[DuckJunkie]

Ok I want to figure out my cold bore shots.

With a bull barrel shooting target ammo, how long should you wait between shots to maintain a cold bore?


Thanks much
-DJ

 

[Clem-E]

5 to 10 min should be fine.

 

[mr_ouija]

I find shooting my Biathlon Basic, if I let it cool for much more than a minute the next shot will be unpredictable but when I keep at it she drives tacks all day. I honestly haven't shot her to the point where it got too hot.

That said, my cold bore shots have been anywhere from 2" to 2' off, and usually to the left, but never predictable.

 

[nemohunter]

depends on the barrel it is that simple. my 82G takes about 3-5 to warm up and if i wait much more than a min between shots she will throw one wide. it's not that far off except when you only shoot a at a very small bull for score LOL.

 

[DuckJunkie]

thanks guys.

 

[whiffelball]

For a lot of hunters, the only shots that count come from a cold bore. If I want some squirrel, I can't fire a dozen shots to warm up the barrel or I won't see a squirrel to shoot at. So for me, a cold barrel is about 60-70 degrees, and hasn't been shot recently.

 

[Ceemack]

I forget where it was, but I saw an article by a shooting instructor (an L.E. trainer, I think) who wanted to figure out once and for all if there really was a "cold bore" problem...in other words, did rifles really shoot to a slightly different point of impact if the barrel was cold.

He put "cold" shooters--shooters who hadn't taken any shots yet--behind rifles with warm bores, and put "warm" shooters behind rifles with cold bores. What he found out was that the real problem was a cold shooter, not a cold bore. It was the shooters, not the rifles, that put the first round in a slightly different place.

 

[Deadi]

My CZ American takes around 7 shots to be able to hit anywhere near the 10 ring on the Bench Rest target. They are not far enough off that you would miss a squirrel's head, . probably no more than an inch off. I don't think I have ever had a 22 that would shoot to exact point of aim on the fist shot out of a cold barrel. If I ever get one, I will keep it forever.

 

[Gizzy]

You can shoot back to back, but not more than 2 or three shots, then let it cool. If you want to keep it steady, I would stay with a one minute spacing. Maybe even 30 seconds would be enough. You don't want it cold all the time, you just want to maintain a constant temp. as close as you can.

 

[matmat57]

I never seem to have a problem with my 10-22 cold bore shot. I shoot every weekend at our local gun club and sometimes wait 30-40 minutes between matches. And the first shot usually hits the 10 ring. It seems to be more me than the rifle when it comes to cold shots. I do practice before the matches and that's when I see most of my "fliers". Lately we have been shooting three shot groups at a ringed target with a 10mm red dot in the center. A shot completely in the red is an X. A shot touching the surrounding black is a 10. One not touching the red is a 9. I usually get 2-3X's. And remember there is often a 30-40 minute wait between trips to the bench so I am pretty sure the bore is cold.

 

[Mrcarcrazy]

I forget where it was, but I saw an article by a shooting instructor (an L.E. trainer, I think) who wanted to figure out once and for all if there really was a "cold bore" problem...in other words, did rifles really shoot to a slightly different point of impact if the barrel was cold.

He put "cold" shooters--shooters who hadn't taken any shots yet--behind rifles with warm bores, and put "warm" shooters behind rifles with cold bores. What he found out was that the real problem was a cold shooter, not a cold bore. It was the shooters, not the rifles, that put the first round in a slightly different place.

Not always the case.....
Its been proven on Glock's that the first shot will often be in a different location, due to how the Barrel is "locked" in place when you manually drop the slide vs recoil doing all the work. There's a part that can be purchased which is guaranteed to decrease this.

 

[DuckJunkie]

I forget where it was, but I saw an article by a shooting instructor (an L.E. trainer, I think) who wanted to figure out once and for all if there really was a "cold bore" problem...in other words, did rifles really shoot to a slightly different point of impact if the barrel was cold.

He put "cold" shooters--shooters who hadn't taken any shots yet--behind rifles with warm bores, and put "warm" shooters behind rifles with cold bores. What he found out was that the real problem was a cold shooter, not a cold bore. It was the shooters, not the rifles, that put the first round in a slightly different place.

mmm, I dunno about that. I sure that could be the case sometimes but...

I mean if your on a bench you have a good 10/22, trigger ect ect and you have caldwell, granted you have the basic princeables of shooting down, that pretty much elimates 99% of human error.

I know at Sniper school at Benning they talk about cold bore shots.

 

[phillygunns]

It is my experience from talking with Navy SEAL snipers, that a cold bore shot is the first shot of the day out of a clean barrel. After that the fouling is now a factor as well as temperature. These shot are also taken in the morning as the rifle has cooled over night and the barrel will warm up in a hot sun.

If you are just talking temperature it will depend on many factors. Temp of barrel at the beging of a shoot may not be attainable again in the course of a day. Say you take a temp reading of your barrel of 64 degrees with an air temp of 70 degrees at 8am. You may not be able to reach that temp agian at 12pm when the air temp has risen to 80 degrees. So if you only take 10 shots at 8am then wait until 12pm for the barrel to cool. The sun and air temp will alone raise the barrel temp to 72 degrees. So is this still a cold bore?

I might be arguing semantics here but in the Navy with the Ships main gun mount there was only one cold bore shot and that was the first one. We would be tested on our could bore shot for gun qualifications. After the 5 inch gun fired it did not matter how long you waited it would not be a cold bore anymore. Not until it was cleaned and the following day.

Maybe this need to be explored further?

 

[nemohunter]

my 82 G rides a one piece rest and sits in a BR type stock. it is as close to a rail gun as you can get. i watch the shots settle in as the bore warms up after the lull in between matches it is fact that it happens. now it is not off by much BUT it is off.

 

[whiffelball]

I forget where it was, ...It was the shooters, not the rifles, that put the first round in a slightly different place.

I would like to see that article.

I take multiple rifles with me to the range. After I warm up "the shooter" on one rifle, I still find problems thought to be associated with cold bore when I pick up rifles that have not been shot that day. But what are the other factors?

Is this an issue related to fouling an oiled bore? Does going from bolt action to semi-auto take some adjustment in technique from the shooter? Do different weights of rifles that recoil in different amounts require the shooter to adjust when switching?

I'm not sure, but I also think that I do not notice cold bore issues as much or at all on properly bedded rifles.

 

[22413]

That All Depends On What You Concider Cold!

 

[phillygunns]

Is this an issue related to fouling an oiled bore? Does going from bolt action to semi-auto take some adjustment in technique from the shooter? Do different weights of rifles that recoil in different amounts require the shooter to adjust when switching?


This is something that I forgot about. Oil in the barrel is believed to cause flyers do to it creating a barrier between to bullet and the rifling. Shooting out the oil is part of the cold bore shot.

 

[TopHat_guy]

Time for a little science....

Try this...
Take your favorite bore oil, apply a thin film on any scrap steel you happen to have laying about (don't cover the whole thing). Leave it there for a week or two. Now before touching it, apply (in the same manner as you did the first time) it on the uncovered piece. Now feel the two side-by-side. What your feeling is the oil changing it's viscosity. Now imagine what effect this has on a bullet in your rifle. There doesn't have do be much difference at all to account for an inch of difference at 100 yds. Then when you couple this with the different ambient temp, fouling, barometric pressure, bedding and re-familiarization with the rifle, (also what declination and to a lesser degree what direction your shooting), funny and unusual things happen .
Next time your at the range try this:
Take one target for the "Cold bore" shot (ONLY the first shot of the DAY). Now don't shoot at it again. Now, Take that same target with you for the next 3-5 range sessions with that rifle and do the same (first shot of the day). You'll be surprised at the results (assuming that you can keep the same approx barrel temp for the first shot each time). Your group won't be as bad as you might expect.
Also, make sure that you clean it the same after every range session.
This will identify two things, bedding problems (even absolutely minuscule ones, and or scope moving slightly (were talking .00001 inch type movement). (most) All rifles will show at least slight movement from a "cold bore" shot to a "cool bore" shot. Also This will let you see where your first shot will go with that rifle (or at lest a better idea where). As someone mentioned before. When hunting (what-ever it is your hunt), you usually only have one shot before your presence is known to everything around. I've put a note on all 3 rifles I have (I know, I've got some catch-up work to do:bthumb: ) as to where the cold bore shot goes in relation to the zero.
Sorry for the Long-windedness... Long days... (Yeah, working on holidays )
-Bob
Also, the wax on target rounds will do about the same as the oil. I'll get a little bit of a "crust" on the top of the waxy layer (I haven't seen it make as much of a difference as with a clean center-fire though.