OK. I've read and heard lots about how it's best to keep a barrel cool to maintain optimum accuracy.
And I can fully understand keeping a barrel at least cool enough that a person could graze it without giving themselves 3'rd degree burns.
But I've never really thought much about it as I never did a lot of continuous centerfire shooting.
Took my .223 (Savage Model 110) out today to burn off a bunch of test rounds that I loaded with various powders, etc.. to find an accurate load.
Fired off 5 Factory rounds as a "baseline" and double check the scope hadn't walked during bumps in transit.
Then proceeded to set up and shoot 3 set of 5 shots - 5 shots in about 90 to 120 seconds, then maybe 2 minutes to reload and make notes.
5 minutes break to change targets (using a 3 target support) then repeat the 3 x 5 rounds cycle.
After burning through the 5 warm up rounds and 45 test loads, I shot another 5 Factory loads to see if the heated barrel was doing anything.
Considering my shoudler was taking a beating and tender at this point, and the wind was up to about 20Mph, I was certainly surprised to find the final group was better thant he first group, and any previous groups with that Factory ammo.
So ... is a hot (but not HOT) barrel really a bad thing? (HOT = can't touch it ... hot = could touch it, but would not keep contact formore than a second)
I know that towards the end of the shoot, I was getting sore, the wind was getting worse and I was "rushing" a few of the shots, but the paper shows that overall, performance was improving.
Or is there some other factor that somehow made it seem like the gun was shooting better as it got warmer?
Also, one last side question ...
I was noticing a serious difference in elevation in relatively small changes in powder.
I ran 3 loads with IMR4198 @ 19 to 20 grains in 1/2 grain increments - and thay all shot the "same" in regards to vertical height on the target for the center of the group.
I ran 3 loads of IMR3031 @ 22 tp 23 grains in 1/2 grain increments - and each 1/2 grain drop from the 23gr load would give me about a 1 1/2" drop in releatvie centers for each group.
Did that same for 3 batches of IMR4064 @ 23 to 24 grain loads in 1/2 grain increments - and a 1/2 grain drop in poweder was equating to a 2" drop in point of impact.
All of this was done at 100 yards. I thought I was starting with "middle of the road" loads, but it seems that performance wise, I am at the bottom of the scale for at least two of the powders. I've never seen such a noticable drop in such a "minor" change in powder before.
I should note, I was using the "White Box" winchester Warmint 223 from crappy tire - and the rifle/scope was "zeroed" in on the center of the target with it, and all the reloads shot no better than 2" below where the Factory loads were hitting.
Oddly (in my mind) the vertical seperation in groups became worse as the gun got hotter, yet the groups themselves were their smallest when the rifle was at its hottest ... and the final group o Factory was a perfect circle around the center of the target.
Is something "odd" going on? Or am I just seeing things I've nver noticed before? My previous "major" load development was with a 22 Hornet and it took about 2 or 3 grains to really see a noticable differnece in POI elevation with it. I've watched groups change in size, but not elevation like this before.
and yes, I know I should wait for better weather to test my loads, but they've been sitting on the bench waiting for me since the first week fo August when I tore the tendons in my foot and this was my first chance to get out and burn through them ... I really didn't care that it was windy as hell out there today - I just wanted to shoot
And I can fully understand keeping a barrel at least cool enough that a person could graze it without giving themselves 3'rd degree burns.
But I've never really thought much about it as I never did a lot of continuous centerfire shooting.
Took my .223 (Savage Model 110) out today to burn off a bunch of test rounds that I loaded with various powders, etc.. to find an accurate load.
Fired off 5 Factory rounds as a "baseline" and double check the scope hadn't walked during bumps in transit.
Then proceeded to set up and shoot 3 set of 5 shots - 5 shots in about 90 to 120 seconds, then maybe 2 minutes to reload and make notes.
5 minutes break to change targets (using a 3 target support) then repeat the 3 x 5 rounds cycle.
After burning through the 5 warm up rounds and 45 test loads, I shot another 5 Factory loads to see if the heated barrel was doing anything.
Considering my shoudler was taking a beating and tender at this point, and the wind was up to about 20Mph, I was certainly surprised to find the final group was better thant he first group, and any previous groups with that Factory ammo.
So ... is a hot (but not HOT) barrel really a bad thing? (HOT = can't touch it ... hot = could touch it, but would not keep contact formore than a second)
I know that towards the end of the shoot, I was getting sore, the wind was getting worse and I was "rushing" a few of the shots, but the paper shows that overall, performance was improving.
Or is there some other factor that somehow made it seem like the gun was shooting better as it got warmer?
Also, one last side question ...
I was noticing a serious difference in elevation in relatively small changes in powder.
I ran 3 loads with IMR4198 @ 19 to 20 grains in 1/2 grain increments - and thay all shot the "same" in regards to vertical height on the target for the center of the group.
I ran 3 loads of IMR3031 @ 22 tp 23 grains in 1/2 grain increments - and each 1/2 grain drop from the 23gr load would give me about a 1 1/2" drop in releatvie centers for each group.
Did that same for 3 batches of IMR4064 @ 23 to 24 grain loads in 1/2 grain increments - and a 1/2 grain drop in poweder was equating to a 2" drop in point of impact.
All of this was done at 100 yards. I thought I was starting with "middle of the road" loads, but it seems that performance wise, I am at the bottom of the scale for at least two of the powders. I've never seen such a noticable drop in such a "minor" change in powder before.
I should note, I was using the "White Box" winchester Warmint 223 from crappy tire - and the rifle/scope was "zeroed" in on the center of the target with it, and all the reloads shot no better than 2" below where the Factory loads were hitting.
Oddly (in my mind) the vertical seperation in groups became worse as the gun got hotter, yet the groups themselves were their smallest when the rifle was at its hottest ... and the final group o Factory was a perfect circle around the center of the target.
Is something "odd" going on? Or am I just seeing things I've nver noticed before? My previous "major" load development was with a 22 Hornet and it took about 2 or 3 grains to really see a noticable differnece in POI elevation with it. I've watched groups change in size, but not elevation like this before.
and yes, I know I should wait for better weather to test my loads, but they've been sitting on the bench waiting for me since the first week fo August when I tore the tendons in my foot and this was my first chance to get out and burn through them ... I really didn't care that it was windy as hell out there today - I just wanted to shoot
