barrel heating during practice?

[Bushcraft]

It's one thing to practice out to 500 yards with your 7mm-08. It's entirely another to try and ethically bring down an elk at that range.

I would encourage you to carefully examine the velocity and energy charts for that chambering. IMHO, the 7mm-08 has long since ran out of juice at that range.

It's a 350 yard gun, max...at best for deer.   

[jasnt]

It's one thing to practice out to 500 yards with your 7mm-08. It's entirely another to try and ethically bring down an elk at that range.

I would encourage you to carefully examine the velocity and energy charts for that chambering. IMHO, the 7mm-08 has long since ran out of juice at that range.

It's a 350 yard gun, max...at best for deer.   

Curious how much energy and speed you feel is Adequate?

[Oh Mah]

One thing that helps cool faster is get the barrel pointed up and action open while cooling. Heat goes out and cool air in the action

  stove pipe effect.Cools down much faster. 

[Oh Mah]

It's one thing to practice out to 500 yards with your 7mm-08. It's entirely another to try and ethically bring down an elk at that range.

I would encourage you to carefully examine the velocity and energy charts for that chambering. IMHO, the 7mm-08 has long since ran out of juice at that range.

It's a 350 yard gun, max...at best for deer.

? it is still cruising at around 1850 fps and carrying around 1050 ft lbs of energy at 500 yards,way more than enough for deer.   

[yakimanoob]

Let's not have this discussion about barrel cooling devolve into how many ftlbs is necessary to be ethical, k? 

I'll only hunt deer to 350yds and buy a 300 Win Mag for elk if it makes you feel better.   Do you have any thoughts on how hot is too hot for a barrel during practice?

[Oh Mah]

if its to hot to hold barrel for a ten count then its to hot.That is what i've read.something to consider. powder.(is it temp. sensitive?)If only after 3 shots your accuracy falls off then its to warm.(same book)

[hunter399]

Don't let these guys get ya down on a 500yard shot.If you can put it in the boiler room at 500 with quality ammo then I say do it .

I try to take two or three guns target shoot.trade out after four rounds.If you can hold the barrel for any amount of time your good to keep shooting,if you can only hold it for 5 sec you need to cool,if you can't even touch it hotter than a firecracker you went to far , but may still shoot good when it cools down.
I have noticed that ar15 stay a lot cooler I can shoot 10-20 it's about as hot as my bolt action guns with five rounds ,gas blow back or something keeps it cooler ,now a mini 14 I can shoot one mag 20 rds and thing is hotter than fiablo sause.
All guns are different for heat up ,it's up to you to know what your gun can handle.

[BULLBLASTER]

How can you get any shooting done if you only shoot a couple rounds then let it cool?

[Karl Blanchard]

My philosophy is that they make new barrels every day and that ammo isn't gonna shoot itself so jump on that train heading to bang town and have some fun 

[Oh Mah]

How can you get any shooting done if you only shoot a couple rounds then let it cool?

you can shoot 50 rounds for all anyone cares but if you want accuracy and it falls off after 3-4 rounds then your just making noise.If you want accuracy and shoot more than a few then shoot lighter loads.We can go all day with this.

[BULLBLASTER]

How can you get any shooting done if you only shoot a couple rounds then let it cool?

you can shoot 50 rounds for all anyone cares but if you want accuracy and it falls off after 3-4 rounds then your just making noise.If you want accuracy and shoot more than a few then shoot lighter loads.We can go all day with this.

Sometimes i do shoot 50 in a range session. 

[Oh Mah]

I think most do.usually take 4-5 guns and shoot until done.10 Shots in under a minute wont change much.10 shots in 3-4 min. will. with a magnum.

[yorketransport]

If it’s not glowing bright enough to read by, it’s not hot enough. 

A 7-08 should be good for 10-15 shots before I’d even begin to worry about it. I’ve done 10 shot strings in the 6.5 Badger sendings 96gr of powder through a 6.5mm bore and it was warm but not hot.

[Oh Mah]

gotta admit i've never heard of the 6.5 badger. What powder with this 96 grain load?

Wow never mind,I found your other thread on this.It sounds awesome.

[Bushcraft]

Let's not have this discussion about barrel cooling devolve into how many ftlbs is necessary to be ethical, k? 

I'll only hunt deer to 350yds and buy a 300 Win Mag for elk if it makes you feel better.   Do you have any thoughts on how hot is too hot for a barrel during practice?

Discussing the ballistic merits - or lack thereof, of taking a 500 yard shot at an elk with a 7mm-08 (when there is a plethora of better options) with a newbie that obviously doesn't understand terminal ballistics is not "devolving", it's nipping a half-baked idea in the bud.  Kudos to you for recognizing that something like a 300 Win. Mag. is a better tool for that job.

As for barrel heat...Go to a local PSR event.  Watch and learn. Heck, participate...they are a TON of fun.  You'll witness shooters bark off 8-10 rounds in fairly rapid succession seemingly without concern for barrel heat.  The level of sustained accuracy out beyond 600+ yards would likely surprise you.  Some very, very hot rifles can still shoot very, very well.  Key word...some.  But that's beside the point. Instead, as a hunter, you should be focusing on where your first ethical cold bore shot goes.  Once you've mastered that and can keep it within 1.5-2 MOA under all field conditions/positions out to 350 yards, then you can seek to understand and integrate what your particular rifle does when it gets progressively hotter.     
 

Don't let these guys get ya down on a 500yard shot.If you can put it in the boiler room at 500 with quality ammo then I say do it .

I try to take two or three guns target shoot.trade out after four rounds.If you can hold the barrel for any amount of time your good to keep shooting,if you can only hold it for 5 sec you need to cool,if you can't even touch it hotter than a firecracker you went to far , but may still shoot good when it cools down.
I have noticed that ar15 stay a lot cooler I can shoot 10-20 it's about as hot as my bolt action guns with five rounds ,gas blow back or something keeps it cooler ,now a mini 14 I can shoot one mag 20 rds and thing is hotter than fiablo sause.
All guns are different for heat up ,it's up to you to know what your gun can handle.

...and don't let someone that obviously doesn't know what he's talking about give you advise.