Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Muledeer was right...again!

A prairie dog takes a lot of velocity and bullet explosion to get off the ground. A 220 swift with 50 grain bullets turns a prairie dog mound into Cape Canaveral...

So what's the best way to cool varmint rifles in the field? I've tried wrapping barrels in wet cloths in the past. Can you just dump water down the barrel, run a patch through, then start shooting again? Is there any downside to quick cooling barrels? Can it mess up the temper of the steel?

I've got some 168 grain Zmaxes for zombie deer and hogs.

Excellent timing on the photo!

Seems to me that Coke employee should be able to wrangle a 20 lb bottle of that stuff from his service dept. for your next big hunt.

We used it on a baby copperhead that got into the office one day, then took it out and shattered it on the concrete.

Kirk,

You call that lift?

I shot the .220 Swift for many years on PD's and it never launched one like this particular Wyoming PD was heaven-sent by the .204.

talentrec,

I just tilt the barrel down at about a 45-degree angle and pour water along the outside. Cools it right off.

I too scoff at the notion that you consider that lift!

For the .204 that would just be the first stage of the rocket!

And I don't.


But I'm gonna start!

Now if they would only make a 40 grain TTSX for the .204....

Since MD is right about the .204,have you considered that he is also right about the .270 Winchester?

My considerations are selective.....

A 12 gauge with duck loads doesn't create that kind of 'lift', and your shoulder hurts after a day out. We were silly kids.

Firearms cartridge guru Pete Forras taught me to carry a cooler full of ice water with good dish towels in it to drape over barrels during load development and zeroing.

We were using synthetic or metal chassis stocks so didn't worry about swelling.

Some years back, saw an article on a water-cooled varmint rifle. As I recall, it had a water jacket, and a small pump to circulate the water. Reminded me a bit of the old water-cooled machineguns...

Guy

ColdCase,

Pete Forras taught you to use "good" dish towels?

Was on a prairie dog shoot with Pete once when it was pretty hot, and there were lots of dogs. I pulled out a jug of water to pour over my barrel, and 20 seconds later was shooting again. Pete just grinned....

Not unless it's starting to glow red hot. In that case I strongly suggest not dunking it in water

Powers Custom built those, I recall the article, too............


The big deal ws to keep the pressure the same around the barrel all the time, so impact wouldn't shift (and to cool it down). They (he built at least two) had regulators to manage that pressure, and ran a hose to a big cooler filled with ice and water (48qt. Coleman, or about that size).