Keeping your barrel cool…

[Willys]

The best blower by far is the $39 ryobi from Home Depot with piece of tubing. But at 117 degrees you would want to suck air from ice chest or blow thru a copper tube buried in ice I would think. Also napa sells a plastic hose and fitting that fits on 2 liter soda bottle. Works perfect for pouring water down chamber thru barrel then patch dry. .

 

[JAYgs8163]

The blower along with Flat Ice gel packs. Lay the barrel on them, keeping the top side of the barrel uncovered. Will help disperse the heat and cool the barrel.

Amazon product ASIN B092RHW437

 

[memtb]

I have an alternate opinion... Why would you do load development in 100 plus degree temperatures when your elk hunt will likely be 50-100 degrees cooler? Even with Varget or similar powders that aren't temperature sensitive it would surely skew your research. Plus there's the temperature difference effects on the various metals involved not to mention steel, copper etc. Plus the material in the stock will have different characteristics even with bedding.

Also I think the metallurgists would agree that uneven and/or really rapid cooling of a barrel might cause warping and possibly other changes in the metal. I'd stick with shade and fans both inside and outside the barrel with ambient temperature air. Air conditioning in the vehicle would likely not be harmful but the application of cold wet materials to a hot barrel or cold air introduced to the inside of the hot barrel smacks of serious issues in the future to me.

Consider this also. Every shot lays a layer of powder fouling and at least some copper fouling inside the barrel. Imagine what that does to that layer as it becomes soupy as you rapidly cool it and condensation occurs then it's reheated and rapidly cooled and copper bullets travel through that soup at thousands of feet per second. Now compare that to a single shot from a clean or slightly fouled bore at elk hunting temperatures. LOL

Just one man's opinion tempered with many years of experience and reading expert opinions.....

LD …..I agree with most everything you stated with one exceptionn!

Do your test work in the warmest temperatures you "ever" expect to encounter when hunting (big game or other) to ascertain that your loads are "pressure safe" at high temperature.

You can then verify velocities and groups at expected hunting conditions. If the loads fail to meet your expectations in cool weather…..just start over! Obviously, this will require two seasons to develop and prove your hunting loads. But, the majority of you guys are going to shoot during all seasons anyway! JMO memtb

 

[memtb]

Scopes must not fog as bad in low humidity when going from cool to hot.?
I'm starting out at 93% RH this morning.

Believe it or not, we have similar humidities here as well…..in the early mornings. Though, generally by noon we're in the 20's for humidity. I'm guessing than living in the river bottom contributes to this!

I dreamed most of my life at owning "river front" property…..but, it's a bit different when that river is in the high desert! memtb

 

[Phil Rizzo]

We are in a humidity pit here. 160 msl and sw wind coming from the gulf usually. 280 miles away.

 

[memtb]

We are in a humidity pit here. 160 msl and sw wind coming from the gulf usually.

I grew up and spent the first 35 or so years of my life just north of BR, La……I feel your pain!

My family and friends still live down there…..everyone down there is suffering this summer! memtb

 

[JAYgs8163]

I went to the range yesterday in Tucson. It was 108 when I arrived. Had a friends 300 Win Mag. That has having issues with. Put a new rail and rings on it. Remounted the scope. Cleaned the bore as it looked like it hadn't ever been cleaned. Had wicked Carbon build up and copper fouling. Got to the range with 20 Remington 150 Core-LOKTS. All he had for ammo and that's what he shoots. Took bolt out looked down bore and put it centered to target. Adjusted turrets. Took one shot and adjusted elevation and windage. Took 2 more shots and packed up and left. First shot is on the left, 2 followers after adjusting on the right. Gun is a shooter with Core-LOKTS. Friggin hot out,110 when I left.

 

[memtb]

I went to the range yesterday in Tucson. It was 108 when I arrived. Had a friends 300 Win Mag. That has having issues with. Put a new rail and rings on it. Remounted the scope. Cleaned the bore as it looked like it hadn't ever been cleaned. Had wicked Carbon build up and copper fouling. Got to the range with 20 Remington 150 Core-LOKTS. All he had for ammo and that's what he shoots. Took bolt out looked down bore and put it centered to target. Adjusted turrets. Took one shot and adjusted elevation and windage. Took 2 more shots and packed up and left. First shot is on the left, 2 followers after adjusting on the right. Gun is a shooter with Core-LOKTS. Friggin hot out,110 when I left.

View attachment 483510

That's acceptable shooting for factory rounds……but, just barley! memtb

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

I been using a CO2 bottle, with a air gauge and hose with a blow gun. CO2 comes out cold, blow it down the barrel from chamber to muzzle for a minute or 2.
SHAZAM barrel is cold. You can get bottles in different sizes.

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

I live in Tucson; I know exactly what you are experiencing.

I used many methods until I built a CO2 system.

I saw tiny tanks featured in an ad in Precision Shooting years ago. Knew a guy who tried one. He told me the tank was too small to be any good. More tank volume is required to get the cooling effect of the expanding gas. The smallest tank you can use and still get the cooling effect is a 20 lb tank as seen in the picture.

The picture is old and shows a regulator. Unless you already own a regulator, you don't need one. I found out later all that is needed is a ball valve. There are a few brass fittings which the welding supply company should have on hand.

A rubber hose is attached and the tip is tapered so it will wedge into the end of the chamber.It only takes a few seconds to feel the barrel begin cooling. I stop when it gets close to ambient because the cooling will radiate after the valve is turned off.

The way I use the tank is to place hose in chamber, HOLD it in place then open up the valve on the tank then slightly open the regulator or ball valve to get the desired flow and save gas. If the regulator or ball valve should already be open and you open the tank valve without holding the hose you can get some interesting welts on the face, been there done that.

There are at least five guys at our range that use this system from time to time. Even one custom builder, Dave Miller. We can find no ill effects of using this system. I don't use it all the time but when things are hot or I want to work up a load it will shorten range time considerably.

Two days ago I was working with a 257 weatherby with temps in the 90s. I would shoot two then cool for 5-10 seconds, which was enough to cool the barrel to ambient.

This ^^^^^^^^^^ I have been doing this for years. Works Very Well.

 

[tony d willIiams]

I load develop just off Yuma Proving Grounds territory, triple digits all summer, might drop into 90s at night.
I shoot three rounds. Set my rifle in the shade, bolt open, battery fan blowing down the chamber.
I walk to the target 1/4 ~ 1/2 mile one way. Mark my target, walk back, reload, and three more shots.
I keep my rounds against my body, 96℉. I learned the hard way to keep them out of the sun, and my body temp stays stable.
With a non-freshly cleaned barrel, the first shot is always on mark, regardless of ambient temperature.
Aim small, miss small.

 

[Hespco]

A simple inexpensive process I use. Take 70% or 90% rubbing alcohol. Wipe the barrel down with a paper towel or cloth rag , saturated with the alcohol. Wipe down the barrel over & over ,keep it moist. As the alcohol evaporates, it carries away the heat, After 4 to 5 minutes of this , your barrel will be a lot cooler. If you have a blued steel barrel , be sure & re-oil after your done. This does work.

 

[JustMe2]

My buddy and I shoot in 90F+ weather. We use a small ice chest full of ice water and a small towel. We ring the water out of the towel and place it along the length of the barrel (under the scope to the muzzle). Works very good and easy. Been doing this for years and no rust using routine cleaning practices, not disassembly.

 

[JustMe2]

On really hot days, I turn on the a/c in the truck, open the bolt on the rifle, and position it in the truck across the steering wheel and dashboard so the a/c vents are blowing onto the barrel and action. A small ice chest on the passenger's seat helps support the barrel end. I do this while going downrange to look at the target, etc.
On occasion I also use a battery powered air mattress inflator that I attach a plastic hose to, then the other end of the hose has an MTM bore guide (cheap plastic one size fits all). The bore guide fits into the chamber, and the rifle goes into the rifle rack muzzle up while the air flow from the mattress pushes the heat out.

To improve your mattress pump setup, bend some copper pipe into a coil, place the coil in the bottom of an ice chest full of ice, the pipe inlet should exit the chest near the top on one end and the output near the top on the other end of the chest, attach a flexible hose to the copper pipe on each end, now blow the air through the coil into your rifle chamber. The coil cools the air as it travels through the pipe into your barrel. For the chest's inlet and exit you could just close the chest lid lightly on the copper coil or you could drill a hole in the ice chest near the top on both ends.