Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Barrel Cooling methods, What do you think JB?

A friend of mine has started using a battery powered pump to air cool his rifle barrel so he could complete shooting groups without overheating the barrel. He uses one of the pumps used to inflate air mattresses and the pump does cool the barrel rather quickly. The cooling is done from inside out but I don't have the knowledge to know if this could cause a problem. What do you think, JB?

Some guys use water, ice, dry ice, so i dont see pumped air as any problem, but im not an expert....

I'm not JB, but I once had delusions of getting filthy rich from sales of a battery-operated, air-pump, barrel-cooling device of my invention. I made a couple of test units, bought a high-$ infrared thermometer, and proceeded to perform lengthy tests on a rifle (Win Model 94) under controlled conditions. As a comparison and to gauge the efficiency of my little cooling device, I also did the same tests using my normal barrel cooling method of opening the action/bolt, placing the rifle in a vertical position and letting Mother Nature's chimney effect cool the barrel.

The results: no to almost no difference between the two methods.

The conclusion: Mother Nature's method was free and worked just as well.

So if you want to cool your barrel, don't lay it horizontally across the top of the shooting bench. Open the bolt and lean the rifle in a vertical position in a semi-open place where the wind can blow away the warm air rising from the muzzle due to the chimney effect.

A word of warning: I tried cool air, i.e., I ran the cooling tube through an ice chest containing ice. The result: water dripping out of the rifle's chamber due to condensation caused by chilled air hitting the warm barrel interior.

Many competition benchrest shooters use a simple device of pumping ice cold water through their barrels using an automotive electric fuel pump, an ice chest, an attachment similar to bore guides in the chamber, and a hose attachment to the muzzle for the return line. The ice water is just recirculated through the barrel, cooled, cleaning patch run through the bore and they're ready to shoot again. I've seen CO2 devices used, as well as canned air as used to blow out electrical devices. None seem to cause any problems.

After contemplating all these I principally use the method described, the chimney effect, unless I'm shooting a string on a hot day. In that case I also use a wet towel over the barrel on the guns with non-wood stocks, and utilize the cooling effect of evaporation. None of these methods create any problems to the barrels though the wet towel requires careful maintenance afterwards.

Likely not an option in Texas, but it do work. In the summer I've just thrown them in a stream.

Yeah, but's it's those cheap Leupolds we're worried about...





Casey

Amazing I've ever killed anything with them. Of course Alaska is pretty tame in comparison to Pencillucky and Illanoise.

During the great p. dog wars(1979-1993)I used water down the barrel, takes less than 30 seconds and 6 oz of water to get a hot barrel dead cool.

4 dry patches down the barrel, dry out the chamber, back to shooting.

Bill Davis suggested this method to me, I can't claim it.

You observed water dripping, but it wasn't because of cool air hitting something hot. It's cool things that sweat when they hit warm, humid air.

Sometimes here you have no choice in the summer but to shoot at temps near 100. I always take at least 2 rifles to the range. When it is really hot I just leave the truck and AC running and place the guns inside to cool while I shoot one of the others.

A bartender's pour spout and a bottle of water are all you need. Pour a couple ounces through, wait one minute with the muzzle down and the bore will be dry. Run a patch if you feel you must.

Forget barrel cooling!

Either the rifle is used hot anyway such as a target rifle or say a high volume pest rifle or its not!

If the rifle is used cold for its first, most important shot, then record where that first shot hits. Record this from a cold barrel that's clean if you clean them or fouled if you don't.

These days I am recording the first shot, shooting two shot groups and setting that rifle aside and shooting another.

What about a blast of nitrogen?
It is inert, and will freeze things pretty quick.

Later....

I use an Aero air mattress pump with flexible tubing attached to the aluminum tube of a bore guide. The chimney effect takes near 40 minutes here in Texas on summer days. The pump takes less than 15 minutes. It greatly increases my shooting time. Once the ambient temperature reaches 95 you are just pushing hot air. But that's the temp your barrel will be during days ride on the atv.

The pump takes 8 C cell batteries. I get batteries free. If I didn't I wouldn't use the pump. It'll eat 8 after two 4 hour shooting sessions.

"During the great p. dog wars(1979-1993)I used water down the barrel, takes less than 30 seconds and 6 oz of water to get a hot barrel dead cool."

Rick Jamison used an old red water bottle, the type women used for personal hygiene, and flushed the barrel. He would hang the bottle from a rafter in his shop and catch the water in a 5 gallon bucket. So, with these two recommnedations, I have a great way to cool the barrel. This will only be used in the Texas Heat; otherwise, the conventional "stove pipe" method has always worked.

Thanks for all of the responses - this is a GREAT forum.

Read that: "Douche Bag"

Not JB...but the simplest method I have used if my vehicle is at the range is to rest the rifle on the seat back and poke the muzzle into a AC vent. About 2 minutes will cool the hottest barrel quickly.....

LC

CO 2 works great and super fast.

Gas bottles might indeed work well - but toting one around while p-dog hunting is just a wee bit impractical. On the other hand, a plastic bar spout weighs less than an ounce and you carry a water bottle anyway. Toss in a Bore Snake and you still are carrying virtually no extra weight.

During the hotter months I always carry a small cooler of drinks with ice. If the barrel gets too hot just invert the rifle (scope on the bottom) and with the muzzle pointing down rub an ice cube up and down the barrel. It melts quickly but cools the barrel quickly as well. With the rifle upside down water just runs off the end of the barrel and doesn�t get under the stock, so I do this for stainless/synthetic or blue/wood. When done, wipe down the barrel with your hand to remove excess water. Any moisture left dries very quickly.

Lots of ways to cool a barrel, depend on how techy you want to get.