Range time - how long between shots

[WhiteOak]

Now I have spends countless hours at the range but about 99 percent of that was in the military and when I lived in TX my buddy had a place we set our own range up at. I have probably shot my hunting rifle at a formal range all of about 4 times. This past time I was making sure my rifle was diled in for the rounds I had chosen for my upcoming hunt. There were 3 other guys there doing the same thing however they all waited around 5 minutes in between shots. Makes perfect sense to continually shoot with a cold barrel to set your zero as you will he shooting with a cold barrel in the field.

Of course through habbit I send a three round groups as quick as i feel like I'm set on target plus i just freaking love to shoot. The thing that really sucked is having to wait a half hour for these guys to send 3 or 4 rounds before I could walk to my target and see my group. They all had spotting scopes witch would be freaking awesome in a situation like that. Talking to the one guy he sets up all his hunting rifles like that and will sometimes bring the AR to pass the time between barrel cooldowns that may be the ticket

I just wanted to ask a crowd that has way more hunting experience than I... how common is that? Is that standard and best practice when zeroing hunting rifles and something I should force myself to do... I never wanted a spotting scope so much as just waiting a half hour to go walk downrange and see three stinking shots

 

[Kay9Cop]

I shoot both ways. I want to verify my cold bore zero and I also want to see how it will shoot if I have to put two or three shots into an animal in rapid succession. But, for load development I let it cool between shots. I bring a spotting scope with me if I'm shooting on a public range for specifically the reason you mention. I'll also bring either a second rifle, or an e-book, or just surf the internet to pass the time. Or better yet, bring friends and tell war stories.

 

[FlyGuy]

Same here. I'm no expert, but I learned this after buying a new rifle earlier this year (the 1st in many, many years). I would consistently get 2 shots touching, then the 3rd shot would be off by ~ 1 inch. It was driving me crazy until I was told to wait 10 min between shots. Now, I don't really have the patience to do that all day at a public range. 6 shots an hour!!! But it did fix the problem and allow me to get dialed in on a factory load that shot sub MOA.

Sent from my SM-G610F using Tapatalk

 

[beachbunny]

yeah, i was taught by an old shooter to let the barrel cool down

 

[WhiteOak]

Appreciate the feedback. Makes perfect sense for a hunting rifle. I supposed if it was a plinking rifle or varmint than you might even want a warm barrel zero.

I also feel like to really get to know your rifle you must spend time pulling the trigger with live rounds. Maybe a couple trips of just shooting then when it's time to dial in for a hunt to set your cold barrel zero.

When I was there I too had the problem of two shots damn near touching and a third relative flier. I thought it was my scope reticle sticking and not making the adjustment until after the first shot. I started shooting a corlokt as my first round after adjustment just to make sure the scope adjusted then shot my group with 3 rounds and that worked but I wonder if it was just cold barrel for the first shot. That would have been nice to have a spotting scope too so i could see witch round flew off

 

[rayporter]

take a magic marker and color each bullet a different color and you can see the color on the paper from each bullet.
some paper is better at this

the barrel weight and stock bedding make a huge difference in how the gun shoots at it warms up.

 

[Formidilosus]

I wait about 5 seconds between shots.


This whole “x” minutes between shots is absolutely ridiculous. First, of a barrel “walks” when it heats up, it is defective and need to be fixed. I rifle built and assembled correctly will continue putting rounds into the true group size until it melts. Second, three rounds isn’t a group. It’s an insignificant data point, that gives you as much false information as it does correct. “Two in, one out” isn’t an indication of anything. It’s a simple statistical reality. Shoot ten round groups and I’ll bet all those flyers just happen to be in there.

 

[WhiteOak]

Some more viewpoints I like all the info I can get and while group size may or may not stay the same with a heated barrel I'm talking more point of impact to have the greatest accuracy on that first shot.

the barrel weight and stock bedding make a huge difference in how the gun shoots at it warms up/QUOTE]
I shoot a savage model 11 hog hunter in 308 witch has a heavy contour barrel and a shitty stock bedding. I have been trying to come up with a way to add some material in between the end of the stock and bottom of the barrel to keep it more consistent. It has killed just fine for me but I am looking to confidently extend my range a bit and a new rifle isn't in the cards right now.

 

[JFK]

I think it depends on what you’re doing. If I’m there just to verify zero then I might wait a minute between shots.

Lately I’ve been going to the range and saying the hell with tiny groups off the bench. Been shooting off sticks, kneeling, off a pack, etc. Shooting off a bench does zero for you in the field other than telling you that your rifle is zero’d. For these types of shots I wait a few minutes between shots...not for the rifles sake but more to train my mind and be more deliberate in my technique.

 

[JollyRoger]

I usually only wait for as long as it takes to get a good sight picture and feel good about the shot. Everything cools down pretty well when marking targets or moving to a new position but for individual strings I just shoot when I'm ready.

 

[Yellowknife]

I usually pause when the heat waves off the barrel start messing with my view through the scope. Otherwise, why would I worry about it?

If the hot barrel shots aren't stacking in with the cold bore shot, I'm not real interested in the gun. If it takes a 5 min (or even a 60 second) cool down to put the following shots in with the cold bore, then something is mechanically wrong. And I don't have time to wait around. I'm at the range to shoot, so I shoot.

Shooting an extended string is also one way to stress test a handload that might be pushing the limit. If it's on the bubble, then shooting it hot may show pressure signs or changes in velocity that slow fire won't.

I'm also not shooting over bore rounds with a short barrel life though. A 6.5x300 wby with $99 a box ammo might cause me to slow up a bit!

 

[chindits]

Well Mr. Whiteoak, I’m poor so shooting lots of bullets doesn’t make a lot of sense to me especially since I would rather be bow hunting. But I do train at shooting my rifle once a week and I train like it’s hunting so that means mostly walking and not shooting. I train on blm land and never at a range around people. I train whether it’s raining or windy. My gun is always cold. I set up my target at 200 meters and shoot with ski pole support or off hand 2 rounds, i move my target to 300 meters and shoot prone off a pack or sitting off of a pack 2 rounds. I move the target to 400 meters for 2 rounds and then to 500 meters for 2 rounds. If you add up all the back and forth I’m covering about 2800 meters in varying terrain with wind fluctuations as this is always in the morning as that sage country is heating up. I don’t get upset if my groups aren’t pretty, I’m shooting for vitals and the way I train it is always my 300 meter group that reassures me the guns a shooter.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I have never payed any attention to letting a barrel cool down. Literally, as fast as I can get on target comfortably then I send it.

 

[howl]

If the barrel feels warmer than ambient, I ain't shootin'. How long it takes to cool off varies with the weather. I also check zero with a cold barrel at different zoom setting on the scope to make sure nothing varies. You can use a mattress air pump to speed the cooling process. Or just pass the time shooting another gun or dry firing.

It probably matters that my range is behind my house. I can go get a glass of tea and harass the wife between shots if I feel like it.

 

[Fatcamp]

I put ten dots on my target. Shoot them individually and never have to go down range.

 

[Kotaman]

I wait about 5 seconds between shots.


This whole “x” minutes between shots is absolutely ridiculous. First, of a barrel “walks” when it heats up, it is defective and need to be fixed. I rifle built and assembled correctly will continue putting rounds into the true group size until it melts. Second, three rounds isn’t a group. It’s an insignificant data point, that gives you as much false information as it does correct. “Two in, one out” isn’t an indication of anything. It’s a simple statistical reality. Shoot ten round groups and I’ll bet all those flyers just happen to be in there.

Form...I have a question for you. In your opinion, do you diminish barrel life when shooting round after round through a "hot" barrel vs. shooting say 5 shots, letting the barrel cool and shooting 5 more?

 

[Formidilosus]

Form...I have a question for you. In your opinion, do you diminish barrel life when shooting round after round through a "hot" barrel vs. shooting say 5 shots, letting the barrel cool and shooting 5 more?

If you shoot 10 rounds rapidly over and over and over.... yes, barrel life will be less. But most flatter themselves to think they’ll ever wear a barrel out. Even if you did, it should be a point of pride not something to be avoided.

Not sure why anyone wants to go to the range repetitively and shoot 3 shot “groups” over and over from a bench. That’s the definition of ballistic masturbation. 10 round groups are statistically relevant, show you exactly what the rifle is doing, will help reveal any hidden issues due to stress, and allows you to get a true zero. So it’s simple- shoot a ten round group. Adjust from the center of all round fires, to center over point of aim. Let the barrel cool a bit. Fire one more ten round group to confirm. If both groups meet your precision needs and the second is solidly POA/POI, your done. Stop fussing with loads, get off the bench and learn to shoot.

 

[JWP58]

If you shoot 10 rounds rapidly over and over and over.... yes, barrel life will be less. But most flatter themselves to think they’ll ever wear a barrel out. Even if you did, it should be a point of pride not something to be avoided.

Not sure why anyone wants to go to the range repetitively and shoot 3 shot “groups” over and over from a bench. That’s the definition of ballistic masturbation. 10 round groups are statistically relevant, show you exactly what the rifle is doing, will help reveal any hidden issues due to stress, and allows you to get a true zero. So it’s simple- shoot a ten round group. Adjust from the center of all round fires, to center over point of aim. Let the barrel cool a bit. Fire one more ten round group to confirm. If both groups meet your precision needs and the second is solidly POA/POI, your done. Stop fussing with loads, get off the bench and learn to shoot.

Thanks for setting everyone straight. Maybe one day if we all try hard, we'll get it.

 

[mcseal2]

I have a question for Form on this one.

I have a fairly lightweight 300 win mag built by Rifles Inc. It weighs 8lbs with scope, rings, ammo, sling, ready to take hunting. I have a 100yd range in my yard but don't have the greatest rest or bench (Caldwell rest on a picnic table). I have the opportunity to shoot a lot and have noticed a consistent pattern shooting this rifle. The first shot from a cold barrel clean or dirty hits the same POI, shots on the same target from different days will cut the same hole. The next shot will touch that hole or be darn close if I shoot more than one in a session. The next shot will walk up and left 1/2 to 3/4". After that the shots will open up to about a 1.5" group. Even if I shoot 5 more (8 total) they stay within that 1.5" group.

In your opinion how much of that is the rifle and how much is that my shooting ability and recoil anticipation? The consistency of it makes me think it's more about the gun but I know I have faults too. Maybe it's me expecting the gun to do a certain thing and causing it myself?

FWIW I'm asking so I can give up and quit screwing with this rifle off the bench. I'd much rather be practicing field shooting once I know I've done all I can from the bench. I have a pile of milk jugs waiting to be filled with water and shot at longer ranges from field positions.

Thanks for your time and help.

 

[mfllood3800]

"Not sure why anyone wants to go to the range repetitively and shoot 3 shot “groups” over and over from a bench. That’s the definition of ballistic masturbation."

First time I have heard this phrase, lol