My Pet Browning

[Three44s]

Today I went to my one of my favorite lead repositories with a Browning A Bolt II I traded for about 10 years ago. It's a BOSS with the conventional recoil end piece. I wish it was the brake instead.

The rifle is blued with the factory synthetic stock and it's chambered in .25-06.

I have a good supply of the Speer 87 gr TNT HP and that's what I was test firing today.

It was just shy of 100 degrees and getting the barrel cool was just about glacial!

The rifle has been a consistent .600" shooter at 100 yds. until now ......

I do a lot of work with the more common varmint rounds, mostly going after coyotes and while 25-06 is considered dual purpose, it is a bit heavy on recoil for steady usage in that role.

A fellow local coyote shooter talked me into trying some different seating depths with this rifle and MAN, I am hooked!

Today, 3 of the 5 load combos (3 of 5 groups) were sub half inch with one coming in at .225"!

I can see the utility in putting a scope with more beans on it also as it tops out at 7x right now.

Color me happy!

Three44s

[Barry54]

That’s fantastic! Congratulations. How far off the lands was your sweet spot?

I took plenty of whitetail with 117 Game kings and Retumbo.

[Three44s]

That’s fantastic! Congratulations. How far off the lands was your sweet spot?

I took plenty of whitetail with 117 Game kings and Retumbo.

Thanks

About .015"

But I plan on testing more

I am also thinking on building or buying a barrel cooling system. My waits on natural cool down were atrocious yesterday and that cartridge heats fast. First two rounds and it was hot, then it was one at a time spaced way out!

At that I was pushing and I do not like doing that!

Best regards

Three44s

[HWooldridge]

My son had an older model 70 in 25-06. It would consistently yield dime sized groups at 100 yards with factory ammo, if the monkey holding it did his part.

Congrats on your results!

[RickinTN]

I have been impressed with that Speer TNT bullets' accuracy. I have ordered more in the different bore sizes I shoot but just can't seem to get the time to load them and try them out. I have a new to me 222 which I hope to try the 50 gr TNT in soon.
Take care,
Rick

[country gent]

25-06 in that rifle will do fine on varmints with the right bullets. I used a 700 ADL in 25-06 on varmints here for a few years, You are right the lighter sporter barrels heat up fast and cool slow.

A 12 volt air compressor and coil of copper tubing to a small hose with a case affixed to it. will make a cooler.

The copper coil is rolled to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. the air goes in at the bottom of the bucket and comes out at the top. from here a small hose with the case to slide into the chamber.

Fill the bucket with ice inside and around the coil. you only need a few PSI flow ( probably 3-5 psi) Low flow is better to give time to pull heat. to much air flow and your blowing air to fast to remove heat. One of the oil less air brush compressors or maybe even a fish tank aerator would work.

A thing to remember is compressed air is hot when produced. The bucket of ice cools it and makes it cool the barrel better. You want well sealed joints out of the ice water as theres no reason to push water thru the bore, condensation on humid days may be a issue.

Another is to keep the rifle out of the sun as the blued surfaces will build heat fast.
3/8" or 1/2" copper tubingt coiled up and reduced to 1/4" tubing out side of the bucket. Drill out a case head and solder in a piece of 1/4" brass tubing to a fix to the tubing. ( remove bolt slide in back of action so case is chambered and turn on compressor). Air flows thru the copper tubing up thru the ice cooling it into the chamber and out thru barrel.

[Barry54]

25-06 in that rifle will do fine on varmints with the right bullets. I used a 700 ADL in 25-06 on varmints here for a few years, You are right the lighter sporter barrels heat up fast and cool slow.

A 12 volt air compressor and coil of copper tubing to a small hose with a case affixed to it. will make a cooler.

The copper coil is rolled to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. the air goes in at the bottom of the bucket and comes out at the top. from here a small hose with the case to slide into the chamber.

Fill the bucket with ice inside and around the coil. you only need a few PSI flow ( probably 3-5 psi) Low flow is better to give time to pull heat. to much air flow and your blowing air to fast to remove heat. One of the oil less air brush compressors or maybe even a fish tank aerator would work.

A thing to remember is compressed air is hot when produced. The bucket of ice cools it and makes it cool the barrel better. You want well sealed joints out of the ice water as theres no reason to push water thru the bore, condensation on humid days may be a issue.

Another is to keep the rifle out of the sun as the blued surfaces will build heat fast.
3/8" or 1/2" copper tubingt coiled up and reduced to 1/4" tubing out side of the bucket. Drill out a case head and solder in a piece of 1/4" brass tubing to a fix to the tubing. ( remove bolt slide in back of action so case is chambered and turn on compressor). Air flows thru the copper tubing up thru the ice cooling it into the chamber and out thru barrel.

I love your idea! I wish we lived closer to each other so I could check out some of the interesting things you’ve put together!!

In an air conditioning system or refrigeration system there’s an expansion valve or orifice. Right there is where the “cooling” happens. If you used compressed air in the above setup, I’d keep it all high pressure right up to the point where you let it blow through your barrel.

And the above is a refrigerated air dryer. So moisture in the air will condense inside the air line when run through the copper/ice water heat exchanger. An in-line water separator at the exit of the bucket will be a good idea, unless you are using in in a location and or time of the year where the dew point of the ambient air is below 32° when you are shooting.

[Three44s]

I added .25-06 to my list of cartridges for very long range coyotes. I do not keep pelts and I like the TNT series of jacketed bullets because of its rapid energy transfer.

I have thought about using an ice chest and air compressor for barrel cooling. I have a tank that may be for CO2 and I might see about having it inspected and filled if possible.

My shooting position was shadded yesterday. That was the only advantage I had then.

Thanks and best regards

Three44s

[charlie b]

I started using a barrel cooler this summer. I already use a shade for the bench and I get to the range at sunrise. My cast bullet rifle needs to be swabbed after every 30 rounds so it gets cooled off in that process as well.

Years ago when I lived in AZ I had a 'truck' gun that I plinked with a lot. I'd just pour some water over it between magazine reloads. Didn't seem to hurt it any but I didn't shoot at tiny targets either.