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Barrel heat management in F-TR

Are there any rules in F-TR regarding a shade for your barrel? I took my .223 out to the range today to see what it could do in 20-shot strings. Short story . . . it got hot. The first string I fired at 100 yds wasn't much of a problem. Over 20 minutes, temperature was easily manageable. By noon, when I started shooting at 200 yds, the sunlight intensity had increased, and the barrel simply would not cool. It might look silly, and people might laugh at me, but would it be within the rules to setup a mini tent shade to keep the barrel out of direct sunlight in a F-TR competition?
 
Are there any rules in F-TR regarding a shade for your barrel? I took my .223 out to the range today to see what it could do in 20-shot strings. Short story . . . it got hot. The first string I fired at 100 yds wasn't much of a problem. Over 20 minutes, temperature was easily manageable. By noon, when I started shooting at 200 yds, the sunlight intensity had increased, and the barrel simply would not cool. It might look silly, and people might laugh at me, but would it be within the rules to setup a mini tent shade to keep the barrel out of direct sunlight in a F-TR competition?

It would be against the Rules.....
 
Are there any rules in F-TR regarding a shade for your barrel? I took my .223 out to the range today to see what it could do in 20-shot strings. Short story . . . it got hot. The first string I fired at 100 yds wasn't much of a problem. Over 20 minutes, temperature was easily manageable. By noon, when I started shooting at 200 yds, the sunlight intensity had increased, and the barrel simply would not cool. It might look silly, and people might laugh at me, but would it be within the rules to setup a mini tent shade to keep the barrel out of direct sunlight in a F-TR competition?

Sunlight has little to do with barrel cooling. Stand it up and open the bolt. If you use a flag, then cut it down to let the air pass. The chimney effect will do the rest. 15-20 min will be cold again.
 
Sounds like the barrel is too light if this is a major worry with the .223 . Did you pace yourself pretty well over the time span ? What were your groups like ?
 
Does your barrel quit shooting when it gets hot? If so, replace it.

I thought it was common knowledge that any hot barrel will change the POI. It has a light barrel, so I expect it get hotter faster than a custom barrel, designed for competition.

Sunlight has little to do with barrel cooling. Stand it up and open the bolt. If you use a flag, then cut it down to let the air pass. The chimney effect will do the rest. 15-20 min will be cold again.

If I leave the rifle out in the summer sun without ever firing it, the barrel will be almost too hot to touch. Same thing as when you roll down your car window and rest your arm on the sheet metal before you have driven it long enough for the wind to cool it.

Sounds like the barrel is too light if this is a major worry with the .223 . Did you pace yourself pretty well over the time span ? What were your groups like ?

I paced myself in 3-shot groups, allowing the barrel to cool while I reloaded. Here are some pics at 100 yds, when the barrel was manageable. And at 200 yds when the barrel started getting hotter than I would like. Targets are scaled down to reflect the relative size in F-TR at 300 yds.

100 yds
WP_20181019_14_19_30_Pro.jpg

200 yds
WP_20181019_14_20_04_Pro.jpg
 
If barrel heat is a problem in TR, you need a heavier barrel. A barrel will cool more slowly on a hot day, but it shouldn't be a problem even in the mid-summer heat.
 
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What’s against the rules about all the dust covers on the line now?

Dust covers? Please, do explain!

If barrel heat is a problem in TR, you need a heavier barrel. A barrel will cool more slowly on a hot day, but it shouldn't be a problem even in the mid-summer heat.

I understand that a heavier barrel is a huge asset in competitive shooting, but I can't afford a new barrel, and I really want to shoot TR next year. Not because I expect to win, but because I think it would be fun. I started the thread because I wanted to know what my options are as far as pushing the equipment I have to its full performance. Staying cool with a light barrel is the key.

A mirage shield is legal and would keep sun off the barrel if you are worried about it.

Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely look into mirage shields.
 
Better get used to picking your rifle up by the stock if you shoot fclass. Look up barrel cool, they are battery powered air pumps that function as a safety flag. I see them on the line so they must work. I’m standing mine up on my cart so it’s cold before I can shoot again.
 
Sunlight has little to do with barrel cooling. Stand it up and open the bolt. If you use a flag, then cut it down to let the air pass. The chimney effect will do the rest. 15-20 min will be cold again.

Actually, sunlight can worsen the problem barrel heating in some instances. A barrel that is cerakoted black or some other dark color will get very hot to the touch without firing a single shot in direct sunlight. During the prep period and course of fire on an uncovered range, the rifle might sit in direct sunlight as long as 20-25 minutes by the time a string is done. I have several rifle that are cerakoted and it can be a problem. The easiest solution is to cover the majority of exposed barrel with a white (or light colored) mirage band. For this reason, the last couple rifles I've had built I did not have cerakoted, leaving them plain stainless.
 
Thin barrels heat up quicker also cool quicker,
I use a timer to keep my shots a one minute per,
Mirage shields and battery powered fan blowing on the barrel during strings helps a lot.
Good shooting to ya
 
I am sure the winner of the FTR class is not worried about barrel heat. I shoot rapid fire at 200-300 yards, 10 shots a minute. Its the way the game is played. I shoot heavy barrels.
 
Better get used to picking your rifle up by the stock if you shoot fclass. Look up barrel cool, they are battery powered air pumps that function as a safety flag. I see them on the line so they must work. I’m standing mine up on my cart so it’s cold before I can shoot again.
Try Chamber Chiller!

Can you use either of these products in the middle of a 20-shot string, or are you suggesting it should be used after the string is completed? Same question about fans pointed at the barrel.

The barrel is light enough that it cools on its own in about 20 minutes if left in the shade. But by the 15th shot in the middle of a 20-shot string, it's pretty hot. If a mirage shield and a series of fans are allowed, then I might have a solution. Thanks for the input everyone.
 
Can you use either of these products in the middle of a 20-shot string, or are you suggesting it should be used after the string is completed? Same question about fans pointed at the barrel.

The barrel is light enough that it cools on its own in about 20 minutes if left in the shade. But by the 15th shot in the middle of a 20-shot string, it's pretty hot. If a mirage shield and a series of fans are allowed, then I might have a solution. Thanks for the input everyone.

Your going to be forced to either pace your shots or lose points to a hot barrel. I haven’t seen the barrel cooler used during a string but I don’t know of any reason not to. Good luck to you and enjoy the game!
 

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