How hot is too hot?

[Zey]

So, I was trying to make my groups fall apart from over heating last night. I couldn't do it. The barrel was hot enough that I almost couldn't hold the back of my hand against it. But, it shot groups like it always does.

I got nervous about the heat so I stopped in lieu of seeking out some more experience. It gets nice and roasty and I'm worried.

Always 0.8moa shooting at 100. (with a practice load, havn't figured out a match load yet) 68grn Hor. BTHP, 24.6-varget, on the lands

Rifle is:
700 .223rem trued, bolt bumped,
24" 1in8 #7LV McGowan CM Match fluted
Tac21 chassis

 

[Max Owner]

I personally wouldn't do something like that in fear of damaging a good barrel.

I believe that if you can't hold you hand on the barrel for 5-7 seconds, it too hot. But its what I heard somewhere and may not mean anything.

FWIW...........

 

[ultimate_monkey]

Getting barrel that hot may not effect groups on a high end barrel but it will defiantly speed up throat erosion over time.

On my rifles I tend to keep the barrels warm to the touch but defiantly would ever say they are getting hot

 

[rnbra-shooter]

With a good match barrel, properly installed, there should be no deterioration of grouping ability nor any shift in point of impact as the barrel heats up, even if you get it abusively-hot. If the groups open up or shift, this indicates a problem somewhere (which can and should be fixed).

If you can avoid overheating your barrel in regular use it is good to do so, for the sake of barrel life. But don't overdo this avoidance of rapid-fire either, a barrel is after all meant to be shot and to be worn out; in a match I would machine-gun all my shots downrange as fast as possible if the conditions allowed, even if firing 15 rounds at this rate caused as much wear as firing 50 rounds more slowly (for a .223 or a .308, ordinary barrel wear costs about 10c per shot, so this is a very affordable cost). The automotive equivalent of a rifle barrel is a set of brake discs and brake pads; you learn how to treat them right and not abuse them, but there is also a time and a place when it is reasonable and proper to push them hard.

 

[retepnosflow]

You'll Know!!!!

 

[Zey]

That's the response I was looking for. Thanks.

Dennis Sorensen was the gunsmith that did the work for me and like I said, I can get this rifle smoking hot nearly and it still shoots the same as if cold. Great work he does.

 

[catnthehatt]

With a good match barrel, properly installed, there should be no deterioration of grouping ability nor any shift in point of impact as the barrel heats up, even if you get it abusively-hot. If the groups open up or shift, this indicates a problem somewhere (which can and should be fixed).

If you can avoid overheating your barrel in regular use it is good to do so, for the sake of barrel life. But don't overdo this avoidance of rapid-fire either, a barrel is after all meant to be shot and to be worn out; in a match I would machine-gun all my shots downrange as fast as possible if the conditions allowed, even if firing 15 rounds at this rate caused as much wear as firing 50 rounds more slowly (for a .223 or a .308, ordinary barrel wear costs about 10c per shot, so this is a very affordable cost). The automotive equivalent of a rifle barrel is a set of brake discs and brake pads; you learn how to treat them right and not abuse them, but there is also a time and a place when it is reasonable and proper to push them hard.

This is about as logical and sane a response as can be formulated.
Match rifles are just that, and increased barrel wear is not in the equation when one is in the middle of a good string and condition may change in a minute or 30 seconds!
Barrels have a finite life and they make them every day.
Cat

Cat

 

[carbonrod]

If you can avoid overheating your barrel in regular use it is good to do so, for the sake of barrel life. But don't overdo this avoidance of rapid-fire either, a barrel is after all meant to be shot and to be worn out;

+1.

I shoot a style that contains a rapidfire segment. start standing, get prone, and fire 10 aimed shots all in 30 sec. This is done 3 times in each match, and the barrel is usually quite hot before the first one of these.

It is a 308.

Shoot your rifle until you are done. When the barrel is done, you will know, and they you will get to select whatever gucci barrel you want to spin on there, and do it all again.