Range report and Cool rod eval
Aug 1, 2010 19:47:24 GMT -5
Post by artjr338wm on Aug 1, 2010 19:47:24 GMT -5
Went to my favorite range today, but unfortunately I could not get a chance at the 200yrd range, so all my shooting was done at 100yrds.
Finally built a container for my cooling rod and it is a complete diversion from how most make theirs.
I did start out with a 24" long piece of 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe, but from there I did things differently due to the lack of materials available to me, and cost of those that were.
I could not get my hands on any of the pink Owens highly pliable insulation to insulate my tube and the only insulation I could find to do the job was waaaaay to expensive with total cost beyond $30. I also considered and then rejected the idea of sleaving my 4" PVC in a section of 6" PVC and insulating with expanding foam (Great Stuff) as once again the 6" PVC was to costly.
I then settled on this:
I had at my disposal a large amount of 3/4" plywood courtesy of my friends business and he was kind enough to build me a 24" long rectangular box with a inside diameter of 8". Then caped my 24" piece of 4" PVC with a end cap I procured for free. I then took some of the solid 1.5" thick foam board insulation I had laying around and cut a square piece to insulate the bottom of my square cooling box and then one more piece to act as a collar for my 4" PVC to square it and center it in the cooling box.
I then took a can of "Great Stuff" expanding foam sprayed some into the bottom of the box with my tube in place, then slid down the squaring collar on top of it, and then filled the rest of the void between my 4" PVC and the cooling box with the remainder of the contents of the can of Great Stuff. I allowed the foam to harden and expand over night. I have 2" of PVC pipe extending past the top of the cooling box that I cover with a 4" thick piece of foam insulation dozens of which I got for free from work. I drilled a 3/8"
hole in it (centered) to allow my rod to pass through it into the mostly ice and water used for cooling.
From start to finish entire project cost me $6.70 for the 4" PVC and $7 for 2 cans of Great Stuff, that if I had known better could have got the job done with only one. So for less than $20 I have me a rod cooling cooler that to works perfectly.
Speaking of which my rod cooler worked absolutely perfectly, cooling my just fired barrel in the low 80s to cool to the touch in about 40 seconds. This allowed me to shoot as quickly as i could care fully reload.
To any reading this who wish to shoot in hot temps above 80*, a cooling rod is the best $35 I have ever spent so far on my 10ML-II. You will literally be able to shoot as quickly as you wish.
As far as the groups I shot to day, just more of the same boring
sub-MOA to around 1.25" three shot groups with 290 TMZs, and 245 Spit Fires, but I do have one new bullet worth listing.
Much to my regret I finally tried the 250 grain TMZs I bought at the bargain basement at Cabelas about 15-18 months ago.
Knurled them up to around .454-.4545" They loaded much to tightly using the supplied yellow sabot, just a little to loosely using the yellow Harvester CR sabot but Juuuuust right using the Barnes factory blue sabot. Stupid me brought only six with and shot all six using a charge of 76 grains of H-4198. I was rewarded with two 100 yrd three shot groups both measured under 1" MOA, for nice three shot clover leafs.
I do not feel it is necessary to post any pics as I have in past posting well documented my results with TMZs and Spit Fires and 100yrds and to do so know would be redundant.
Just like to say thanks for all those who did all the work in developing the Rod Cooler and the Cooling Rod that makes it work, as I am now thanks to those who developed it, able to shoot in almost any temps above 75* limited only by my own tolerance for the heat.
Thanks,
Arthur.
Finally built a container for my cooling rod and it is a complete diversion from how most make theirs.
I did start out with a 24" long piece of 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe, but from there I did things differently due to the lack of materials available to me, and cost of those that were.
I could not get my hands on any of the pink Owens highly pliable insulation to insulate my tube and the only insulation I could find to do the job was waaaaay to expensive with total cost beyond $30. I also considered and then rejected the idea of sleaving my 4" PVC in a section of 6" PVC and insulating with expanding foam (Great Stuff) as once again the 6" PVC was to costly.
I then settled on this:
I had at my disposal a large amount of 3/4" plywood courtesy of my friends business and he was kind enough to build me a 24" long rectangular box with a inside diameter of 8". Then caped my 24" piece of 4" PVC with a end cap I procured for free. I then took some of the solid 1.5" thick foam board insulation I had laying around and cut a square piece to insulate the bottom of my square cooling box and then one more piece to act as a collar for my 4" PVC to square it and center it in the cooling box.
I then took a can of "Great Stuff" expanding foam sprayed some into the bottom of the box with my tube in place, then slid down the squaring collar on top of it, and then filled the rest of the void between my 4" PVC and the cooling box with the remainder of the contents of the can of Great Stuff. I allowed the foam to harden and expand over night. I have 2" of PVC pipe extending past the top of the cooling box that I cover with a 4" thick piece of foam insulation dozens of which I got for free from work. I drilled a 3/8"
hole in it (centered) to allow my rod to pass through it into the mostly ice and water used for cooling.
From start to finish entire project cost me $6.70 for the 4" PVC and $7 for 2 cans of Great Stuff, that if I had known better could have got the job done with only one. So for less than $20 I have me a rod cooling cooler that to works perfectly.
Speaking of which my rod cooler worked absolutely perfectly, cooling my just fired barrel in the low 80s to cool to the touch in about 40 seconds. This allowed me to shoot as quickly as i could care fully reload.
To any reading this who wish to shoot in hot temps above 80*, a cooling rod is the best $35 I have ever spent so far on my 10ML-II. You will literally be able to shoot as quickly as you wish.
As far as the groups I shot to day, just more of the same boring
sub-MOA to around 1.25" three shot groups with 290 TMZs, and 245 Spit Fires, but I do have one new bullet worth listing.
Much to my regret I finally tried the 250 grain TMZs I bought at the bargain basement at Cabelas about 15-18 months ago.
Knurled them up to around .454-.4545" They loaded much to tightly using the supplied yellow sabot, just a little to loosely using the yellow Harvester CR sabot but Juuuuust right using the Barnes factory blue sabot. Stupid me brought only six with and shot all six using a charge of 76 grains of H-4198. I was rewarded with two 100 yrd three shot groups both measured under 1" MOA, for nice three shot clover leafs.
I do not feel it is necessary to post any pics as I have in past posting well documented my results with TMZs and Spit Fires and 100yrds and to do so know would be redundant.
Just like to say thanks for all those who did all the work in developing the Rod Cooler and the Cooling Rod that makes it work, as I am now thanks to those who developed it, able to shoot in almost any temps above 75* limited only by my own tolerance for the heat.
Thanks,
Arthur.
However, Herman and myself kept using it and shooting as fast as we wanted. I am glad the newer bunch of shooters now on the board have taken advantage of the benefits of the cool rod. When I first started using it, I knew it was a no brainer..........It just plain works! 