Does overheating your barrel really damage it?

[Coyote Hunter]

It seems to me the question is better put as "Can overheating a barrel HELP it?"

No one I know believes that.

[Graybeard]

It seems to me the question is better put as "Can overheating a barrel HELP it?"

No one I know believes that.

AArrgh, if you're THAT worried about it then the correct question to ask is "will shooting help the barrel" and you'll get the same answer. If you're so worried about harming your barrels but the things in a safe and leave them there cuz shooting them is gonna wear them out. EVENTUALLY. Isn't that the whole idea? Geez either shoot them or sell them.

[The Gamemaster]

I have my grandfathers Savage bolt action rifle 30'06 - which was made around 1936.

35 years ago, one of my uncles neighbors in Cleveland was in the military and they were cleaning out their storage facilities at a army base and came across a lot of '06 rounds.  Steel Jackets and Tracers.

The neighbor made an agreement with my family that they shoot the rounds and give him back half the brass.

My father and uncles spent many a Sunday shooting them rounds until they were spent.

I believe there was a 5 gallon bucket of brass when they were done.

They shot down several of the apple trees in the camp yard by accident - when they nailed 1//2 sheets of plywood for a backboard.  Caught the woods on fire several times.

I'm sure that their rifles got hot, but it didn't seem to affect accuracy.

Then again, you cannot rapid fire a bolt action rifle off sand bags.

They maybe took 5 shots at a time and then let the barrel cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

[beemanbeme]

Waaaahl, I guess you never get too old to learn:  You can shoot your rifle until it glows in the dark and it don't hurt it and $300 is chump change. 
Maybe I should start believing that Hillary Rodham has my best interest at heart.  You reckon?   

[Coyote Hunter]

Arrrgh, if you're THAT worried about it then the correct question to ask is "will shooting help the barrel" and you'll get the same answer. If you're so worried about harming your barrels but the things in a safe and leave them there cuz shooting them is gonna wear them out. EVENTUALLY. Isn't that the whole idea? Geez either shoot them or sell them.

Frankly, I don’t know anyone that worries about shooting their rifles but I know quite a few that take care not to overheat them.

Right or wrong, its my belief that a barrel will last significantly longer if shot when relatively cool as opposed to overheated. 

Shoot yours hot all you want.

[Questor]

One of the seasonal regulars at my range solves the hot barrel problem by applying his own shooting technique:
1) Take one shot
2) Clean the bore
3) Go back to the shack and load another round.
4) Repeat.

[teddy12b]

That would be a little slower of a pace than what I'm wanting to shoot.  I just wanted to double check that running my barrel a little hot wouldn't damage it if I want to just waste ammo to get my brass back. 

[Mckie Hollow]

Wellll--- "Puff" (7.62/308) could Theoretically do about 6k a minute, but it would probably jamb on You. So You tone it down to about 4k a min., and it would work, usually. but You still had to change barrels, Periodically.      My Hunting Rifle , That I care about, I usually give them 5 min. to cool down between shots, this is to get the best I can develop a load for. But--- When You are Shooting @ The Trophy of a LifeTime, I don't think that barrel heat up -  comes to Mind. In fact, I think that barrel heat up would be what You would be doing, With Control!

[tunered]

Here is a really good read on barrel erosion, [not for dialup],

http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/4218/DSTO-TR-1757.pdf

[30-06man]

i have been using the same theroy of water or ice for cooling my barrels when they get that hot. never once i have had any problems for 20 years out of my winchester model 70 308. it has had thousands of rounds the only thing to break was the old scope i had on it

[beemanbeme]

Hmmmm, if that is the case, what would be wrong with dipping a patch in the cold water in the cooler where you keep your drinks and running a couple of those thru the bore?  Using a bore guide, of course.  And then drying it out if needed. 

[30-06man]

just haven't done that. might try it but i do plug the ends of the barrel so water dosen't get into it. i try to just let it get on the end of the muzzle down about 18 inches.

[SHOOTALL]

we laid a cold wet towel on our XP-100's and poured water on them to cool them , and other guns also . wouldn't put water in bbl. might not be a good chemical mix if not a complete cleaning is not done then .
heat travels from hot to cold so the cold towel , air or water will draw heat from the bbl . the water in the bore would restrict air flow . so unless you flowed water thru. the bbl. you may slow cooling .