Time between shots/groups

[CptnAwesome]

Just wondering, when grouping different ammo (3 or 5 round groups), how long do you wait between shots. And after a group how long do you wait to start on your next group. Also any tips or tricks that might help the barrel cool faster. I know different weight barrels cool differently so please specify standard sporter or bull barrel. I shoot mostly sporter size barrels but any input on any barrels will be valuable. My thing with bolt guns when letting the barrel cool is to prop it upright with bolt open, not sure if that helps cool quicker but that's just what I do. Thanx in advance THR!

 

[jmr40]

Between shots, 15-30 seconds, sometimes less, sometimes more. Between groups it varies. During winter months barrels will cool enough in only 3-5 minutes. During summer it can take a LOT longer. I always take at least 2-3 rifles, one of which is a 22 that I can be shooting while waiting. On really hot days I've left the truck running with the AC on high and placed rifles in the cab to cool quicker. If not it might take half an hour between strings.

 

[justin22885]

to see how accurate the rifle is, i take as long as i need to to get the best groups to understand what the rifle can do, but to test the accuracy id be able to achieve in a practical situation, depending on range anywhere from a second to a few seconds

 

[witchhunter]

I keep a towel and a jug of water when I am shooting prairie dogs handy. Wet the towel and drape it over the barrel it will cool it right down. If you can grab the barrel and hold on to it, it ain't too hot. if you can't hold on to it though, it needs to cool.

 

[Frostbite]

I keep a towel and a jug of water when I am shooting prairie dogs handy. Wet the towel and drape it over the barrel it will cool it right down. If you can grab the barrel and hold on to it, it ain't too hot. if you can't hold on to it though, it needs to cool.

No rust issue doing this?

 

[witchhunter]

Nope, been doing it for years. Just wipe it off and shoot it.

 

[denton]

If you have access to an air compressor, a good shot down the barrel cools it in a hurry.

 

[Bart B.]

The best barrel made fit to a receiver whose face isn't squared up with the chamber/bore axis will walk its shots as it heats up. As the metal expands, the point around the barrel shoulder that bears hardest against the receiver face has a stress line at that point. It makes the barrel axis bend a little bit in one direction. Very typical of commercial rifles. It would add $50 to the price of the rifle if they squared up their receiver faces, but it's not done. I think Savage's better rifles probably have their receiver faces most square with the barrel bore/thread axis. One reason they do well in matches.

If the receiver face is squared up, most barrels will shoot to point of aim starting out clean and cold to dirty and hot over several dozen shots. If a barrel doesn't do that, it's not properly stress relieved. Muzzle velocity may increase a dozen or so fps as the barrel's fouled, but it stays there for many shots. Best proved by a clean barrel shooting 40 shots about 15 to 20 seconds apart and all landing inside 2 inches; at 600 yards.

Ask your local 'smith what he would charge to face your favorite rifle's receiver, then shim it so the barrel would clock in for correct headspace and sight alignment to the vertical plane. If there's no sights on the barrel, it could be shimmed so its headspace would be at minimum for best accuracy and case life. Who cares if the stamped info on its left side gets turned under the barrel in the stock's fore end?

 

[CptnAwesome]

Thanx for the reply guys. Witchhunter while that is a good idea, it wouldn't work for me in Alabama. I remember trainingt out in Cali when I was in the Marines. Y'all have a really dry heat out there, little humidity. You could put a damp bandana over you head and it would feel really cold but dry out rather quickly. Do that here and you just have a hot bandana on your head for a while. Good info guys thanx!

 

[Reloadron]

Anywhere between 30 to 60 seconds between shots in 5 or 10 shot groups. This is typically done in bolt guns which I shoot single shot. One in .223 Remington and one in .308 Winchester.

Looking at what Bart mentions brings to mind when I built these rifles under the watchful eye of a Mr. James Messer who taught NRA Riflesmith courses. When you true the action and the barrel and ever so gently screw the barrel into the receiver as soon as they mate try to unscrew them. When done correctly that barrel shoulder and receiver face will mate perfectly and even making for a full bearing surface mate. It is actually difficult to unscrew the barrel following just that gentle "bump" when they mate. Once the barrel is torqued there is no odd stress points. The idea of the game when building a rifle is no stress points. This eliminated problems as the barrel heats and expands. Pretty cool to actually "feel" the fit. Once receiver and barrel are true you lap the bolts.

These rifles were built on Remington 700 actions and I did them as summer course projects about 20 years ago. Far as I know Mr. James Messer still teaches NRA summer courses at Montgomery Community College, Troy, NC.

When shooting my M1A or AR-10 I load 5 or 10 rounds and generally allow about 10 to 15 seconds between shots. Neither rifle really warms up that much. The same holds true for my AR 15 rifles.

Ron

 

[FL-NC]

Between shots, I fire as soon as I am ready during my respiratory pause, without breaking position on my cheek weld but after I have confirmed my natural point of aim. As far as cooling a barrel between groups or shot strings, I leave my bolt open while I check the group through the spotting scope, mend targets, get a drink of water, etc.

 

[CptnAwesome]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but on a 4-12 power scope, what power do you recommend at 100yds?

 

[Reloadron]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but on a 4-12 power scope, what power do you recommend at 100yds?

While it depends on a few things if I am using a scope at 100 yards it will likely be set to Four Power. How large is the target? Rabbit or elephant?

As to barrel heat. I went to the range yesterday and measured the barrel temp shooting 223 in a heavy barrel bolt gun. This was the setup:

Ambient air temperature was about 73 Degrees F. Time between shots was about 45 to 60 seconds. Took about 10 shots and the barrel was in the mid 90s. Regardless of how many shots were fired after it reached about 95.0 Degrees F. it remained there. My guess is my readings were within +/- 2.0 Degrees F. The only way the barrel would have gotten hotter is if I increased the rate of fire. The barrel could easily be held and there was not any observable change in point of impact. As measured just forward of chamber.

Later I went to .308 Winchester and after ten to 15 rounds, same rate of fire, the barrel could not be held. I did not put a sensor on the .308 barrel. That said the groups and point of impact did not change over the 50 rounds I fired.

Ron

 

[CptnAwesome]

Good info Reloadron thanx. Target willl be about a 9" circle with 2" circle bullseye. Is there really a detriment to having the scope on or near max at that range?

 

[Reloadron]

No, no detriment and for target shooting I would use the scope. You figure it this way. At 100 yards the typical Ten Ring on a NRA 100 yard small bore rifle target has a 2" diameter and the center X ring is 1". A 4X magnification makes things four times larger at 100 yards. With a 4 - 12 power scope I would start at 4X and see how the bull looks. Simply how many times larger an image becomes when viewed through the scope. See how things play out with your vision.

Ron

 

[bfoosh006]

IMHO.... Shoot it the way you would use it.

If it is a hunting rifle... 3 shots as fast as you "might" need it on a critter.

If it was an AR 15 ( or such ) shoot a 20 round group as fast as practical, while staying on target.


That said.... if you want to speed up the "cool down".... get a battery powered camping mattress inflator and a tube that will connect / fit from the air pump to your rifles chamber.