Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Barrel Heating Up

I have a 6.5 Rem mag in what I would call a sporter contour barrel, no matter what the load the barrel get's HOT after about 5-6 rounds. The gun is of perfect balance, so it just this barrel? If I rebarreled to the same contour would this be an issue again. I have scrubbed cleaned etc. this barrel, no change in the heating. Thoughts?

My Rem 700 Mountain rifles in 7mm-08 and 308 also heat up quickly therefore I alternate shooting rifles after three rounds, this gives the barrel at least 5 minutes to cool down. The higher velocity the hotter the barrel gets. Your 6.5 RM is probably hitting 3000+ fps. It also depends on outside temperature, if the temp is in the 40's the barrel doesn't heat up as fast if the temp is in the 70's or higher I will use ice cold towel to cool down the barrel while I'm shooting another rifle.

Normal expected results.

I suggest you shoot no more than about 3 at a time and let it cool or your gonna be rebarreling it soon, 5-6 and its hot is normal.

One trick match shooters use is to change the barrel contour to a magnum contour and have the new barrel factory fluted to reduce the weight, but increase the stiffness of the barrel and increase the surface area of the barrel for cooling.

Also, a can of compressed air, like is used for blowing dust off electronics, can be used effectively to cool the barrels from the chamber inside to muzzle with a plastic tube. Compressed air leaves no residue inside the barrel.

Otherwise, allow time for the barrel to cool down, between shots. The 6.5 RM is an over bore cartridge and over bore cartridges tend to develop barrel heat pretty quick.

IMO it's normal.

I use this to speed things up and prevent boredom.
Phil
https://www.brownells.com/gear/safe...term=17155321177910048225614051166008005

In S. Az any barrel can get hot. I prefer to work with my hunting rifles with ambient temps. While running water is great especially from a drinking fountain, CO2 is fast and dry.

Several guys at the range have copied my design including the late Dave Miller. a 20 lb tank works best. Don't need a regulator just a ball valve. Tapered hose fits most chambers


When I want to work up a load I cool the barrel off every two or three rounds. Takes seconds as you don't get it cold just cool to ambient.

In warm weather, I always take some flexible ice packs like they give in the ER for injuries. Keep them in a cooler and lay along the barrel from muzzle to as far back under the scope as I can between shots.

As for fluting, do some calculations as to how much weight it removes and you will see the number is i very small. It might aid in cooling a small amount, but does not add stiffness. Do some calculations on that too.

The guys I shoot with, use something similar, but they charge with a USB. Good suggestion though.

Rechargeable mattress pump, piece of 3/8" clear hose and knock yourself out for about $25

My question is how does it shoot, after 5 or 6 rounds on it? I'd also suggest a barrel fan, of some sort. As I said in an earlier post, some of the guys I shoot with use rechargeable barrel coolers. They work very well. However, if your rifle strings shots quite a bit, and there are no other mechanical issues, I'd replace the barrel. It may be time. This means it's properly glass bedded, and you shoot it well enough to know. I've shot some fast cartridges like 22-250, or 7mm rem mags, and everything else in between, and they still group well for up to 10 shots, maybe even more. This is to even include lightweight barrels. So, my question is how does your rifle shoot??

Two options s for you. First o e is to flush the bore with cold water from.a sport bottle via the chamber to muzzle. I have success with a metal cleaning rod that I lay in the bore to pull the heat from the barrel. Even patches with solvent will help pull heat.

You can also drip cold water on the outside of the barrel, with the muzzle angled down. This is especially effective with free-floated barrels.

Fluting a barrel does not increase its stiffness. A fluted barrel is stiffer than a round one of the same weight.

Saw that, but didn't want to go down a rabbit hole...

Thanks for all the comments, it is basically a hunting rifle, most likely the game has ran off or dead buy three shots, i just thought something could be unusual, it shoots as good as my eyes allow it one 3 shots, it will steadily get higher and to the right as the barrel heats up. I sighted it with two shot, then cool then 2 more, then when cool I tried the 5 shot group. So to confirm this a week or so later took the gun to range, two shots right where expected, let cool and the same results with 5, I guess after reading this the condition is expected.

A guy at the range had a chronograph set up and yes we are pushing in excess of 3000 fps, so i imagine there is some heat transferring to the barrel LOL

Thanks all for the information and insight.

Generally if it's stringing shots, the barrel may be stress induced, or poorly machined/manufactured. You also did not answer if the rifle has been properly glass bedded. How's the bore? Good sharp rifling? Good throat? It's never a good idea to roast a barrel with consecutive shots, but generally you should be able to lay down 5 good shots, one right after the other, if your rifle is mechanically sound.

Alot of 5 shot strings in a 6.5 Rem mag and you will be rebarreling soon, especially in a sporter conture.

Ditto