Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Heavy barrel and cool down between groups

I am new to the AR-15 rifles and I just got one with a 20" stainless heavy barrel. I know with my sporter weight hunting rifles that I have to let the barrel cool down after a few shots but don't know about this heavy barrel. The barrel is a DPMS heavy stainless model and it has shot 5 shot groups very well but I don't know the rate at which I should fire it and then let it cool. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated as I normally shoot rimfire and they just don't seem to heat up the barrel much.

Thanks.

I shot competition, no big deal, didn't hurt the barrels much if any if you heat em up. One competition is 50 seconds unlimited rounds, 4 times, I can get about 40 shots off in that time frame of aimed accurate fire. Those tubes get hot.

I wouldn't abuse any more than you have to, but I wouldn't worry either, we shoot 50% of our matches in a 20 minute time limit for 20 rounds, and those rounds are often shot 20 seconds apart as fast as you can load single shots and shoot em when conditions are right.

Jeff