barrel heating during practice?

[jasnt]

If your rifle shoots a different poi cold vs hot then yes cooling is needed in a hunting rifle. If not no worries. Burning up a barrel is just part of shooting. It costs more to burn up a barrel than it does to replace one.  Barrels are like tires.  You’ll go through more when you drive a lot.   Personally I look forward to the rebarrel.....other than the wait time

[h20hunter]

Yes please.  You have my number sir.

[hunter399]

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.

(advice)

Well, you got me there Josh.    I noted that you made no such grammar or spelling inferences for hunter399.     

Here I will give ya some advice.
If you can't tell when your barrel is too hot maybe you should not be shooting.
Maybe someone can hold your hand and tell ya.
Good luck
My advice is run out .

[Karl Blanchard]

Yes please.  You have my number sir.

really wanted to make it happen this summer but they shut everything down so dang early.  Barrel burning will be a non issue in December 

[Oh Mah]

If your rifle shoots a different poi cold vs hot then yes cooling is needed in a hunting rifle. If not no worries. Burning up a barrel is just part of shooting. It costs more to burn up a barrel than it does to replace one.  Barrels are like tires.  You’ll go through more when you drive a lot.   Personally I look forward to the rebarrel.....other than the wait time

  and if i'm not mistaken we are talking about a hunting rifle,that is changing poi.

[CaNINE]

One of these days we need to get everyone together for a HuntWA egg shoot.  Put an egg at 1,000 yards and the first guy to hit it buys the beer.  If you burn your barrel up before you hit the egg...well I'll buy you a beer.

[Jonathan_S]

If your rifle shoots a different poi cold vs hot then yes cooling is needed in a hunting rifle. If not no worries. Burning up a barrel is just part of shooting. It costs more to burn up a barrel than it does to replace one.  Barrels are like tires.  You’ll go through more when you drive a lot.   Personally I look forward to the rebarrel.....other than the wait time

  and if i'm not mistaken we are talking about a hunting rifle,that is changing poi.

I don't think that's been brought up previously in this thread but yes, I can see the word "if"

You yourself said that the only good rifle is an accurate one and a gun that changes POI when "hot" at 3-5 rounds isn't worth fiddling with to me.  A guy will spend more time and money tinkering and trying to polish that turd when he should be shooting

[jackelope]

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.

(advice)

Well, you got me there Josh.    I noted that you made no such grammar or spelling inferences for hunter399.     

The struggle is real, @Bushcraft 

[Oh Mah]

If your rifle shoots a different poi cold vs hot then yes cooling is needed in a hunting rifle. If not no worries. Burning up a barrel is just part of shooting. It costs more to burn up a barrel than it does to replace one.  Barrels are like tires.  You’ll go through more when you drive a lot.   Personally I look forward to the rebarrel.....other than the wait time

  and if i'm not mistaken we are talking about a hunting rifle,that is changing poi.

I don't think that's been brought up previously in this thread but yes, I can see the word "if"

You yourself said that the only good rifle is an accurate one and a gun that changes POI when "hot" at 3-5 rounds isn't worth fiddling with to me.  A guy will spend more time and money tinkering and trying to polish that turd when he should be shooting

"I don't think that's been brought up previously in this thread"

IF you're referring to the HUNTING RIFLE, Maybe you should take a min. and read the op. 

Also, I completely agree with the polishing turd point but not everyone can go out and buy the best of the best.Remember these awesome contours we have now were not around much 30 years ago when great shooters made them work.When someone goes out and spends their hard earned money on a rifle they feel should be great but turns out junk can't just take it back.Not everyone can eat $700. and not everyone has a wife  that will accept that either.Use what you bought until it can get replaced.   

[jasnt]

“Where do you draw the line and stop shooting to give the barrel time to cool down?  And how do you know when it's cool enough?  Basically, I'm wondering how to tell if I'm causing the groups to open up or if I'm still doing things right and the barrel is just getting too hot.”
Does sound like groups open up

[Bob33]

The most meaningful measure of a big game hunting rifle’s accuracy is this: go to the range, take one shot from a cold barrel. Take the target home. Return another day. Take another shot at the same target from a cold barrel. Repeat three more times.

I care about first shot accuracy from a cold barrel for hunting. If a hunting rifle changes POI after three shots because it’s hot I couldn’t really care much less.

[Oh Mah]

The most meaningful measure of a big game hunting rifle’s accuracy is this: go to the range, take one shot from a cold barrel. Take the target home. Return another day. Take another shot at the same target from a cold barrel. Repeat three more times.

I care about first shot accuracy from a cold barrel for hunting. If a hunting rifle changes POI after three shots because it’s hot I couldn’t really care much less.

   exactly.   

[yakimanoob]

The most meaningful measure of a big game hunting rifle’s accuracy is this: go to the range, take one shot from a cold barrel. Take the target home. Return another day. Take another shot at the same target from a cold barrel. Repeat three more times.

I care about first shot accuracy from a cold barrel for hunting. If a hunting rifle changes POI after three shots because it’s hot I couldn’t really care much less.

OK, I'm DEFINITELY going to do that.  Seems obvious, but I never would have thought of it.  Thanks!  I might actually be able to get away with a single shot per day on my own property without worrying my neighbors   

[Karl Blanchard]

That theory is great until stuff goes wrong and you need those extra shots.  In a perfect world that's great but this is not a perfect world.  I've shot a pile of rifles and many different calibers and even the cheap stuff like marlin xl7, remAdl , and ruger Americans will hold MOA through a half dozen shots or more.  Only rifle I have shot that wouldn't was the few kimber I've played with. 

[Oh Mah]

"ONLY RIFLE THAT WOULDN'T WAS THE FEW KIMBER I'VE PLAYED WITH"

So you're saying it happens. 

Is Kimber a cheap brand?1 you just buy,No good,Go buy another?