Hot barrel effect on accuracy?

A hot barrel expands. An extreamly hot barrel can exploded (machine guns lots of rounds)

Your point of impact will change between a hot and cold barrel which is why you sight your rifle in for the type of shooting you do. If you throw rounds all the time at paper sight it in slightly warm if your shooting that deer do it cold. It all comes down to use accuracy will open up a little with a warm barrel but it's not as much as people think.
 
Nice use of the word"causal". You don't see that on CGN very often. I couldn't agree more with your "M14 Manifesto"

One Lung Wonder said:
Accuracy and the methods for attaining it are defined and determined by the mission of the rifle IMO. The three shot groups fired from cold barrels are the best way to go for a hunting rifle. That is the way they will operate during deer season. That rifle will sit around in camp, ride around on the quad, and if everything is done right - will only come out to make one shot. I accepted and used that for my hunting guns and have never been let down.

For the M14 I think you have the right of it: 5 shots, reload, 5 shots. The M14 will outshoot you all day long and with iron sights you probably won't be dwelling in the sub MOA range even with cold barrels. You will be the causal factor in determining accuracy. I shoot the M14 like a battle rifle - from formal and improvised positions. This is just my hot air - but I think the M14 was meant to be shot this way...with iron sights, slings, and skill.
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My M305 sticks around 2 MOA for about 3-4 shots, then the group opens up from there (5MOA+). The hotter, the more spread.

In trying to sort this out, I realized my gas lock was too tight and affecting the accuracy as everything heated up. I'm hoping shimming or getting an adjustable gas lock from Dlask will resolve the issue.

I will be hunting with the gun come fall; hopefully I won't need more than 3 shots at anything!
 
One of the main reasons for changing impact points when the barrel heats up is stress risers from machining the barrel during production. I very much doubt that the Chinese were stress relieving their m305 barrels after they lathe turned them to the needed profile. Whether or not simply stress relieving the barrel will impact group size and group position to any great degree on a M305 remains to be seen. It couldn't hurt though. I'm sure the gas system and type thereof imparts it's own variables into the equation as well.
 
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