Accuracy and hot barrels...

[shooter1054]

I've always heard that a hot barrel will effect accuracy. How much will a hot barrel change accuracy as opposed to a cold barrel? Inches or fractions of inches at say 200 yards? Browning A Bolt 300wsm, standard barrel, not a bull barrel, shooting handloads, and too hot to keep my hand on the barrel.Any thoughts INGO?

 

[sloughfoot]

Partner, I have been shooting rifles for a long time. There is no chart or graph for this.

There is only shooting and finding out. Then again, I am kind of a range rat. I like finding out.

Sorry, I know I am not much help.

 

[hondatech2k2]

I've always heard that a hot barrel will effect accuracy. How much will a hot barrel change accuracy as opposed to a cold barrel? Inches or fractions of inches at say 200 yards? Browning A Bolt 300wsm, standard barrel, not a bull barrel, shooting handloads, and too hot to keep my hand on the barrel.Any thoughts INGO?

How long are you waiting between shots? Sometimes the barrel needs a chance to cool down... The only hot barrel experience I can really give is this: Shooting my m249 (when I was active) I once experienced "cook offs" and it went cyclic from excessive heat.... but we are talking full auto rock and roll after firing continuously for over an hour and well into the thousand rounds count. I have not had much experience with a single shot/bolt in the heat department.

 

[42769vette]

to many factors to give a specific answer. barrel contour, bedding, outside temp, etc

 

[Titanium_Frost]

I shot at a multigun match last weekend with my AK. Now my particular AK is a fairly accurate example. But after 30 rounds in as many seconds the barrel was so hot it was smoking off the excess oil. I hit the first couple steel plates (8 inch plates at 200 yards) but after that couldn't hit anything. AKs are notorious for overheating their barrels and losing accuracy.

 

[BlueEagle]

My PSL gets hot and loses accuracy after only a couple of rounds. That long narrow barrel combined with those fast moving rounds will do it to you.

After 1 shot, the barrel is uncomfortably warm to the touch. After two shots, (in the neighborhood of 10 seconds apart, fairly typical range shooting,) DON'T touch the barrel.

 

[x10]

Partner, I have been shooting rifles for a long time. There is no chart or graph for this.

There is only shooting and finding out. Then again, I am kind of a range rat. I like finding out.

Sorry, I know I am not much help.

+1

there are also a couple other factors I'm too wimpy to shoot a 300 and I don't know if I could put 10 fast rounds through a 300 if everything was perfect.

But the boil coming off the barrel will throw you all over the target, I've even got to the point before of blowing across the barrel to get a sight picture and trying to shoot before the boil was back up, Barrel bands or scope shades are a must if you really want to put them down range fast and accurate