What is the benefit of freezing a barrel?

[Cassidy]

I saw on another topic/thread that someone mentioned freezing barrels to improve tight groups. Not sure if this meant simply saving the barrel for matches, or some sort of cold/freezing process. Can someone expand on this matter.

 

[ReedG]

I'm not smart enough to make the search results link work. In the "Search" window at top of page, type in "cryo" and that will give you most of the previous posts.

 

[VaniB]

That link wouldn't work for me.

Essentially in a nutshell; You have the barrel Cryo frozen by the barrel manufacturer to relieve stresses in the metal. (ie; the barrel manufacturers send it out to a place that has this kind of cryo equipment and provides the service.) Some shooters swear that it improves accuracy, and though I've never had it done to my barrels, I wouldn't doubt it, as the concept makes sense.

 

[butchlambert]

I have a lot of experience with it. The barrels machine a little better, but I have seen no benefit. A lot of the "Cryo" places do not have the proper equipment to take the barrels to close to absolute zero. 300 below doesn't get it.
You might read through the info on this website. I believe they have the proper equipment and knowledge to do a true cryo at 450 below.
http://metal-wear.com/index.html
I have tried cryo on an unmachined blank and followed it up with cryo after finish machining. I have had one cryo'ed in the blank, melonite treated, and cryo'ed. They shot well, but weren't hummers.

 

[jonbearman]

Most places do a short quench,however when I am up and running again we do a true long quench at -300 plus which is true zero as we understand the process.Then it goes into a tempering oven and the whole process takes 3 days.If we could work out a load to do say 20 barrels at a time it would be profitable for us.THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT CLAIM THEY ARE DOING THE PROCESS CORRECTLY BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO DO IT ANY FASTER WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT.Sorry caps lock on.

 

[johara1]

If you expect to make a hummer because you cyro it…. forget it. What it it does do is keep the same point of impact and not walk as it heats. What is that worth to you? some nothing, me 4 records………. Make up your own mind, it can't hurt it. Call Kelbly's and ask for Hobie………. jim

 

[1shot]

+1 to what johara1 said. Hobie is your "go to guy" for cryoing a bbl. if you are dealing with Kelbly's anyhow. I will say that running really high top end loads in a 6.5mm, the throat stays crisp for more rounds and you don't get the elevation lifts if you are shooting fast for 10-20 rounds because the conditions favor that on a particular day. I've shot out several barrels both frozen and not and my VERY un-scientific opinion is that for mild cartridges that the accuracy/longevity is slight. However if you are running them "balls out" I think that the cryo process is a much bigger advantage. BTW, my findings are worth what you paid for them.
Lloyd

 

[dan06]

I have seen cryro treatment work for an unknown "custom" barrel that was walking shots after the 3rd round. My friend bought a rem 700 65-06 with about a #3 contour, used from the internet that would shoot 3 shot groups into about 5/8" at 100 yards. 5 shot groups always opened up high and to the right to about 1.5"inches.

We rebedded the action in the H&S precision stock with no noticeable change in 5 shot group size. He sent the barrel and the action someplace and had it cryro treated. It is now an honest 3/4" five shot group rifle at 100 yards.

I am now a firm believer that it can help with stress relief.

 

[Stumpy1]

I am certainly nobody special, but as a last-ditch effort I had a Savage 12 Palma barrel done by 300 below http://www.300below.com/ recently. That barrel had a nasty habit of walking shots more-or-less all over the place during the course of a match -I was hard pressed to keep up with it.

After the cryo treatment, it sure settled down and is now performing well (196/200 at my last 1000 yard match -slung up with irons).

It was a factory barrel, and my understanding is that Savage does not stress relieve their barrels, so mine might have been an extreme case, but I am pretty much a believer at this point.

Frank

 

[johara1]

You guys found as i did the real world value of freezing them. The quality of the barrel is not enhanced to the point of a hummer but they turn out to be so consistent. To me that wins hands down, the barrels i had this year were average in the wind but they shot smaller than my hummer barrel. I'm going out to pick up some more barrel they did for me tomorrow. I hope they turn out as good as the one's they did for this year…….. jim

 

[LHSmith]

There seems to be some question about the term absolute or true zero. The term "absolute zero" refers to zero degree Kelvin (Kelvin is the absolute temperature scale)...it is the point at which virtually ALL molecular activity ceases. 0' K = -459.67' F. Most cryogenic processes use helium or nitrogen as the medium for heat exchange. Helium changes to liquid @ 4.2'K or -452' F, Nitrogen changes to liquid @77'K or -321"F (both values are at normal atmospheric pressure). So you can't reduce temperatures below the cryogen used and in the case of Liquid Helium the loss in flash-off is huge and Helium has become very expensive of late thanks to our gov't selling off reserves. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Systems (MRI's), use Liquid Helium to make the magnets superconducting, but they use a closed cycle system that pumps gaseous He through an exchanger and by expansion process removes latent heat down to it's liquid point...thus this method is economical since the He is recycled.
I certainly would not have a good barrel cryo treated, but one that walks I doubt it would make it worse.

 

[tenring]

Had a Rem 700 22-250 factory barrel cyroed back when it first became popular. It did not shoot better, did not clean better viz, nothing improved. Waste of money.

 

[fdshuster]

tenring: My experiences exactly with a Hart stainless 22-250 barrel. And it was still burned out in the usual 2300 rounds fired.

 

[johara1]

Ten ring, Maybe there is something bad as your barrel, one rem. isn't a test.
LHSmith, Chambers are noticeably better Groups are better and impact doesn't move when shot aver ten rounds. Did you ever try multiple barrels to see if there is a change of from freezing them? I'm just a shooter, i see the answers to loading and bullets and barrels on the target. No theory, just pure cold facts…… jim

 

[butchlambert]

FD, give it up. Jim and others will hold to their convictions. I also do to mine. Ain't worth arguing about.

 

[johara1]

Butch, what did you do to the barrel besides freezing it……. ? jim

 

[butchlambert]

Jim, Which one?

 

[johara1]

Butch, Just pick one out…..LOL….. Seriously i Found they chamber better, And they don't move at 10-20 shots and they shot small,at 100 yds.I shot 3 five shot groups out each gun under .090.Set 4 IBS records with the one light gun. The other one a bunch of 4"10 shot groups in heavy and a lot of 100's more than all the heavy guns and these are 50LB.+ guns mine is 17 with a 3" fore arm. This is the reason i say they work……jim

 

[butchlambert]

Jim, Evidently you didn't read my post. I also like you and won't get into a pissing contest about it. I'm happy that you are satisfied with it.

 

[fdshuster]

Barrel freezing