PD Shooting how many rounds per hour of 223?

[BobbyJ]

Just curious on how many rounds per minute or per hour can you shoot before your barrel starts to melt.

I head people shoot like 400 rnds per day but some of the places don't start till like 3pm. So 400 rounds in like 4 hours? That seems a bit much.

How do you know what it too hot on a barrel?

I'm sure people ruin barrels so trying to avoid that but never really shot that much in one sitting.

223 at 3300 fps
204 at 3800 fps.

I know my pencil 22" .204 after 5 shots is pretty hot, don't think it could do 100 rnds/hour.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Typically you change rifles often when shooting rapidly. Some use a stick on thermometer(on the barrel). I usually use a damp cloth on the barrel, this will extend the number of shots from warm to hot. Lightweight barrels need less frequent shots and more cooling time. Air temp and air movement also matter somewhat. Harder to keep barrel temps under 130 end of July into August.

 

[CJ6]

Grab the barrel.......If you burn your hand it's WAY too hot.......
I treat PDoggin' like load workup, meaning I don't shoot that fast or long. I bring several guns and switch out often and bringing a Rim-fire helps quite a bit also.

 

[dusterdave173]

Just got back from my first time--yep you need two rifles
We started at 9:30 or so and by 2pm your eyes just Quit working --two days of that and some range time the day before I fired 1127 rounds of 223
My barrel got very hot--Not like a branding iron but it was hurt you hot! I grabbed a towel from the truck dipped it in the ice cooler , slapped it around the barrel with ice cubes still stuck to it--Then I would shoot until the towel was steaming! Guy beside me said I was ruining my rifle--I told him as long as bullets went down range I was not stopping--Two days of this and on the way home I thought --well now I can order me an aftermarket barrel--well....after I rested up from the trip I cleaned the heck out of the rifle--went to the range and first group was as just fine---So.........would I do that to an expensive aftermarket barrel? Maybe not-- YMMV

I did make one of the barrel coolers from an air mattress blower and hose--it is Great at the range between groups--but would be a total waste of time on a really hot unit

 

[moorepower]

Get a 1 qt sport bottle with a squirt cap on it, and run cold water down the barrel when you can't hold your hand on it.

 

[jpx2rk]

I went on a sage rat shoot earlier this year, and shot a box of100 handloaded rds in 90 minutes. This was early in the day (before noon) so it was cool at the start with a cool wind as well. This was a 204R, with a factory barrel, and I have a aftermarket barrel leaning in the corner. Was I trying to burn the barrel up, yeah kinda, but was unsuccessful. I took the gun to the range after I returned home, and it shot just as well after as before/during the trip. I did not use any method to cool the barrel, but I believe the temps & wind helped. The aftermarket barrel is still leaning in the corner, pouting.

 

[jepp2]

We started at 9:30 or so and by 2pm your eyes just Quit working

I realize I hunt totally differently than it seems every other prairie dog hunter. I'm in the field ready to shoot before the first dogs comes up. The first ones up are the adults so I eliminate those. The pups start coming up a while later (depends on temperature and how old they are). I always shoot the best available shot of all those available (360 degrees around me since I hunt alone). So I glass and range many dogs before I shoot my next shot.

With this hunting approach I fire about 30 rounds per hour. I keep my barrel in the shade and at that firing rate, my barrel just stays cool enough. So I don't change rifles during the day. I normally end my day around 2-3 in the afternoon. By then I have been looking through binoculars and my scope for 8 hours. And normally by then I have fired 200-300 shots depending on how the day goes. That is enough for me until I go the next day and the day after since I hunt either a month or for 2 weeks depending. And I start my season right after the pups come up routinely. Give me the best wind condition and best shooting of the year.

I've been shooting my 17 HMR more and more recently. During the last 2 years that is all I shot. With good conditions, I can fire 100 rounds in an hour with it since barrel heat isn't much of an issue. Dogs stay up much better and the shots tend to be closer.

 

[effendude]

My best day on a field was 940 rounds with a bolt .223 Rem. We used to run and gun off a bipod with a long sleeve shirt, binos and ammo in a shooting stool. This included an hour lunch/nap in the truck AC. We shot from about 9am until 7:30pm when the dogs went down for good. That comes out to about 100 rounds per hour, yes, it was that good. Barrel went out on that rifle the next day but it had about 8,000 rounds on it.

Now, we mostly shoot off benches and a good 6-8 hour day is 400-500 rounds, usually with AR's. 50 rounds an hour or so when it is good.
Scott

 

[RegionRat]

Like the others, I like to carry a 17HMR for the early part of the day, then switch when the winds come up.

If we are not too far out, we like to roll into town for lunch in some places while in others this isn't possible so we break for lunch in the field. That is time to asses the guns and ammo.

Thermometer strips on the barrels help, as well as the concept of bringing multiple copies of guns.

For me that means two ARs and two heavy bolt rigs. With experience, you will know the difference between high tempo and low tempo. I try to pace this with the ammo on the table versus the truck. That way, I know to lube the bolts every 100 rounds and it helps me keep track of the rounds on the guns.

I limit the AR to a ten round mag and if it goes fast I change guns and let the hot one cool with a barrel cooler fan running.

There have been many trips where the round counts go real high on days when sitting in an infestation. Those are the kinds of days where the guns need cleaning at lunch and the counts can be >400 per day, but that isn't every day or you better have the barrel pipeline running.

I have been running WOA uppers on the AR platforms and John keeps me in the game. The bolt rigs are set up Remage style so that barrels can be swapped when it is time.

 

[Ray123]

For lots of varmints, & fast shooting up close 22 LR rimfire will do the trick for all day long intensity ...the barrel will get hot. You'll get tired and sore from loading magazines, the gun will get heavy.
Ruger 10/22 carbon fiber barrel and a stock that fits you...lots of ammo that your barrel likes. Try to line up shots to kill more than one varmint per bullet....Bowling for sage rats... lined up 7 squirrels in a line, in the scope crosshairs ...killed 4 of them 3 got up and ran away... one 22 LR rimfire bullet. Economy, in disposing of varmints. If ya need to see em fly the a more costly 22 centerfire is nice.

 

[JSH]

I made some pop corn to watch and read this

 

[5spd]

I never ever worry about a "hot" barrel as I made a wrap that I keep wet to pull heat off my barrel, on top of that I only use 1 rifle. Close or far I'm not swapping guns, I'm already shooting.
Im happy if I run 300 or 600 rounds a day. I dont keep shot per hr or minute, who cares about that....not me.

 

[farmerjohn]

I never ever worry about a "hot" barrel as I made a wrap that I keep wet to pull heat off my barrel, on top of that I only use 1 rifle. Close or far I'm not swapping guns, I'm already shooting.
Im happy if I run 300 or 600 rounds a day. I dont keep shot per hr or minute, who cares about that....not me.

Exactly what he says, only time I change rifles is just before I have to move, I'll go to the 244 rem and try to get the ones way out there. 450 is a nice fun day. It's not supposed to be an olympic event, when I get up to get a drink or something I'll push 3 or four soaking wet patches through the barrel of half and half, butches &hoppes and let it soak till I get back and 4 dry patches and go right back to it.... John
By the way when you hear the guys talking about 1K a day just divide that by 8 hours and see how many a minute you got to shoot to do that, they have to be close enough to use a 10/22 ....

 

[BobbyJ]

Sounds like 30 rounds a hour is ok with 223 bull barrels then. And if you cant touch it without a OUCH! its time to let it cool.

So in theory you could shoot non stop all day as long as its 1 round every 2 minutes or more? I guess I was looking for whats the fastest one could shoot and not even have to worry about towels, blowers etc.

Just for example I know I can shoot 1 round per day with no issues. 2 rounds issues. 1 round an hour no issues. So at some point it becomes too fast where people have to let it cool. Where is that point on a 223? 1 per minute? or more?

I saw some guys uses a leaf blower to cool the barrel.

 

[moorepower]

Sounds like 30 rounds a hour is ok with 223 bull barrels then. And if you cant touch it without a OUCH! its time to let it cool.

So in theory you could shoot non stop all day as long as its 1 round every 2 minutes or more? I guess I was looking for whats the fastest one could shoot and not even have to worry about towels, blowers etc.

Just for example I know I can shoot 1 round per day with no issues. 2 rounds issues. 1 round an hour no issues. So at some point it becomes too fast where people have to let it cool. Where is that point on a 223? 1 per minute? or more?

I saw some guys uses a leaf blower to cool the barrel.
View attachment 1364261

Water works far far better and is a heck of a lot easier to use.

 

[sw282]

Being a frequent flyer PD shooter l am limited to one gun and 5kg/11lbs of ammo. A 222/223 chambering allows for around 450rds with 40gr bullets. These fly-in trips are virtually all 2 day shoot outings. l will buy ammo locally if available. Having limited ammo forces me to choose my shots. l prefer HITS per hour

 

[6MMsteve]

on the hot barrel note...I shot a 30 round mag as fast as I could, out my AR one day and grabbed the barrel with a death grip and almost cried and said some very foul words. The blisters and 5 days of why why why bout drove me nuts.

 

[JSH]

Kinda like the old commercial where the kid comes up to the old owl “ how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop” How many shots does it take to hit a prairie dog. I just watched a video where the impact was a miss and guys were saying it was a “hit” I have hit a couple and have yet to see them be that dusty, lol.

 

[David Milisock]

Being a frequent flyer PD shooter l am limited to one gun and 5kg/11lbs of ammo. A 222/223 chambering allows for around 450rds with 40gr bullets. These fly-in trips are virtually all 2 day shoot outings. l will buy ammo locally if available. Having limited ammo forces me to choose my shots. l prefer HITS per hour

Glad you brought it up. If you fire 1,100 rounds in a day how many dogs do you kill?

 

[dusterdave173]

I have to admit
My first time out when I went nuts and stuck ice towel on the barrel--I just went crazy blasting away
I had booked 7 months in advance--had all that time to get jacked up--so when cut loose in the field I wanted my $$$"s worth--I will not do it like that again--
But...you just have to get that first time out of the way --Then--you go about it better next time

The take away is that you can do a barrel like that and not ruin it---The mattress blowers work only if you are needing a little help between groups at the range like in load development--they work OK in that situation but in PD field would be useless IMO

Man I wished I did not live 1600 miles from PD's this would be a LOT easier