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Smokeless Mzl Cooling rod?

Copper tube full of lead. Dipped in a cooler. The lead isn't required but seemed to help.

Make a couple so you don't have to wait for them to cool back down.
 
thanks, maybe a link.... I assume the tube needs to be length of the barrel?

Also I would assume if it is put on ice, dried before going in the barrel, or keep ice in ziplock bags to avoid it getting wet?

I seen a link a couple months back of a guy using a plastic tube on a blowup mattress motor to blow air down barrel to help cool?
http://www.handloadersbench.com/forum99/14995.html

You would think they would make a battery powered, or electric cooling rod.
 
Here's a link for the cooling rod. http://dougva.proboards.com/index.cgi?b ... 675&page=1 He uses a solid aluminum rod which would probably work better than the copper/lead combo (I couldn't find any when I built mine).

The blower works, just not as fast. For my 45-70 conversion I've been using a 24" long piece of 1/4" copper tube with a ball valve attached to one end and I'll insert it into my barrel and use compressed air to cool the barrel. It works, just not as quickly as the cooling rod on my Savage.
 
I don't use one.I think it produces fake results.If all your shooting for is small groups on paper,then yes use it.But if your wanting to see what your gun will do for hunting purposes,I wouldn't use it. I shoot my first shot,wait 5 mins,then everyshot after my 2nd shot I wait 15 mins in between shots.I've not had a blown sabot yet.And I was shooting back in August.
 
cecil30-30 said:
I don't use one.I think it produces fake results.If all your shooting for is small groups on paper,then yes use it.But if your wanting to see what your gun will do for hunting purposes,I wouldn't use it. I shoot my first shot,wait 5 mins,then everyshot after my 2nd shot I wait 15 mins in between shots.I've not had a blown sabot yet.And I was shooting back in August.
Click to expand...
To accurately mimic hunting conditions you would need to shoot only when the ambient temps are the exact same as the morning temps of ML season. All the cooling rod or any other cooling device accomplishes is removing the waiting times between shots. Waiting 15 mins between shots is fine if you have all day to develop a load and sight your gun in but for those of us that only have the time between getting off work and dark, the cooling rods help.

How would the cooling rod give you fake results?
 
Rubberduck270 said:
Here's a link for the cooling rod. http://dougva.proboards.com/index.cgi?b ... 675&page=1 He uses a solid aluminum rod which would probably work better than the copper/lead combo (I couldn't find any when I built mine).

The blower works, just not as fast. For my 45-70 conversion I've been using a 24" long piece of 1/4" copper tube with a ball valve attached to one end and I'll insert it into my barrel and use compressed air to cool the barrel. It works, just not as quickly as the cooling rod on my Savage.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link... I've got the understanding down now.
 
I test loads Jan-Feb - when the winds are low. No cooling rod needed for me. Completing testing at hunting temps mimics my seasons.

If I needed a cooling rod then my homework would be late, wrong, and graded F.

Hint...
 
ewc said:
I test loads Jan-Feb - when the winds are low. No cooling rod needed for me. Completing testing at hunting temps mimics my seasons.

If I needed a cooling rod then my homework would be late, wrong, and graded F.

Hint...
Click to expand...

Lol I took the hint but thinking about a 45/70 conversion. I can't go back to January so looking to improvise.
 
ewc said:
Well then my advice is to save your money. You'll be fine without.
Click to expand...

Although I greatly value your smokeless advice I enjoy shooting throughout the year and have used cooling rods with great success since I first read Richards post. If this guy wants to shoot throughout the year why not just wish him luck?
 
I've been shooting muzzle loaders for close to forty years and have never heard of anyone using a cooling rod. Interesting insight on smokeless muzzleloading, though.
 
By all means use the cooling rod to shoot through the dog days of summer BUT do not count on those same results come late fall/winter. I tried the rod long before Richard came along and can tell you this for a fact....that darling 68-69 grn load of N120 punching those tiny holes in the mid 80s with the cooling rod will break your heart down to 35 degrees with out the rod by blowing sabots. Dont be lulled into a false sense of security with the cooling rod results gained in the 80 degree plus temps.I like many seasoned smokeless shooters prefer do our testing through Oct-March in real world conditions. You then know for a fact where a given loads POI will be within a certain temperature parameter.I know of no one who packs a cooling rod to the woods? Rossman over on Dougs is the one to talk to to get your cooling rod. A good guy to deal with.
 

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