"Don't shoot a hot barrel!"

[TN Grouser]

Right.  I won't.  But, ah, what constitutes a hot barrel?

Where I am allowed to shoot, it was 85 degrees yesterday.  I took a meat thermometer with me.  I figure the barrel heats up from the inside out, and cools from the outside in.  After three shots, the meter read about 105 degrees.  Wait, wait, wait,......  After about 25 minutes, the meter read 95 degrees.  The barrel was cool to the touch.  On a 95 degree day, it would not do much better regardless of interim, so I went again.  Reasonable??

What constitutes a hot barrel??

Thanks

Grouser

[badsection]

I usually judge by placing my hand on the barrel. If I have to pull away, it's too hot.   

[Chris338378]

What I do is I'll shoot three shots and then put the rifle in the shade to cool off for at least fifteen minutes or longer if it's warmer than say 85 degrees.  If it's warmer than that I'll shoot another day.  I know it may sound a bit extreme but that's what I always do.

[musicman]

Years ago, I was looking through a military magazine that had photos of Vulcan Cannons, that had been inadvertently fired too long.  All six or however many barrels "drooped" like a wet noodle.  Their cyclic rate of fire is around 100 rounds a second, so each barrel was popping around sixteen times a second. 
I usually wait several minutes between shots, to allow my barrels to cool down a little bit, with the bolt open.  When I am checking zeroes before hunting season, I will have two or three guns out on the bench, and shoot one and let it cool while shooting the next, and so forth.  I would assume that the handguards that have been on military rifles for over a hundred years not only serve to protect the barrels somewhat, but to protect the soldier from burning his hands on the barrel during extending rapid fire battle shooting.    Below is a video of shooting an AR until it "lights up."  There are also some videos on other "rapid firing" firearms doing the same.  MM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzfm4pYhIyY

[danno50]

Grouser, The meat thermometer was pretty innovative. What constitutes a hot barrel will vary from shooter to shooter as the touch the barrel method is subjective like a lot of other things.(recoil) We all want to shoot on cooler days and when we have plenty of time, but sometimes neither of those things are possible. Especially if you like to shoot year round and you live in warm climates like Texas, Arizona, or Nevada to name a few of the hot spots that make it hard to do. When pressed for time in the heat of summer, but you want to get out anyway, then warm may be good enough between shots. Whats the difference between warm and cool, if I can still touch the barrel? Some guys like to shoot 3 shots and let the barrel cool, while others shoot 3 shots with time between shots to let the barrel cool. I have to go along with the old school  method that says if you can't leave your palm on the barrel after your own procedure of shooting without drawing it back right away, then that constitutes hot. Sounds like TN is pretty warm too. 

[zonie]

I kind of have a different take on hot barrels, and I'd be one of those who would tell you not to do what I do,  and don't over heat them  to where you can't grab them.   Food for thought it depends on the type, barrel dia, cartridge, out side temp and half a dozen other barrel heating causes.   Some rifle's and calibers you can shoot out a barrel in a few hundred rounds if you are not careful.  Do what you think is best for you.    I won't abuse a rifle , BUT I won't baby it either.   I find zero confidence in 3 shot groups or letting the barrel sit for minutes between shots.  It's not my style and not the way I test loads and rifles.   I will shoot rapid fire shot right after shot 5 to 10 rounds sometimes with different loads to wring out any of a rifles bad habits.  I want to see what the groups are  doing while fouling the bore, how many rounds it takes for the rifle to settle down after complete copper removal (each rifle and load is different),  I want to see what the groups are after bore is fouled,  and I want to see if the shots are stringing.  One thing about shooting one right after the other is it keeps your outside influences to a minimum  in other words sitting ther for an hour things change in the weather, wind direction, temps, etc, whereas shooting groups in a rapid pace pretty much reduces these issues and you get imo a truer perspective of how the rifle shoots and brings out rifle problems that need corrected such as loads, bedding, and  any other non consistency, etc.  If the rifle is not consistent across the complete spectrum   of where I may be hunting  it's absolutely of no use to me as I will not have confidence in the rifle,  until it's fixed. Once it's dialed  in and I'm satisfied it's a good shooter then I will back off to where I only need to shoot to verify.  I have rifles I  probably haven't changed scope settings in 30 years, because I know what they will do,  sometimes I won't even clean them from year to year  because they have only been shot a few times, maybe dry brush them and clean out the cob webs,  dry climate and not worried about barrel rusting,   these are rifles with confidence.   I'm  for sure not recommending that anyone do what I do If I wear a barrel out that's why they make gunsmiths.   

[Chris338378]

For me once I get a good load and the rifle zeroed the most important shot to me is the "cold barrel shot" (the first shot) because when hunting that's how the barrel is going to be.

[Weatherby-SL]

Right.  I won't.  But, ah, what constitutes a hot barrel?

Where I am allowed to shoot, it was 85 degrees yesterday.  I took a meat thermometer with me.  I figure the barrel heats up from the inside out, and cools from the outside in.  After three shots, the meter read about 105 degrees.  Wait, wait, wait,......  After about 25 minutes, the meter read 95 degrees.  The barrel was cool to the touch.  On a 95 degree day, it would not do much better regardless of interim, so I went again.  Reasonable??

What constitutes a hot barrel??

Thanks

Grouser

Great question.

Thinner hunting rifle barrels heat up more quickly, but cool down faster as well. After your 25 minute 'cool down', 95 is not bad. The reason it felt cool was that your hand was warmer, presuming an average 98.6 degree body temp.

I was used to shooting heavy-barrel benchrest rifles, in Texas heat, 5-shot groups at a time. After a consistent number of strings, my cool-down was facilitated by cleaning the barrel. Bronze brush soaked in Butch's Bore Shine and bore patches till clean, cooled the barrel considerably.

Were you reasonable? I sure think so! 

[TN Grouser]

Thank you Badsection, Chris, Musicman, Danni50, Zonie, and Weatherby SL.
I think there is more latitude than I’ve been giving myself. Thanks again.

[224KING]

It don't matter how heavy the barrel is.The damage is done in the throat.Probably easier for you to do throat damage on a thick barrel than a thin.On a thick barrel you don't realize how hot it is internally because how long it takes heat to be able to be felt by touch.Thin barrel you feel it quicker and can lay off firing rate.

[Michiganhunter]

I shoot 3 shot groups and let it cool for about ten minutes for my 1.5-#2 contour Rifles with a new load. Once I have that rifle shooting well I check it a few times a year prior to a hunt. If I am going to hunt more than 100 miles from home I check it again usually the day before the hunt somewhere near my camp. I usually shoot just a couple rounds to verify.  The heavy contour barrels #3 and bigger I used to shoot 5 shot groups. Now only 3.
I do 95% of my practice shooting with a .22 or my H&R single shot.223. I go through probably 1,000 rounds a year with the .22 and varmits and predators I use the .223. Maybe 500 rounds a year. I have the opportunity to shoot within 100 yards of my house and 100 feet is a barn. I shoot almost every day. My targets vary from a twig on tree or a pine cone. I also shoot at dry dirt clogs in a plowed field or even the tops of oat or wheat. On my brothers farm I shoot the the glass conductors on the posts of his electric fence. If I am around when he complains about replacing them, I tell him it’s probably his grandkids that do it. I let him know if I ever see them doing that I’ll tell them that’s wrong.
I never even feel a little remorse lying to him. If he ever read a post about doing that I would lie about that too!
You guys should be thankful I’m not your brother.......

[224KING]

He probably knows all about your mean streak

[Downeast]

One of my shooting buddies gave me some "heat" tape that he uses on all of his barrels. It has the temperature listed from 86 to 140 degrees F (30-60 C ). I shot a consecutive 5 round group  through my Vanguard 6.5 CM and the outside temp registered 113 degrees F. Ambient temp was 85 degrees. I figure that if I can keep the exterior temp of the barrel below 120 degrees  I'm ok. At least I hope so!

http://barrelcool.com/product/barrel-temperature-strips/

[danno50]

Downeast, thats an interesting product, a thermometer for a rifle. (to bad we can't give them a couple of Tylenol to reduce heat) If that tape strip is accurate, it could be a handy tool. I've used cans of compressed cold air, and its helpful to an extent, but it doesn't have much of an impact on cooling overall unless you continually spray down the inside of the barrel from both ends, my experience. Started looking and found a product that I hadn't heard of and wondered if anyone else had? Its called "Super Cold" made by MG chemicals and it probably works on the same principle as the compressed cold air, but maybe it works better? Don't know if its got better industrial strength cooling components or not, but has anyone tried this product? Scroll down for product info.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiohY_89qrbAhUCbK0KHQgMCvwQFgi3ATAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMG-Chemicals-403A-Super-Spray%2Fdp%2FB008UH3NB8&usg=AOvVaw1OwsWe70loNmK5YpmFJXy7

[Big Muddy rancher]

Would you risk doing damage to the barrel if it was hot and you cooled it to quickly using one of those products?

Didn't the buffalo hunters poured water down the barrels to cool them?