When your out on the Prairie Dog fields

[Ironworker]

Do you lay your rifles ( That your allowing to cool down ) in the bed of the truck or Cab or set in some kind of a Rifle stand you can set up or build so they won't fall over ?

 

[dsandfort]

They seem to cool best in the vertical position (chimney effect). However, when the butt is on or near the ground, dust swirls all around/into the action. So, I put them in the bed of the truck with a camper shell for shade. I open the side windows of the shell and lay the rifle barrel on the window frame (with padding) at about a 45 degree angle. I also use temp strips to monitor the actual temperature.

 

[jghoghunter]

we set them were ever we can and cover them up so they can cool down without the sun beating on them. Just laying them in the back of the truck won't work. Anything laying horizontal will get extremely hot in the sun. Just lay a digging bar in the grass on a hot summer day and then go to pick it up. Then stick it in the ground you will see the difference right away.

 

[drover]

Do you lay your rifles ( That your allowing to cool down ) in the bed of the truck or Cab or set in some kind of a Rifle stand you can set up or build so they won't fall over ?

If you can stand them butt down they will cool slightly faster since heat rises and the barrel will act as a chimney to draw heat upwards and out of the barrel. If you are planning on using a sitting rest some of them have cutouts for standing the rifle on the side of them.

But with that said - unless you have some sort of rest to stand them in I would just lay them in the truck. A couple of years ago I was with a friend shooing ground squirrels, the high-dollar rifle he was using got hot and he set it against the truck, a bit later he moved the truck and his high-dollar rifle ended up under the rear wheel. Needless to say it did not fare well for the stock or the scope.

drover

 

[GrocMax]

Rifles stay in the air conditioned Tahoe in a rack.

 

[AckleymanII]

I have been using water down the barrel of the finest benchrest and custom rifles made since 1987...none ever harmed.

 

[5spd]

I have been using water down the barrel of the finest benchrest and custom rifles made since 1987...none ever harmed.

I use only 1 rifle and have been doing the same since about 85. I made a barrel wrap that I keep wet when out on p-dogs.

 

[AckleymanII]

Barrel cooling unit, we have been using this since 87.

The unit that screws on the pepsi bottle is used on oil bottle spouts, available at Wal Mart and most auto supply stores.

This is not a new idea, but is not well accepted due to the fact that the talking heads have not accepted it. It takes no more than 6 oz of water to cool a barrel. Folllow up with 4 patches on a tight punch type of jag, then dry the chamber, back to shooting. Takes 3 minutes when you get the routine down pat. This also removes a LOT of carbon fouling at the same time, which leads to longer shot strings on the dog towns.

We shot around 24,ooo-26,000 rounds a year back then, cooled every kind of barrel you can imagine, with this system, never any problems. We also used a lot of unturned Hart blanks, set them back often, started off at 31" long, ended up on the last chamber at 23-24"...bug holes were standard expectations, and barrels were on order constantly.

 

[2dogs]

Do you lay your rifles ( That your allowing to cool down ) in the bed of the truck or Cab or set in some kind of a Rifle stand you can set up or build so they won't fall over ?

I like to open my tailgate, and set the hot/dirty rifles down using a bipod and rear bag. I have my cleaning rod set up and "patch" the rifle during "lulls". I pull the bolts and cover my rifle if it's hot and sunny.

 

[oldhoward]

We stand our rifles on the shady side of the truck on a towel or piece of cardboard. We run a wet mop/patches down the barrel a few times and wrap the barrel in a wet towel. We normally have stuff stacked around the truck so the rifles will not fall over. We rotate rifles to keep them cooler, but the playing field dictates the shooting schedule.

 

[powderbrake]

Barrel cooling unit, we have been using this since 87.

The unit that screws on the pepsi bottle is used on oil bottle spouts, available at Wal Mart and most auto supply stores.

This is not a new idea, but is not well accepted due to the fact that the talking heads have not accepted it. It takes no more than 6 oz of water to cool a barrel.

I used to do this when shooting IHMSA Silhouettes with a bolt action Wichita pistol. I used a 50 50 mix of alcohol and water.
On prairie dogs, I have been shooting slower, stop for a beverage, let it cool a bit and outwait the little buggers.

 

[AckleymanII]

BUT.....when it is 95*, barrels do not cool!

 

[tstowater]

We shoot off portable benches and I generally set up a whatachair behind the bench to hold miscellaneous supplies and I generally stand the rifles with the bolt open to cool. I generally rotate between a pair or more of rifles depending on shooting and heat.

 

[waterfwlr]

Tried the water and never got great results. I just stand it up action open in the shade and last year used the barrel cool gadget. Worked pretty well.

 

[people]

I set them in the shade. Water is what I truly use to cool them.

 

[AckleymanII]

Tried the water and never got great results. I just stand it up action open in the shade and last year used the barrel cool gadget. Worked pretty well.

You did not use the method that I described, because it only takes 30 seconds max to cool a barrel, even 31" unturned blanks.

 

[Tommie]

Storing guns in shade is a huge deal.

 

[expiper]

I usually shoot out of the side window of my motor home and when the bbl gets hot ,,,I close the window and have an ice cream bar and chase the g/f around the kitchen and then when I cool off the bbl should be cool and ready to go again ,,but ,,unfortunatley Im NOT,,,hahaha,,,,Roger
PS,,,most places I see prarie dogs there is not much shade,,!!!!