So I think I'll work up a new load for my 23inch 30-30 T/C G2. I'll take my Lee Loader down to the pond and make up loads, increasing powder at about .2 gr at a time. So, how cool does the barrel need to be? Cool enough to touch? Back down to current air temp.?

Terry I've never let a barrel cool back to current air temp, but I don't shoot it till it's hotter then heck. I'll usually fire three to five shots with a few minutes to cool in between shots then let the barrel cool for 20 to 40 minutes before doing another string.

I've seen folks fire off enough rounds one right after another til the barrel was so hot it smoked the oil off the outside of the barrel.

And yet... At the Hi-Power rifle match I shot in yesterday, we all let off 10 shots in about a minute, twice in a row, right after shooting 10 rounds in less than 10 minutes. That was with M1's that have wood insulating the whole length of the barrels, and AR-15's. Then, we launched into the slow fire stage, 20 rounds in 20 minutes.

All that is faster shooting than you guys are talking about, but it doesn't seem to have too much effect on the rifles!

:confused:

Or, get the wood stock smoking and charred! :eek:

Shooting in a hot climate like mine, ambient temps can be over 100* when at the range. Wanting to shorten the cooling time, I take a 12 pack cooler with frozen handtowels individually wrapped in foil. When the barrel is too warm to comfortably hold by hand, a towel is brought out unfolded and wrapped around the barrel with special attention to put the thicker part on the receiver ring. The barrel will cool down to slightly below ambient in a few moments, then it's back to shooting slow, controlled shots. Gets warm - back with the towel.
I usually carry several towels in the cooler. Great place to keep the plastic cartoned ammo, too.

One of the best benefits is when the towel is no longer deemed cool enough to work on the barrel and a fresh one is unpacked. The old one goes around my neck and keeps the shooter a little cooler! :D

And yet... At the Hi-Power rifle match I shot in yesterday, we all let off 10 shots in about a minute, twice in a row, right after shooting 10 rounds in less than 10 minutes. That was with M1's that have wood insulating the whole length of the barrels, and AR-15's. Then, we launched into the slow fire stage, 20 rounds in 20 minutes.

All that is faster shooting than you guys are talking about, but it doesn't seem to have too much effect on the rifles!

:confused:

Give it a bit of time. Barrels don't wear out so much as burn out.

With my small bore rifle the difference between the first shot from a cold barrel and a shot from a warm barrel is about 6 moa. On a cool day if the rifle is shooting in the 10 ring and you open the bolt and let it cool down 10 or 15 minutes the next round will be in the 3 ring at 10 o'clock, the next shot will be back in the 10 ring. I never make a sight adjustment until I shoot at least 3 sighters.
If I were sighting in a hunting rifle that I expected to make a long range shot with I would allow the barrel to cool 10 minutes between shots.

Well, there is really not a consensus on this. I'm guessing that some barrels group good even when warm, some not. For a hunting barrel, I guess I will need to let my barrel cool completely in shooting a group....shoot...Wait 20min....shoot...wait 20min....It just brings into focus another factor in producing a HUNTING load. Maybe a target load requires other factors...OH NO, I'll just have to do more shooting! I gotta find a load for my 30-30, a .44, maybe a different bullet for my muzzleloader,...Will there be enopugh time?...enough deer?
Thanks guys, I appreciate your learned opinions, Terry

For a 30-30 hunting rifle I would shoot, open the breech and wait perhaps a miniute or two(good time to reflect on the shot that I just made) and repeat for a three shot group.

Mozy on down range and check the target. The rifle should be purdy comfortable when you get back.

I might give the barrel a quick clean if changing loads. If not changing loads I wouldn't bother.

Three shots with a hunting rifle is a lot of shooting(missing)!

My advice only. NO CHARGE.

Cheezywan

I've had rifles that seem to group better after they have warmed up a little. Does this make sense?Q

I've had rifles that seem to group better after they have warmed up a little. Does this make sense?Q


Have noticed that...but find it hard to seperate from the fact that I shoot better once i've warmed up...so is it the barrel, or the shooter?

Have noticed that...but find it hard to seperate from the fact that I shoot better once i've warmed up...so is it the barrel, or the shooter?
That is a good question,maybe I should should shoot some armadillos first to work out the bugs.Q :p

I'm in a hot climate, too. When shooting in the summer, I carry a battery powered air pump, the kind used to inflate airbeds and such. I think I paid $12 for it. Anyway, I attached a piece of tubing to the nozzle, and simply run it into the open chamber of the rifle. Even 100 degree air will remove a lot of heat from a barrel.

My solution is a one-liter soda bottle and a bartender's pour spout. When the barrel gets too hot to hold my hand around it, I pour an ounce or two of water into the chamber with the muzzle held low. The water flash-evaporates, cooling the barrel NOW. Just to be sure, I pull a bore-snake through it. Done.

That is a good question,maybe I should should shoot some armadillos first to work out the bugs.Q :p


So far, have had one .308 barrel that measurably did shoot BETTER as it got fouled...would shoot OK for rounds 1 to about 7, then shoot great for rounds 7- about 60, then accuracy would fall off until I cleaned it ans started over. talking 10 round groups of .8" for that middle run of #8 to #59 (or there abouts...seemed humidity and heat played a part as well).

This wasn't a matter of heat, the barrel was allowed to cool to ambiant...but a matter of needing a bit of fouling to do well. Never did figure out why. Was one of the old Rem. PSS's, first run, withy the kind of green park. job and a 5-groove barrel.

For 10 rounds in .8", would put up with that kind of foolishness...have had lots of sub MOA rifles for 3 ashots, and quirte a few for 5 shots, but a consistant sub moa 10-shotter isn't nearly as common as you'd think.

So...when talking heat, are also talking fouling...and that does make a differnce, as you really can't get one without the ohter without application of a blow torch.

A shooting buddy of mine who also owns a welding shop, takes a bottle of co2 with him with a hose and a valve on it. When his barrel gets hot he blows the co2 through it and cools it down very fast. The co2 leaves no residue in the barrel and he's had no problems with the barrels. Most of his stuff is big buck customs, so he wouldn't do it if it harmed them in any way.

Think there's a commercial pressurized can of CO2 with a short nozzle that's marketed for the same purpose. Remember reading about it several years ago when I still had subscriptions to the various gun rags. That will work, but not sure the world needs more of the gas in the atmosphere right now.

Hope you don't meet up with Al Gore on the range and have him catch you with a can of CO2!!

Guns and CO2 - he'd probably have kittens!

:eek:

For hunting guns I will generally shoot 3 round groups slow fire (one every couple of minutes) and then clean and oil the bore, which cools it quite well.

For the target guns, it is usually 5 foulers slow fire, dry patch, shoot the match slow fire, dry patch every 5 to 10 depending on the gun/load, clean between matches, wash, rinse, repeat...

For the "Blasting" guns it is generally "shoot 'til the barrel glows" and then run a bore-snake through it :)

I have to admit that I have never done a serious check on the effects of hot barrels. My heavy barrel varmint rifles I tend to shoot without too much worry, but they are small bore (.223) and a big barrel to soak up a lot of heat. I can put a few 10 round groups downrange without worrying too much about how hot it is.
For my hunting rifles I tend to shoot a 3 or 5 shot group pretty fast, perhaps a couple of groups, which means that the barrel is normally too hot to touch. I shoot another rifle (or a good time for some standing practice with a .22) until it is cool enough to handle.
When I am doing my part, the rifles group where they should and in the group size for that rifle.