Barrel Heating

[HuntAway]

I know it isn't much of an issue right now, but what about later on in the summer. How do you control the temperature of your BP barrels? How hot would be too hot? I plan on shooting my GPR flinter all summer so that I will be proficient with it come hunting season. Any advice?

Thanks,

HuntAway

[cayugad]

Barrels will heat up. I often times will shoot two or three rifles at a time, letting the other two rest and cool in the shade. I even built a shelf under the main table of the bench where you can put a rifle so it is shaded by the top and the wind can blow around them. I know of some people that actually bring a cooler with ice and water, they dip towels in the water, ring the towel out and then wrap the barrel. To me that is a little extreme.

Normally roundball rifles are not effected as much by the heat as the sabot shooting rifles. What I normally suggest is.. take your time. Shoot, swab the barrel if you want to, set the gun up (in the shade if possible). Walk down and look at the target, walk back, then reload the rifle. Just that little breather will do wonders for them. Also if it is real hot, like in the 90's shooting is not too much fun with all the sweat running in your eyes anyway. That's a better day to sit in a boat and sweat.

There are rifles that if you shoot them fast over and over, the barrel will get almost too hot to touch. Also your accuracy will suffer. Again, take your time. Have a nice cool drink of water. If the gun starts shooting all over the place, don't change the sights.. let the rifle cool down and try again.

[MLKeith]

[quote]ORIGINAL: cayugad


. Also if it is real hot, like in the 90's shooting is not too much fun with all the sweat running in your eyes anyway. That's a better day to sit in a boat and sweat.

Dave: We have a hard time finding a day below 90 degrees. I agree the barrels get almost too hot to shoot and it happens here after a couple of shots in the summer. I haven't tried the wet towel thing but if the Whites get here after the temperature gets any higher I will have to give it a try. It is a big problem for me as I hunt in the 30's and usually do all my initial sighting in the 90's. Not the best thing to do.

[HuntAway]

Thanks guy's. We don't normally get to many days in the 90's and when we do us northern boy's head for the central air and beer fridge. Our average summer time temp is in the 70's with maybe a week or two in the 80's & 90's. Our biggest concern in the summer is black flies and deer flies. Both draw blood when they bite and are unbearable when thick. I likethe idea of using several riflesthough.

[oldrookie]

You must be a fast reloader. By the time I fumble around with sending a patch for cleaning, picking the spent primer out and reloading and such my barrel never gets hot!