barrel cooling

Jimilner4570 · Post by **Jimilner4570** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:12 pm

Randy,
I don't know about this, but...... If you use the skin on the barrel between relays and NOT while shooting,..... just something to think about. This could be said as the same method as water, kool paks, etc. as a former friend used to say "It's easier to appologize and promise to not do it again than it is to get permission"
JIM

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:29 pm

Jim, at least half of the purpose of the skin covering the barrel while shooting, is to cut down on the amount of heat waves rising off the barrel. If it were to be used only after shooting, I don't think it would serve much of a useful purpose.

Randy

bulldog · Post by **bulldog** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:38 pm

Hey - Ya take a big swig of whiskey, swaller once, and blow the rest thru the blowtube down the barrel - into an old milk bottle sos not to waste it , of course.
Ya know, come to think of it, who can substantiate that blowtubes are original. I bet the dang contraptions are illegal as I sure don't remember plastic tubes even 50 years ago. I don't remember Frank Meyer mentioning using one. We need to clean this sport up of insidious modernazations that sneak in. Next thing ya know theryr be guys coating their bullets with teflon and no grooves.

Harlan Sage · Post by **Harlan Sage** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:58 pm

One concern I would have with the leather wrap would be the weight limit in the silhoutte of 12 lb 2 oz. The rifle must weigh in with sights. My guess would be that you cannot add wieght to your rifle once you wiegh in. A leather wrap soaked with water can add alot of barrel weight.

Harlan

Gunny · Post by **Gunny** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:05 pm

You know guys when "Poke" asked his question about this deer skin being legal, I assumed he meant for use off of the line and to use it to cool the barrel between relays. If as it has know become clear he is inquiring as to use on the line, i don't think there is a way in the world it could be legal. Harlan's idea about making weight is right on, I would think that this deer skin big enough to cover the barrel and then soaked or dipped in water has got to weigh at least a pound or so. Fot this reason alone "I would Think" it would not be allowed.

Gunny

Kenny Wasserburger · Post by **Kenny Wasserburger** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:54 pm

Hey

Bulldog, how much you willing to bet on the blowtube issue?

I know of at least one reference to them in a book wrote in the 1890's.

Kenny Wasserburger

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:19 pm

Halan and Gunny, both good points, and pertinent to the question. I think it might make weight in the Creedmoor match, but am not sure in the Sil. Other than making weight, I would still like to know if a heat barrier, barrel cooler like this would be legal.

Gunny, I don't think a narrow strip of skin, that has been wrung out of most of the water would weigh that much (1 pound) probably more in the neighborhood of 5-7 oz. Just a guess mind you, since I have never tried it.

Sure brings up some interesting post and ideas though. Thanks for all the replies. Randy

horsefly · Post by **horsefly** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:33 am

Good Morning, Board;

O.K., it's my turn, now. I think anything placed on top of the barrel during the relay would be considered as blocking the mirage from the barrel. It also seems to me that it would be more than a little difficult to run any meaningful amount of water through the barrel on the line. There would be some cooling, of course, but enough to do any real good? And then you're going to have to wipe to get the water out of the barrel.

I may be wrong (don't think so) but it seems a lot of trouble for not much return.

Now, I have cooled between relays and that works without much trouble. My method is to put a small rubber cork in the breach end of the barrel and use an old ketchup bottle (not Heinz) with one of those pointed dispenser nozzles on the end. Two or three cycles of water, pour, water pour... and the barrel is nice and cool and clean. Swab the water out and recondition. Ready to go.

Y'all be good.

horsefly

Harlan Sage · Post by **Harlan Sage** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:04 am

I think some of you are making too much of this. Last week we shoot in Amidon ND with 100+ degrees, very low humidity and no shade on the firing line. Yea, the barrel got very hot. In our 45-70 and 45-90 all we did was blow tube alot and did not push a patch thru until after the match at the end of the day. Like I said, we used the blow tube and used an umbrella to shade the rifles between relays. I would rather start shot one with a warm barrel than a cold barrel to avoid barrel temp extremes from shot one to the last shot. Standing the rifles up in the shade they act as a chimney and vent right out. We had absolutely no fouling problems and at the end of the day it took 2 wet patches and 2 dry patches followed by oil. Done, clean and no problems, and shot well.

Harlan

bulldog · Post by **bulldog** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:33 am

Mr. KW, WTSS - Bet a bottle of Jim Beam thar warn't any blow tubes whats got silicone gaskets an clear plastic polypropylene tubes - whoops, that's me - better keep mum. Compared to that a wet deerskin is natural!

Doesn't a spring thermometer work by the temperature difference twisting a spring that then makes a dial turn. Can you imagine your barrel twisting and contorting as you quick cool it with some new fangled contraption. Hey, it's your barrel.

I say stick to the whiskey - a swig and then blow the vapors - does wonders to smooth and cool things out. Guess we better see if its approved. I suspect some guys already use this method. I swear I smelled Black Label from upwind at the last match in WY.
Bulldog - Anonymous for obvious reasons

Vbull · Post by **Vbull** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:46 am

I have to agree with Harlan. Shooting under direct sun and your barrel will get hot. But alot of blowtubing seems to work for me during the relay. I can see where it could be more of a problem in silhouette with the shorter time span for a relay, but most of those firing lines are under cover. Creedmoor and midrange matches are uncovered for 30 minutes or more. I generally throw my shooting coat over the rifle while waiting for the ready command, then increase the amount of blow tubing as I feel the heat with my hand on the barrel. If I'm waiting on another shooter while pair firing, I'll just stay on the blow tube. Once that barrel is hot, I've never seen where you can "over blow tube" it. Only so much moisture will go into the fouling and it flashes off almost as fast as you can put it in. Hard grey fouling near the muzzle = not enough blow tubing and / or waiting too long after finishing blow tubing before breaking the shot. The open end of the barrel allows the moisture to flash off.
Standing the rifle up with the breech open in the shade works for me too.
More often then not, I'll shoot the match without passing a patch thru the bore until it's over. Sometimes I'll just use plain water and have a "feel" of the bore and check out the condition of the patch and gook that comes out. Good luck, hope to meet some of you at Raton next week. Frank M.

Shiloh Sharpie · Post by **Shiloh Sharpie** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:58 am

[quote="Sharpsman"]Simple! Shoot during latter part of Septermber through April of the next year like I do! Noone but an idiot shoots in temps at 104-110+ degrees!!

[/quote]

Hey!!! I resemble that remark! I did not know that intelligence was a requisite for BPCR.

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 11:52 am

Shiloh Sharpie: intelligence may not be a requisite, but $$ for rifle(s), match equipment, reloading & casting gear, etc., sure the H*ll is....

Tasmanian Rebel · Post by **Tasmanian Rebel** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:29 pm

Harlan, it was good to meet you at Quigley. I got to buy some of your goodies. Talking about blow tubes, did you find the one you had lost? I'm also curious about your powder-seems to be burning fairly cool-what are you using? Congats to Wendy also, saw where she did well recently at a match up there.

lady_sagebrush · Post by **lady_sagebrush** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:37 pm

Tas,
Good to here from you. No, I didn't find the blow tube, luckly I had a spare. However I also lost another at the Montana 1000 yard match, I did find that one on the lost and found table. You know, there are alot of honest people out there, to find a new MVA blow tube and turn it in. Who ever that was...THANK YOU!
As for the cool burning powder, Just standing the rifle up with the action open and in the shade cools the barrel down enough. A good lube makes a huge difference too.
You are right...Wendy has been kicking alot of butt lately. Kinda funny though, she has been beating the shooters that are always saying the 45-70 isn't enough for 1000 yard matches, especially the 45-110 shooters. Now there's a can of worms..............

Harlan

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barrel cooling

Re: barrel cooling