Keeping Barrels Cool

[truck driver]

Now that spring has sprung and the temps are above 40*F I was wondering what everyone does to keep their barrels cool at the range when testing reloads.
I was out this mourning and it was 70*F before lunch and the 7mm Rem barrel got hot after 2 shots and was hard to get cooled down, the 35Whelen AI got warm but not hot. Both barrels are free floated. Any suggestions?

 

[RiverRider]

I've been mulling over a solar powered fan or air pump of some kind. Maybe sticking the end of the hose in the chamber. No real good ideas yet as far as materials, though.

 

[Guy Miner]

There are all kinds of ways to keep a barrel cooler - but - honestly, a few shots through a hunting rifle on a warm day aren't going to hurt a thing.

Think about guys who hunt and shoot in warm climates all the time...

Think about the thousands of NRA High-Power match shooters who compete weekend after weekend, all year long, through the spring & summer, in MUCH warmer temps. They fire strings of 20 shots during their 60 - 80 round matches, with the sun beating down on them, in 80, 90 and 100+ degree temps... The barrels get hot...

So what?

A few shots through a hunting rifle to get a load figured out just isn't going to be much of a problem in my estimation. Not after seeing what other guys 'n gals do week after week - pumping rounds through their expensive match barrels... yet getting good barrel life and excellent accuracy.

Regards, Guy

 

[SJB358]

There are all kinds of ways to keep a barrel cooler - but - honestly, a few shots through a hunting rifle on a warm day aren't going to hurt a thing.

Think about guys who hunt and shoot in warm climates all the time...

Think about the thousands of NRA High-Power match shooters who compete weekend after weekend, all year long, through the spring & summer, in MUCH warmer temps. They fire strings of 20 shots during their 60 - 80 round matches, with the sun beating down on them, in 80, 90 and 100+ degree temps... The barrels get hot...

So what?

A few shots through a hunting rifle to get a load figured out just isn't going to be much of a problem in my estimation. Not after seeing what other guys 'n gals do week after week - pumping rounds through their expensive match barrels... yet getting good barrel life and excellent accuracy.

Regards, Guy

I'm with Guy. Keep the ammo in the shade and cool if possible. When the rifles on the rack cooling set it muzzle up, action up and get that stovepipe effect rolling.

A rag doused in alcohol might help cool it down a little as well.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Bring a .22lr or other guns to shoot while you wait. I have used a minnow bucket aerator before and it worked well. Put the hose in the chamber and turn the pump on.

 

[truck driver]

This is only the second magnum chambered rifle I have owned and have never experienced the barrel heating up like the 7mm Remington did. I was shooting my 35 AI also and interchanging rifles between shots. The 7mm got hot enough so you wouldn't want to hold the barrel long in your bare hand after 2 consecutive shoots and that's when I started switching back and forth between rifles. I hadn't felt a rifle barrel get this hot since I was in the military back in the day long a go.

 

[JD338]

Roger,

My 338 RUM with 98.6 grs Retumbo gets hot after 3 shots. I use an old
towl or heavy duty shop paper towel with ice water from the cooler rung
out and laid along the entire length of the barrel for 5 min between shots.
Works great.

JD338

 

[wildgene]

...a rag soaked in rubbing alcohol laid on the barrel works pretty well, evaporates & cools faster than water, doesn't rust, just need to lightly oil after shooting...

 

[Tjay]

I also use the ice water wet rag on the barrel. One is cooling as I shoot the second this keeps things moving along.

 

[DON]

yep those longer powder columns in the mag calibers tend to heat up the barrels. Having owned a 7-mag at one time mine did also truck driver, even more so since I own a 300 RUM.

Don

 

[Guy Miner]

Funny thing is, a 7mm Rem mag and a .30-06 have VERY similar powder charges...

For instance Nosler lists 63 grains of RL-22 as max for both the 7mm Rem mag/160 grain, and the .30-06 with 165 gr bullets... With very similar overall loaded lengths, and velocities...

I have no experience with the .35 Whelen or .35 AI, so I used the .30-06 as an example.

Yet, in your rifle the heat was quite high with the 7mm mag... Fascinating.

Regards, Guy

 

[Blkram]

Best thing is to not pull the trigger so quickly from shot to shot to help keep barrels from overheating. I see so many guys shooting hot cartridges as fast as they can cycle the action, for 3 to 10 shots, and the wonder at how hot their barrels get! ( not inferring that this is you, but is a common occurrence at local shooting ranges)

I wait at least a minute between shots on cooler days an up to 5 minutes between shots on hotter days, then put the rifle in the rack, action open and in the shade and shoot another rifle. On hotter days, I will alternate 2 to 5 rifles while working on load development. Cleaning the rifle(s) between loads/groups also spreads out the time and helps keep barrels from getting hot. And I have rifles in 7STW and 270 Wby where velocities are 3225 and 3850 fps respectively.

This has always worked from me.

 

[Rol_P]

Roger, if alone at the range, as I am most of the time, being retired and able to go to the range during the week, I generally take a walk out to my target and mark each shot so I can review the sequence of group development. My F150 has an air conditioner, and when temps are too warm I have taken my rifle and retreated to the cab with the AC on high. Not a regular occurence as I am too cheap to waste gas on a regular basis, but it has happened. :grin:

As to guy's point relative to the Rem 7mm mag and 30-06 barrel heating differences, I am no engineer, but offer questions to ponder, the 7mm, with similar pressure to the '06 is pushing a the same weight bullet in a smaller diameter opening. This may create more heat in the barrel. With barrels on the same dimensions the 7mm will have slightly more steel than the '06 to retain the heat. Does the difference in twist rate, 7mm - 1-9" vs 30-06 - 1-10" affect barrel heating and retention?

I agree with using an alcohol wipe to accelerate the cooling. Have a great day.. Rol

 

[truck driver]

Thanks to all who have responded and for the suggestions on keeping a barrel cool. Surprisedly the range doesn't have a rifle rack and I hadn't thought about the stove pipe effect or wetting the barrel though I did cover it with a towel to shade it. I imagine that the thinner barrel wall on the 35AI helps to keep it cooler. The 7mm Remington case capacity is 10grs more than the 35AI but running about the same powder charge, bore diameter is the big difference.
I'll get a cheap bottle of rubbing alcohol and wipe it down between shots.

 

[greenheadcaller]

I've seen a number of methods in the prairie dog fields. The method I like is multiple weapons lol.

Seriously though, the wet rag is fairly common. Will also say, water down the barrel followed by swabbing the barrel will cool them and works well, but is a pain and may cause some concern about corrosion or other (gets debated a lot, and used a lot lol).

Shooting under cover or an umbrella helps a lot.

Air is cheap and drama free.

So, a cheap alternative if you have a power source .... are cheap air pumps hosed to the chamber.. for example, a coleman quick pump http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-12V-D ... 08&veh=sem

Coleman also makes rechargeable mattress pumps for a little more money...google them if interested.

Or if AR, this one runs on rechargeable battery.... ... http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... rel-Cooler

hope this helps

 

[truck driver]

Thanks for the links.

 

[Horsethief]

Make the barrel vertical with the action open, put it in the shade leaning against a tire or something so the barrel or stock won't get scratched, and let it cool while you walk to the target and check things.

There is no need to pour or pump anything onto the exterior surface or through the bore. I believe any liquid in the bore would create uneven cooling and micro cracks or weakening of the metal.

 

[bboswell]

When doing load work up or accuracy test I set a timer between shots. I'm in southern part of Texas so Winter months get 3-4 minutes between shots and summer months get 5-7 minutes. This is considering sporter weight barrels shooting in the shade. I adjust for heavy barrels or shooting in sun.

 

[preacher]

I've poured water down them then cleaned. I've wiped them with about everything I could think of. I have even read articles that a special tank of Nitrogen or similar was hosed into the bore... I'm with Guy, if it was that big of a problem we would see more barrels replaced more often in the Competition field. ha. I just take a couple rifles, take my time between shots and switch off...barrels up, action open. I do it not so much to save the bore as to stay as close to hunting conditions. My first 2 shots are the ones I really pay attention to. In fact, once I know I have an accurate load, from then on when checking zero or just practice I only shoot twice. Only time I had a problem with the bore was a varmint rifle I had made up in 6mm Remington. A friend of mines son used it and when it came back the throat was fried pretty good, but it still shot well! Go figure.

 

[Bbear]

little canisters of the compressed air (used to clean computers) is one thing I've used in the summer. Wet rag is also good. Keep them in the shade when you do the rag or just rest them in the shade without the rag.
Watched a guy in San Antonio once that after shooting a string of 5-10, would put his rifles barrel down in a bucket of water. Ran his rod through them once or twice and then left them in the water until he was ready to shoot. Would swab it once more then load and shoot.