Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Hot Barrel - 6.5 Rem mag.

I have a 98 Mauser that had the bolt face opened and barreled to a 6.5 Rem Mag. nice trigger, high end fiberglass stock, gun fits me perfect handles perfect and has killed a number of deer, but here is the kicker the barrel is "sporter" contour, very light, it get hot quick, 5 - 6 rounds and not even rapidly you will not grab the barrel, and the third/fourth shot are starting to wander a couple inches on the target. So is barrel heating just the barrel diameter or could i rebarrel similar contour and not have the issue? Seems the barrel is getting hotter at a fewer shots that it use to, almost to the point now where i don't trust the zero.

A heavier barrel has more mass to dissipate heat more evenly and faster.

I have several rifles with light barrels. If going to range I never take just one. Will shoot 3 to 6 times (depending on particular rifle), then set aside to cool and shoot something else.

Never shot more than 4 times at a medium or big game animal in 50 yrs of hunting, POI wandering after 4 shots not an issue when I know it's a characteristic of a light rifle. What's important to me with a big game rifle is where the first cold bore shots impact.

Do you frequently have to empty the magazine and reload in order to kill deer?

If not, let the barrel cool down when sighting in or practicing.

I expect the barrel to heat up. Consequently I let it cool when shooting from the bench. I’m confident that even on the 3rd shot it’s shooting minute of deer. But the group will open up some. I have deliberately chosen fairly light rifles because of the rough country I hunt. The barrel heating issue is a trade-off I’ve accepted. If the first two shots will consistently group under 1” I’m ok with that.