Barrel finishes and mirage

[montana_native]

Has anyone experimented with barrel finishes/coatings and their effects on mirage? I’ve been using polished barrels lately and it seems that in some conditions the mirage is brutal. I use the rifle for PRS and similar matches or I’d go the barrel shroud route.

I’m wondering if a flatter Cerakote finish might help mitigate this a bit.

Thanks!

 

[Bart B.]

Mirage from barrels is caused by heat. Don't think their finish or color matters.

A 2.5" or 3" diameter one with 18 thin flutes down to safe base depth would probably cool a lot faster.

 

[4xforfun]

When I got into the LRBR game I was talking to Clay Spencer about this. He says that bead blasting a bbl helps disapate heat. If that is true, then a polished tube would cause LESS BBL mirage.

I do know that the mirage is WAY worse with a fluted bbl vs a non fluted bbl. ...as I have several of each for a few different guns.

 

[ben lurkin]

The color black is the best emitter of heat. IIRC, it's about 25% higher than what a stainless is. Break out the rattle can!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Bead blasting has more surface area thats why they cool faster. The same heat is in the barrel and its going to come out- how fast is the question. A mirage shield on the barrel and on the scope is the only way to cut it back

 

[Stan Taylor]

Heat is heat you can beadblast all you want polishing a barrel makes it worse as far as mirage a mirage shield is best protection.

 

[BoydAllen]

Mirage shield.

 

[alinwa]

Has anyone experimented with barrel finishes/coatings and their effects on mirage? I’ve been using polished barrels lately and it seems that in some conditions the mirage is brutal. I use the rifle for PRS and similar matches or I’d go the barrel shroud route.

I’m wondering if a flatter Cerakote finish might help mitigate this a bit.

Thanks!

The scientific answer is...... the more surface area, the darker the color and thinner the coating to achieve this color, the MORE mirage.

 

[4xforfun]

Heat is heat you can beadblast all you want polishing a barrel makes it worse as far as mirage a mirage shield is best protection.

New laws of thermal dynamics? Maybe you are talking about the metric version.

 

[Stan Taylor]

New laws of thermal dynamics? Maybe you are talking about the metric version.

Really

 

[Trophied]

Just a silly question, but the ceramic coatings used for high performance engines should cut down some on the heat. How it's applied, I don't have a clue, and it may not be worth ruining a barrel to find out.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Really

What would you know about barrels anyway?

 

[Stan Taylor]

What would you know about barrels anyway?

That's funny I don't care who you are.

 

[bpmoss1]

When I got into the LRBR game I was talking to Clay Spencer about this. He says that bead blasting a bbl helps disapate heat. If that is true, then a polished tube would cause LESS BBL mirage.

I do know that the mirage is WAY worse with a fluted bbl vs a non fluted bbl. ...as I have several of each for a few different guns.

Sometime back someone explained to me that a bead blasted barrel will cool faster as it has more than double the surface of a polished barrel due to texture. I had never thought about it before but sure makes since. Acts like heat sink. I think if it lets the internal heat off faster it may increase mirage off barrel. A mirage shield diverts it around the scopes view. Best way to deal with it in my opinion.

 

[4xforfun]

Really

Why does fluting work to cool a tube faster?

 

[4xforfun]

Just a silly question, but the ceramic coatings used for high performance engines should cut down some on the heat. How it's applied, I don't have a clue, and it may not be worth ruining a barrel to find out.

If I am not mistaken, those coatings are applied to keep heat in. Like wrapping headers to keep the engine bay from getting to hot. It BLOCKS heat transfer, which is bass akwards from what we want.

 

[4xforfun]

Of course mirage shields are the best way to deal with BBL mirage. Nobody is arguing that point. every competitive shooter in the free world has them. But, the OP never even mentioned mirage shields, so how we got there is beyond me.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Why does fluting work to cool a tube faster?

Creates more surface area to dissipate the heat just like bead blasting does

 

[4xforfun]

Creates more surface area to dissipate the heat just like bead blasting does

Yep....I knew that.......my question was to Mr Taylor to point out that it is the serface area that dictates cooling...weather it is with flutes or bead blasting....serface area is serface area.

Thanks,
Tod

 

[sdean]

Seems to me something that held heat would help mirage while you were shooting. The heat would dissipate after you finish.