Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Extreme heat and range time

Just wanted to see what others think about results at the range when it is so hot.

Live in Texas where we have had 30+ days above 100 degrees. I try to get to the range early or late in the day but is is still "Africa hot" when I go to shoot
Trying to get ready for a hunt in a couple of weeks where temps should only be in the 50's
How much do you think that changes the behavior of your rifle?
Shooting a 270 WSM with 130g NAB using IMR 4350
Any thoughts?

Shots from a cool bbl seem to be about the same impact wise as from a cool bbl in cooler temps. The MVs will vary to some extent even if you are using a so called "Extreme" powder. It doesn't seem to have enough effect on POI for hunting. Barrel cooling is the problem. You may get a shot every 1-2mins in cool weather with the bbl being cool for each. In hot weather it may take 30min for the bbl to get back to a cool touch in the shade. I've been shooting a good bit this summer in 100+ weather and my method of bbl cooling seems to work. I carry a small ice chest with a water soaked hand towel on ice. After a shot, I fold the towel length wise twice, so that it will lay the entire bbl length on the bbl, lay it on the bbl for 1-2min, remove, and let it sit for 2 mins. Bbl steel is a good conducter, so it will transfer the heat to the cold fairly well and even out well. The bbl will be cool to the touch from chamber to muzzle when I fire the next round. It's the only way I've found to speed up group shooting or load work-up for a thin bbl in this heat. May not be the best, but it works for me.

Good Luck

loder

I built a fan to blw air down the barrel using a air mattress pump and plastic tubing - works pretty well but as you mentioned my barrel is getting really hot between shots.

I do something similar to Reloader7RM. I use a thin towel cut about 3" wide and with a water filled spray bottle wet the towel and put it on the barrel. Cools it a lot quicker.

Deans

I just take about 4 or 5 rifles and only shoot a couple shots each and rotate them in and out of the sun into the shade.

It's tough shooting in hot weather.

I've pretty much given up shooting in hot weather, it's too frustrating here in the Mississippi heat and humidity. Shooting over a chronograph you can just watch your velocities rise with each successive shot. I think the humidity has as much to do with it as the temperature, you just can't get the barrel to cool down. The only thing I've found that remotely works is to leave the truck running with the A/C on and put the rifle in the truck for about 5 minutes between shots. My range is on my land so that's an option for me, it's likely not practical for those using a public range.

Try not to heat up the barrel by taking several rifles like Ted said.
If you want to work on form, breathing, sight picture, trigger control, a 22 lr is inexpensive to shoot and is lower in heat generation than your larger calibers.
Shoot as early in the morning as you can
use a temp tolerant powder (if you reload)

I have two separate loads for my 22-250 using H380 and a 55gr V-Max. One for when the temps are in the 100's and one for 50 degree weather. But I only have one load for Varget, no matter the temps.

+1 on 22LR work

I have a 17HMR that I take to the range to shoot between groups to give me some time to let the barrel cool.
I too have seen over a Chrony the velocity go up 75-100FPS over groups witht he heat.
It is frustrating - cant wait for it to cool down here!!

I shoot EARLY, in fact I'm done by 8:30 or 9:00.

Only 30 days over 100 deg? Your in a cool part of TX (grin), we have been 100 deg. over 70 days here.

Yeah, but it's not normal for us to have 30+ days over 100 degrees on the gulf coast.

I do all my load development in the dead heat of the summer. I used to do so in the coldest days of winter until I had a winter load nearly lock my gun up when it was 95+ degrees. Broke me of that habit. And, I quit using temp-sensitive powders.

Problem solved.

Shoot the first and last light of day and if you have lights at the range shoot under them and or the high beams of your truck will do fine as well...grin

Dober

A can of the compressed air shot upside down will cool a barrel pretty quick too. If your not paying attention/talking ballistic gack with your buddies and you see ice has formed on the outside of the barrel you know its cooled off.

On another note I was shooting in 90deg heat today and had a Tikka .270 hot enough you could not hold your hand to it but it continued to hold a good zero. Whenever I hear of a rifle walking bad due to heat I always think of a bad bedding job as a strong culprit.

Over the last few years of testing, I have had an increase in velocity of 100 to 200 fps from 70-85 degree weather to 105 plus. And that goes for several rifles and several powders. Pressures have to be up substantially for it to increase that much and could affect your point of impact depending on the rifle.

I live in TX and hunt every year in PA which is much colder than 50 typically and at least one other state which is normally colder. I have never had a problem with changing point of impact, etc.. in loads I worked up in TX and used in colder climate and often use non "extreme" powders. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just validate your sight in when you get where you are going. As somebody else mentioned, I have had much more trouble with loads because of high heat than other way around.

Lou