Barrel Heat

L

luckyhuntermich

New member
I am having problems with my barrel heating up very quickly. I only get about 3 shots out of my 223 before it is extremely hot. I am not running very hot loads either. Once it heats up, the accuracy on my gun is awful. Any suggestions on how to correct this?
 
Originally Posted By: NdIndyDefine "extremely hot".

Tbh if a rifle cant do a 3 shot string, something is wrong with it.

I keep hearing this, but not to sure I agree with it.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogOriginally Posted By: NdIndyDefine "extremely hot".

Tbh if a rifle cant do a 3 shot string, something is wrong with it.

I keep hearing this, but not to sure I agree with it.


I think we can all agree that not all rifles show a sudden and significant decrease in accuracy when they get hot after only a few rounds. I certainly have plenty of rifles that don't do this. In fact, no rifle I own does this.

So... If we can agree that some do, and some don't...

The next question might be, why do some, while others don't?

There is a short list of the usual suspects. Nothing new here. Bedding, free floating, crap barrel. If there is a cause for the lack of accuracy after a few rounds, that can be remedied, I think that qualifies as "something wrong".

I think "crap barrel" is the most common cause. But the one that not much can be done about. Certainly qualifies as "something wrong" though.

To me, it's cut and dried, crystal clear. Hardly worth even talking about.

If a rifle can't hold it's poop in the right pile for a single five shot string, there is DEFINITELY something wrong with it. More to the point, it's a POS and I have no use for it, personally.

If something as simple as stock work can bring it around, fantastic. If it's just a crap barrel though (common as dirt on a factory rig), either that barrel is headed for tomato stake duty or the whole rifle is headed down the road. Life's too short.

- DAA
 
P.S...

Rule out the scope first
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- DAA
 
I usually work on the nut behind the trigger, then move on to others screws, then glass
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Not to slam the OP, I don't know him or his background. But I've been at the range a whole bunch of times and heard how bad a rifle/pistol performed, only to change shooters and watch it shoot very well. I used to work with a guy that that went through 5-7 expensive handguns every year, because they all shot low and to the left. And by golly it was always a bad gun, never a bad shooter.

"Accuracy" to me is repeat-ability. A rifle can't be accurate, if it only does it once or twice. Hitting your target once, missing every other time, to me that's luck. It's by definition, inaccurate.

.223 is such a mild round the barrel would have to be OMG levels of garbage, maybe made out of tinfoil and expanding foam, for 3 rounds to generate enough heat to be an issue. It's not the first thing I would suspect if it were my gun, good chance it would be the last. But I'd still run a dollar down the barrel as a start.

If it did turn out to be a bad barrel, it would probably join my wall of fame. It could live forever right next to my favorite scope that I'll never part with.



I've owned that scope for about 20 years, 18 or so in it's current form
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Originally Posted By: NdIndy



I've owned that scope for about 20 years, 18 or so in it's current form
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Any way you would share your story on the scope?
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Originally Posted By: varminter .223Put it in the freezer then shoot 5.

Now that would be a true cold bore for the first one..LOL Or just move to Minnesota?

Greg
 
Originally Posted By: GLShooterOriginally Posted By: varminter .223Put it in the freezer then shoot 5.

Now that would be a true cold bore for the first one..LOL Or just move to Minnesota?

Greg

He's already in Michigan, that's got to be pretty close.
 
Originally Posted By: TheshedhunterOriginally Posted By: NdIndy



I've owned that scope for about 20 years, 18 or so in it's current form
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Any way you would share your story on the scope?
scared.gif



It was the very first brand new scope I ever bought. I was talked into a 'tasco WORLD CLASS' by the guy at cabellas. The WORLD CLASS is such a good line, last me my lifetime and can pass it on to my grandkids... I didn't know any better at the time.

It lasted almost 2 hunting seasons on my 30-06, maybe 100 rounds including range time. Then it started pushing high right, increasing with every shot. So I'd reset it and it would repeat. So it got put on lighter and lighter recoiling rifles, and it would survive a bit and then start stringing up and right.

It eventually ended up on a 10/22. Because how punishing can that be? I took it to OK on a pig hunt to chase squirrels when we weren't actually hunting. It started stringing, I went to reset it and the entire retical canted 45 degrees in the tube. So I cussed a bit, pulled it off and threw it as far as I could and used it to verify my irons. Not bad shooting really. I was a strapping lad in my 20's and had a good arm. 2 or 3 mags iron sights at a good distance. Then we started chasing squirrels
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I thought then, and still do, that it was best used as target practice.
 
Sorry for the late reply but it is a standard barrel I believe. It is a ruger American Predator model. I don't think its me because I can shoot my 308 and 17 hmr in 1/2" groups at 100 yards and I am using a lead sled. It was almost 90 degrees out when I was shooting so I am guessing that had something to do with it. I still cannot find a load that this gun likes [beeep]. Im about ready to sell it. It shoots decent and is perfect for hunting but for shooting groups not so much, and I wanted a gun that I could shoot good groups with and also hunt with (why I didn't buy a bull barrel). So I am not sure what road to go down now.
 
Originally Posted By: luckyhuntermichSorry for the late reply but it is a standard barrel I believe. It is a ruger American Predator model. I don't think its me because I can shoot my 308 and 17 hmr in 1/2" groups at 100 yards and I am using a lead sled. It was almost 90 degrees out when I was shooting so I am guessing that had something to do with it. I still cannot find a load that this gun likes [beeep]. Im about ready to sell it. It shoots decent and is perfect for hunting but for shooting groups not so much, and I wanted a gun that I could shoot good groups with and also hunt with (why I didn't buy a bull barrel). So I am not sure what road to go down now.

Ruger makes decent stuff. It's possible you got a lemon but not super likely. Have you run the bill down the barrel? Checked all the screws?

You can't ethically hunt with a rifle that can't do more than 1 shot before it's off to who knows where. There's enough variables involved in a clean and fast kill under the best conditions. Race guns imo are ok to just fail for whatever reason. Worst case you lose a match. When you're dealing with taking life you owe it to the creature to do it right. Even if you're just smoking varmints.
 
Originally Posted By: luckyhuntermichI am having problems with my barrel heating up very quickly. I only get about 3 shots out of my 223 before it is extremely hot. I am not running very hot loads either. Once it heats up, the accuracy on my gun is awful. Any suggestions on how to correct this?

It sounds like bbl stress / crappy bbl. You may try sending it off to 300 Below and have it cryoed to see if that helps.
 
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