Cooloing barrel between groups-How cool is cool

[dskit]

I'll grab my barrels in front of the stock - In my mind I have a feeling for "warm" vs "hot". "Hot" instills just a tiny bit of discomfort in my hand.

I shoot warm, not hot.

[Wrangler John]

Hey, there's a gadget for that! Why guess at the temperature, that's about as accurate as holding up a licked finger and guessing at the wind speed.

I bought one of these little doodads: http://www.amazon.com/MicroTemp-MT-1.../dp/B000EIVWSW

Now you will notice that the MT 100 is out of stock, but no matter there are pages of these things at Amazon. If I recall, I paid less than $20 for the MicroTemp MT 100e, very accurate, small and fits in my gun box. http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page...%20thermometer

Here is the site for all MicroTemp products: http://microtempusa.com/

I take my barrel temp before firing, and as the test progresses. Now all my varmint barrels are minimum .750" at the muzzle, and most run .800", measuring at a point just ahead of the chamber I can keep the temp below 100 degrees F. easily. On a cool day temps will seldom go above 85 - 90 degrees, especially with little pooper cartridges such as the .204 Ruger and .223 Remington, bigger stuff burning more coal such as the .22-250 Rem and Ackley, .243 WSSM, .257 Roberts Ackley, and 6.5x284, etc. are going to heat things up quicker and hotter. When varmint hunting I use several rifles in each caliber, so nothing gets too hot, except in Central and Eastern Oregon, where the passing wind, sleet, snow flurries, and torrential squalls of April and May keep thing cool. I don't bother worrying about barrel heat when the cold wind is blowing the snot out of my nose (a roll of blue shop towels is never far away) and numbing my fingers.

Thin little barrels are going to tax the patience of a saint, but not letting them get too hot in the first place is the goal.

[BigBamBoo]

Here is what I use....cheap, battery powered fan. Works great to help speed cooling, and keeps the mirage from the hot barrel down as well.

[Lucky Scott]

Could i see some more photos of the blonde, er, I mean fan.
Yeah, the fan, that's what I meant.

[Topflight80]

[Sunday]

When working up loads, it is essential that you let the barrel cool down between groups. How much must it cool down? For consistency's sake, it seems that you should let it cool to ambient temperature between every string. But that could mean a lot of time waiting between strings. Typically, between 5 shot strings, I'll walk the 100 yards to the target and back, or shoot another gun for a while. But sometimes I am at the range for a couple hours just trying to get 50 rounds down range, and even then, the barrel is not cooled to ambient between strings. I'll ususally go ahead and shoot again when the barrel has cooled to 'slightly warm'. What are your thoughts on the matter.

FWIW, I don't shoot precision rifles, I shoot sporter contour hunting rifles.

You will have to find out about each particular rifle.

[johnthomas]

Isn't a coolo spanish for butt? You want to do what with a barrel? lol

[E92335i]

Here is what I use....cheap, battery powered fan. Works great to help speed cooling, and keeps the mirage from the hot barrel down as well.

I see some mirage on the bottom. Let me zoom real quick

[ar15barrels]

Could i see some more photos of the blonde, er, I mean fan.
Yeah, the fan, that's what I meant.

You must have missed her in the naked girlfriends thread on snipershide several years back...