Vancouver, WA (June 16, 2020) It’s summertime – prime time to burn some powder and have some fun sending rounds downrange. Helix 6 Precision Carbon Fiber barrels use cutting-edge technology to help you achieve the utmost accuracy when the heat is on.
Heat affects rifle barrel accuracy, ammo pressure, and target clarity. Rising temperatures magnify these effects. Upgrading to a Helix 6 Precision carbon fiber barrel and following these tips will help you achieve your best scores this summer.
Barrel
There’s no way to defy physics – rapid-fire shooting drives barrel temperatures up, fast! Thanks to a proprietary high carbon to low resin ratio barrel design, Helix 6 Precision’s Carbon Fiber Barrel dissipates this heat quickly.
Pro Tip: Don’t let your barrel overheat. Keeping your rifle in the shade keeps the sun from warming it. After leaving the firing line standing your hot rifle in a rack with the barrel up and the action open, creates a chimney effect, drawing cooler air in from the breech as hot air escapes from the muzzle. Together, these tactics will help your rifle keep its cool.
Ammo
Sweltering summer temperatures adversely affect ammo performance. Some powders are less temperature sensitive than others. Still, it’s best to take precautions when daytime temperatures are above normal (the temperature used when developing a load or testing ammo).
Pro Tip: Keep ammunition out of the direct sun – a range bag works well if there’s no shade available. In scorching weather, consider a soft-side cooler bag with a freezer pack to give hot air the cold shoulder. When using a bolt gun, do not close the bolt on a cartridge until you’re ready to fire. ‘Cooking’ a cartridge in a hot chamber increases pressure and will likely affect point of impact. When possible, it’s a good idea to test your ammo in the conditions you plan to shoot.
Mirage
Mirage is the refraction of light as it passes from warmer air to cooler air. Shooters encounter two types of mirage – inferior mirage and barrel mirage. When observed through a riflescope, inferior mirage shifts the apparent position of the target upward. Wind complicates this by making the target appear to move to the left or right. In hot temps and high winds, inferior mirage may block out the target entirely. On the plus side, mirage can be helpful, allowing shooters to estimate the wind speed and direction and compensate accordingly.
Barrel mirage is the heat shimmer that comes off a hot barrel. The rising heat makes the target appear to waver around. Barrel mirage occurs faster when using a suppressor.
Pro Tip: Helix 6 Precision Carbon fiber barrels generate less barrel mirage due to their design and materials. Upgrading to a carbon fiber barrel reduces the effects of barrel heat when compared to traditional barrels. Barrel mirage can be eliminated by wrapping suppressors and adding a simple DIY mirage shield.
Enjoy your summer season with some range time. Try some of these hot-weather range tips to help keep your downrange results consistent!
Helix 6 Precision began with the singular goal of producing the world’s finest carbon fiber barrel. For 20 years it has been their passion to build the finest precision rifles available using only premium components. Bad experiences and dissatisfaction with the industry’s carbon fiber barrels led them to seek out the world’s most innovative engineers in carbon fiber design and fabrications.
We continue to push the limits of innovation to improve our process and products. We use only premium materials and cutting edge manufacturing technology, to produce the highest quality, handcrafted, carbon fiber barrel on the market. 100% Made in USA.
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