exactly do you mean by firelapping the throat?

 

[just_jon]

I've been using this cheap bbq grill blower along with plastic tubing and set up for different guns (AR, bolt, single shot).

 

[milo-2]

I don't own a factory rifle today, but if I could go back in time, I would have broken in any factory barrel that I owned.
Todays custom barrels are far better than they were 7-8 yrs ago, as far as staying clean, they are hand lapped so well. Still, I clean after a simple velocity check, 10-20 rds. but I scope the barrel first, if I see excessive copper in the first part of the barrel, I clean with an abrasive, JB bore paste or Witches Brew and try iron out any noticeable rough spots. If the barrel is just dirty, I just use a carbon solvent for a quick clean up. I will have a load in the next 25 shots, after which I will clean again. Then load enough to get the barrel through it's speedup, if the load holds, I will take my rd ct on the barrel up to around 150rds and clean one more time. Then I will fire it 2-300 times to determine how long I can go between cleanings with it.
Let me say too, I always jag a new barrel with Kroil to get any remaining cutting fluids out before I fire the first shot.
As for cooling a barrel, I would not blow anything down my tube except ambient temp air. I carry a riflekuhl barrel cooler, small, handy, though a battery eater, and they are not cheap, but gets the job done. Even though I have a designated range vehicle, I am not going to need a cart to haul my crap to the firing line, but an air mattress pump and correct size tubing would be the ticket. If you are waiting on a barrel to cool, move some air through it.
Lol, I doubt any 2 of us do the same thing here.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I live in AZ. Shoot from 35° to 115°.
My cooling method is 3 shots, then let cool to ambient temp by shooting other rifles. I usually take 4 to 5 rifle each trip. Hard to shoot more than 3 rounds from each rifle in the 15 minute timed live fire session. Then a 15-20 minute cease fire. Giving approximately 25-30 minutes of cool down time between strings.
If I am shooting LR, same situation. Shoot 3, then let cool by shooting other rifles.

As for break-in, my routine is as follows:
For a custom barrel:
Clean when new
1. Shoot 1
2. Repeat
I have had new custom barrels go 350 rounds before I cleaned them the first time.

For a factory barrel:
Clean when new.
1. Shoot 1
2. Repeat for up to 20 first session
3. Clean
4. Shoot until groups opens up