There are many tactical-style video producers on YouTube. Many of these guys, to be honest, aren’t very knowledgeable about firearms, nor are they particularly good shooters. By contrast, videos hosted by Tactical Hyve regularly feature top Action Pistol, PRS and 3-gun competitors as well as military SPECOPS veterans. The vets include SEAL team members who really know their stuff. The Tactical Hyve YouTube channel currently hosts over 560 videos! Here are seven of our favorite Tactical Hyve videos featuring highly-skilled instructors.
1. How to Aim a Pistol with Iron Sights or Red Dot
We recommend this video for persons training for a CCW permit, or who are getting started in pistol shooting competition. The video shows proper technique for using iron sights. In addition, it offers some important advice for shooting with Red Dots. Shooting with Red Dot sights can be easier than with iron sights because you only have to put the dot on the target, rather than align front blade with rear notch. But it does take some familiarization to get things right. And persons with astigmatism can have challenges with Red Dot sights.
2. Five Most Common Pistol Shooting Mistakes
In this video, Myles, the founder of Tactical Hyve, talks about the five most common pistol shooting mistakes he sees in classes and how to correct them. Many folks begin pistol shooting without a qualified instructor. Or they try to imitate what they see on TV. This can lead to new pistol shooters forming bad habits. This video helps handgunners correct those bad habits. This popular video has 1.9 million views.
3. Dry-Fire Techniques with Pistol Master Champion J.J. Ricaza
Released on 8/4/22, this is the latest video from the Tactical Hyve YouTube channel. The featured shooter, J.J. Ricaza, a multi-time Steel Challenge champion, is one of the top 10 action pistol shooters in the country. Racaza show how to dry fire like a grandmaster in this video. Dry-firing lets you polish your technique at home, and improve your skills without the cost of live ammunition.
4. Reticle Types Reviewed — MOA and MilRAD
In this video, Billy Leahy, former USCG Precision Marksmanship Instructor, talks about the common optics reticles you’ll encounter. This is a good video to watch if you are shopping for a new scope and are considering a variety of reticle types, both MilRAD (Milliradian) and MOA, SFP and FFP. In this video, Leahy covers the following reticles:
Standard Mil Dot
Leupold TMR
Nightforce Mil-XT
Horus Tremor3
Vortex EBR-7C (MRAD)
Vortex EBR-2C (MRAD)
Vortex EBR-4 (MOA)
5. Use of Tripods for Precision Rifle Competitions
In this video, retired Green Beret and nationally-ranked precision rifle shooter, Scott Satterlee, shares precision rifle tripod shooting tips. This is a “must-watch” video for PRS/NRL shooters who may use tripods in competition. This video can also benefit hunters who might use a tripod in the field.
6. Pistol and Rifle Methods for CROSS-Dominant Shooters
What is “Cross Dominance” and how do you adjust for it? Those questions are answered in this video. If your dominant eye is opposite your dominant hand, then you are cross-dominant. For example, this Editor is right-handed but my LEFT eye is dominant. So I am cross-dominant. This video starts with a simple exercise to determine your dominant eye. Then the video shows how to hold a pistol correctly if you are cross-dominant. Finally, the video shows techniques that benefit cross-dominant rifle shooters.
7. Setting Up an AR-15 for Home Defense
In this video, retired Navy SEAL Mark “Coch” Cochiolo shares how his primary AR for home defense is set up. Coch reviews various optics choices and he also explains how to mount a lamp on your home defense rifle(s). The AR-15 set-ups of ten other tactical experts are revealed in a Tactical Hyve web article. See:
In years past the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Facebook page regularly released reloading “how-to” articles each week. One “Handloading Hump Day” post covered bore-cleaning, specifically the use of pull-through style bore-snakes. Visit the USAMU Facebook page for other helpful tips.
Barrel Cleaning with Bore-Snakes
Today, we’ll shift from handloading to rifle bore cleaning and maintenance, with information courtesy of the USAMU’s Custom Firearms Shop. We recently had some inquiries about bore cleaning, and this seems a good opportunity to share. After all, even the best handloads won’t yield their full potential in a poorly-cleaned and maintained rifle.
NOTE: Hoppes claims a trademark on the term “BoreSnake” (one word, no hyphen). For this article, the USAMU has used the term in hyphenated form, two words. We believe the USAMU is referring to a Hoppes Brand Boresnake, not a different bore cleaning rope.
BORE-SNAKES: MIRACLE REPLACEMENT FOR THE CLEANING ROD?
The experiences of our both firearms test specialist and this writer have given no evidence that proper use of a clean bore-snake will damage a match barrel. Of course, one does not pull the bore-snake at an angle to the crown when removing it — pull it straight out, parallel to the bore’s direction, to prevent crown wear over time.
Bore-snakes are very useful for some applications (primarily a hasty, interim wipe-down). In [my] experience they cannot replace a thorough cleaning with a proper rod and brushes. While the experiment cited here involves rimfire, it may help illustrate. Several years ago, the writer used his new, personal Anschutz to investigate the bore-snake issue. It had been fired ~350 rds with match ammo and had had 3 typical rod/brush cleanings.
Next, starting with a clean bore, the writer fired 300 more rounds without cleaning in order to build up a “worst-case” fouling condition. Afterwards, the writer examined the bore with a Hawkeye bore scope. There was a uniform, grey film down the entire barrel, with some small, intermittent lead build-up at and just forward of the throat.
Some bore-cleaning rope products feature separate, detachable bronze brush and bore mop segments. This allows more usage options (e.g. mop only), and makes it easier to clean the brush elements:
A new bore-snake was then wet with solvent and pulled through the bore. The Hawkeye revealed that the grey fouling was gone, and much of the visible fouling at the throat was reduced. However, nine more passes with the bore-snake, checking after each with the Hawkeye, revealed no further improvement in cleaning. The writer then cleaned with two wet patches, observed, then one stroke of a new, wet bronze brush, and one wet patch to clean out residue.
The Hawkeye showed a significant reduction in fouling at the throat; it was virtually gone. A second pass with a wet bronze brush and a wet patch removed the remaining fouling. Scrubbing the bore further, checking to see how much fouling was removed, revealed no significant improvement. The reason for this test was to learn what’s needed to get (and keep) this Anschutz clean with minimal cleaning rod use — and thus, minimal risk of bore damage/wear. Leaving fouling in the bore promotes corrosion over time.
Obviously, this applies to a nice, smooth rimfire match barrel, using good, well lubed ammo. It doesn’t apply directly to the use of copper-jacketed bullets, which leave a stubborn fouling all their own. However, it does suggest that while the bore-snake can be helpful and a useful field-expedient, to truly clean a rifle barrel one will still need a good quality rod, bronze brush and solvents. [Editor: Add a good-fitting cleaning rod bore guide.]
SO, WHAT ABOUT BORE SNAKES FOR BARREL BREAK-IN?
The goal of barrel break-in is to fire each shot through a clean barrel, preventing copper buildup and allowing the bullets their best chance at burnishing sharp edges. Thus, it seems this purpose would be best served by one’s usual rods, brushes and rod guides.
CMP Guide to Target Shooting with Vintage Military Rifles
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has released VMR: Target Shooting With Vintage Military Rifles, a detailed book by Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus. Gary himself was a world-class marksman who earned two Olympic Gold medals in rifle shooting.
The CMP says this 284-page illustrated book is “likely the most comprehensive manuscript ever written about the methods of training and competing with popular American and foreign vintage military rifles.” Fans of vintage military rifles will likely find this 18-chapter book “to be the most complete coverage of the topic, from a competitor’s and historian’s point of view”, said Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief.
Anderson definitely has the credentials — he won Olympic Gold Medals in Tokyo and Mexico City in the 1960s. Gary also set multiple U.S. and international records. The originator of the CMP’s competitive vintage rifle program, Anderson set out to present a detailed manual covering all aspects of shooting vintage military rifles. The book covers 1903 Springfield, U.S. Krag, 1917 U.S. Enfield, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine and many more, including rifles from “across the pond.”
Target Shooting With Vintage Military Rifles Topics:
Origins and Fundamentals of Marksmanship
Operation, Cleaning, Loading & Unloading
Sight Adjustment, Zeroing & Fine Tuning
Highpower Rifle Match Procedures
Firing Rifles in Competition
Prone, Sitting and Standing Position Building
Using a Scorebook/Databook
Strategies for Improvement
Critical Value of the Sling
Rifle and Range Safety
Purchase Online at CMP E-Store
This new Gary Anderson book is sold through the CMP E-Store for $29.95. You can also print out and submit the CMP Publications order form (order item NLU # 792, $29.95). The CMP stores in Alabama and Ohio will also carry the new Gary Anderson book.
You may have heard the phrase “blueprinting an action”, but do you know what that really means? Do you know what operations are done to an action during the blueprinting process? To help you understand, gunsmith Bill Marr of RifleShooter.com has created a helpful article showing a Rem 700 blueprinting job start to finish. This article spotlights how the procedures can be done with manual tools. Bill, who runs 782 Custom Gunworks Ltd., can also perform many of these operations with modern automated machinery. In fact, Bill has written a follow-up article on Truing a Rem 700 receiver with a Lathe.
Bill explains: “Blue-printing, or truing a rifle action, ensures the receiver face, threads, lugs, bolt lugs, and bolt face are square to the center line of the receiver.” In Bill’s informative article, Bill shows how he blueprints a Remington 700 short action receiver with .308 Win bolt face. He covers the following procedures step by step:
Action Disassembly
Ream Minor Diameter of Receiver Threads
Square the Receiver Lugs
Square the Face of the Receiver
Lap the Bolt Lugs
Square the Bolt Face
We use the bushings to guide the receiver tap. This chases the threads and ensures they are square.
2. Truing the Receiver Face
Using the receiver facing tool, the front of the receiver is trued. The tool is placed over the tap and turned by hand. We used Do Drill to lubricate it.
3. Lapping the Lugs
The bolt lapping tool screws into the front of the action and applies rearward pressure on the bolt face. A little bit of lapping compound is placed on the front of the receiver lugs. The bolt handle is then raised and lowered repeatedly. Note — it is critical that we do not get any lapping compound on any other surfaces.
4. Truing the Bolt Face
On this bolt, the central part of the bolt face was low. After the truing operation, this Rem 700 bolt face is now completely square to the action.
IMPORTANT: Rifleshooter.com states: “This article highlights our project and is presented for information purposes only. This provides an overview of the process and should not be attempted without the guidance and supervision of an experienced gunsmith“.
Though the worst shortages are behind us, quality ammunition remains hard to find, or fairly costly, particularly for popular cartridge types such as .22 LR, 9x19mm (9mm Luger), .357 Mag, .223 Rem (5.56×45) and 6.5 Creedmoor. And 12ga shotguns ammo has also been in short supply. In this article we list 15 reliable online sources for factory-loaded ammo. You may want to bookmark this page so you can quickly scan and price-check multiple vendors. In addition, you can use a service such as AmmoSeek.com. NOTE: There are complex laws restricting online ammo purchases by California residents.
Why Should You Shop for Ammo Online?
By shopping online for ammo, you can save money, get a wider selection, and often get bulk discounts. GunDeals.com explains the advantages: “Online purchases will save you a lot of money, and that is the biggest advantage, but that is not all, it will also save your time, deliveries are usually really fast, but one of the most important advantages is definitively the huge selection. You will be able to find any ammo brand online[.]” With online retailers you can quickly compare prices, and you will often get a discount on a large order (300 rounds or more) that is not available in local stores. Note, with some large vendors such as Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse you can order online then pick up in a local store.
Are There Restrictions on Online Ammo Purchasing?
In most (but not all) U.S. states is it legal to order ammunition online to be shipped to your residence. However, you MUST check your State and local laws and regulations. In some states and/or cities, it is ILLEGAL to purchase ammunition online for shipment across state lines with direct delivery. For example, in California, all ammo must be purchased from a licensed ammo dealer/vendor with a state background check (so much for the Second Amendment)*. Likewise Washington DC, Hawaii, and Alaska do not allow online ammunition purchases. And there are restrictions in New York City.
*In some instances ammo can be purchased online from an out-of-state seller who will then ship to an authorized, in-state California vendor who may transfer the ammo for a fee with background checks as required by CA law.
Watch this video to see how a sound suppressor (aka “silencer”, “moderator”, or “can”) is constructed, start to finish. It’s more complicated than you might expect — there are quite a few stages in the process. The video below shows the fabrication of a SilencerCo Octane 45 suppressor:
SilencerCo writes: “What, exactly, goes into making a silencer? It may be more than you’d expect. From cutting metal to chemical baths, to extensive quality control every step of the way, our streamlined process is more than just a few steps. Watch our newest video, HOW IT’S MADE: Octane 45, to catch a glimpse behind SilencerCo’s doors.”
How Loud Are Unsuppressed Rifles?
Firearms Are Loud — 140 dB to 175 dB. ASHA explains: “Almost all firearms create noise that is over the 140-dB level. Exposure to noise greater than 140 dB can permanently damage hearing. A small .22-caliber rifle can produce noise around 140 dB, while big-bore rifles and pistols can produce sound over 175 dB. Firing guns in a place where sounds can reverberate, or bounce off walls and other structures, can make noises louder and increase the risk of hearing loss. Also, adding muzzle brakes or other modifications can make the firearm louder. People who do not wear hearing protection while shooting can suffer a severe hearing loss with as little as one shot[.]” Source: ASHA, Recreational Firearm Noise Exposure.
How Much Does a Good Suppressor Really Reduce Firearm Sound Levels?
That depends on the rifle, the cartridge, and the effectiveness of the suppressor. American Hunter explains: “Suppressors retard the speed of propellant gases from the cartridge that rapidly expand and rush out of the barrel. It’s these gases that produce the loud boom that’s heard for miles. A suppressor’s series of internal baffles slows these gases so they are not all released at once, thereby muffling the sound.” Many good commercial suppressors can achieve 30-35 dB sound suppression. However, Zak Smith of Thunder Beast Arms says: “There are a bunch of manufacturers who publish values that are not reproducible, or use an ad-hoc test instead of a mil-spec test. In many cases we’ve tested the exact same suppressors they’ve advertised with 30-40 dB reductions and found they are actually in the high 20s instead.”
Again, for this reason, we recommend that hunters use ear protection, such as electronic muffs, even when shooting suppressed.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Bruno’s — Large Selection of McMillan Stocks 10% OFF
⏺ Great savings on quality McMillan fiberglass stocks
McMillan stocks are world-renowned for competition, tactical/precision, benchrest, and hunting applications. We found a rare deal on McMillan stocks at Bruno Shooters Supply. Find one for your next rifle project and save 10% instantly during checkout. Bruno’s has 60+ McMillan stocks available now for 10% OFF. There are many stock varieties — benchrest, hunting, tactical, F-Class. Some of these stocks may also qualify for FREE Shipping.
2. Midsouth — Berger Bullets In Stock!
⏺ Grab these great Berger Bullets before they sell out
Berger makes top-tier competition bullets but the most popular calibers have been in short supply lately. The good news is that Midsouth Shooters Supply just got a huge shipment of Berger bullets in many calibers and grain weights. This is one of the biggest Berger bullet drops we’ve seen in the past year, so don’t hesitate if you need good match bullets.
3. Graf & Sons — Ammo Sale with FREE TRI-Can Carrier
⏺ Good prices with excellent three-compartment ammo carrier
Here’s a great chance to stock up on quality .223 Rem ammunition. Right now Grafs.com is running a big sale on .223 Remington Ammo from leading makers such as Federal, Norma, Nosler, Barnes, and Winchester. As an additional incentive, if you spend $150 or more on in-stock ammo, you get the excellent Berry Tri-Can ammo carrier for free.
4. Amazon — Teslong Rigid Borescope with Monitor, $135.99
⏺ Excellent borescope complete with monitor — everything you need
Teslong borescopes let you evaluate barrel fouling and gauge the effectiveness of your cleaning regimen. We recommend the $135.99 Teslong Borescope with rigid shaft and Teslong monitor. This can use either the included monitor or your mobile device. There are other good Teslong models. We also like the rigid shaft no monitor version for $99.99 which plugs into your smartphone or tablet. There is also a less expensive flexible unit with monitor for $76.28. This uses a flexible cord rather than a metal shaft.
5. Natchez — Major Rifle and Pistol Ammunition Sale
⏺ Excellent prices, large selection of pistol and rifle ammunition
If you’re in the market for ammunition, check out the giant Natchez Ammo Mix Sale. You’ll find an great assortment of brands and calibers all at prices up to 35% off. This is a great time to stock up with quality ammo for pistols and rifles.
6. Midway — Magpul Bipod Sale
⏺ Strong high-quality bipods at significant savings, good for PRS
Whether you’re a hunter, plinker, or target shooter, a sturdy bipod is a must. And, right now, the excellent Magpul Bipods are available at significant discounts — up to 20% off normal retail prices. NOTE: You must add the bipod to your MidwayUSA shopping cart to see the near 20% Off prices: $89.99 for Magpul 933 M-Lok, $89.99 for 933 Picatinny Rail, and $104.99 for Magpul Sling Stud QD.
7. Midsouth — Lyman Tac-Mat Shooting Mat, $56.31
⏺ Thick padded mat offers more comfort with good length and carry handle
Comfort counts when you’re on the ground for hours. We like this Lyman Tac-Mat 71″ x 36″ shooting mat. It has more padding than most mats, providing significantly better comfort. Midsouth is currently offering these excellent Lyman mats for $56.31 in tan or $56.31 in black. That’s a great deal. This same Lyman shooting mat currently costs $75.19 on Amazon.
8. Amazon — OTIS Elite Cleaning Kit, $99.99
⏺ Very complete universal kit for all firearms
All firearms owners need quality tools for cleaning their pistols, rifles, and shotguns. A good choice is the Otis Elite Cleaning Kit. This universal gun cleaning kit comes complete with over 60 components for all rifles, pistols, shotguns and inline muzzleloaders, including a full tactical cleaning kit all contained in a lightweight, portable case and the best part is that it’s made in the USA.
9. Amazon — Crosman Legacy Air Rifle, $47.25
Here’s a great bargain in a basic airgun. This works for short-range plinking and can be a good training rig for someone new to shooting. The .177 Caliber Crosman Legacy air rifle which weighs just under five pounds boasts an all-weather synthetic stock and forearm. This Crosman Legacy can shoot .177 pellets or BBs with a built-in 850 BB reservoir. This inexpensive, little air rifle comes complete with 4x15mm scope and fiber optic front/rear blade sights.
10. Amazon — Tactical Pistol Light, $30.99
⏺ Good price on rugged lamp that fits pistol front rails
Do you own a Glock, Sig, HK, CZ, or Walther pistol with a standard under-barrel frame rail? A useful accessory is the 600 Lumen AUCLAYTEC Tactical Pistol Light. Get the unit with one battery for $30.99, or (as shown) with two batteries for $32.99. Crafted from aircraft aluminum, this pistol light comes with rechargeable battery and charger.
AR-platform rifles can be maintenance-intensive beasts. They need regular inspection, cleaning, and lubrication. But some AR owners make the situation worse by not regularly cleaning important small parts, or by using too MUCH oily/greasy lubricants in the wrong places. A properly maintained and lubricated AR15 can shoot hundreds of rounds (between cleanings) without a problem. If you learn where (and where not) to apply lubricant, you’ll find that your AR will run more reliably and the task of cleaning the bolt, bolt carrier, and upper receiver internals will be less of a burden.
Here we showcase videos that show how to field-strip an AR-15, inspect the key parts, clean components, and lubricate internal parts as needed. Along with these videos, we recommend you read the comprehensive AR-15 Gun Cleaning Clinic article on the Brownells website. This explains in detail important procedures that the videos might only cover in a few seconds.
If you want to keep your black rifle running smoothly and reliably, you must clean it regularly and follow the correct maintenance procedures. Here are five videos that explain how to properly disassemble and clean AR-platform rifles.
1. How To Clean Your AR-15 | Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
This is a quick 90-second starter video that may help new AR owners. Ricky Lehnhardt of OTIS Technology demonstrates the basics of cleaning and maintaining your AR-15. Lehnhardt does a good job identifying the points that need cleaning on the inside of ARs. However he works very quickly in the video. You may want to pause the video at some points. Also, Lehnhardt employs a cable for pulling patches and brushes through the barrel. Yes this is fast and easy. However, for match AR rifles, we recommend that you instead use a cleaning ROD with fitted bore guide.
2. Take-Down and Full Cleaning of AR-15 by Jerry Miculek
Here ace shooter Jerry Miculek takes down and cleans an AR-platform rifle belonging to his daughter Lena. This is a good video because Lena’s rifle was “run hard and packed up dirty” so you can see where carbon and grease build up. This 35-minute video is very thorough. Jerry is one of the nation’s top action carbine shooters, so listen carefully to his advice on cleaning and lubrication.
3. AR-15 Maintenance: Field-strip, Clean and Lubricate an AR-15
Gunsite Academy instructor and gunsmith Cory Trapp demonstrates the proper way to field-strip, clean, and lubricate an AR-15 carbine. In this 30-minute video, Trapp offers several important technical tips and hints. For example, at 11:05 Trap demonstrates how to determine if your bolt needs new gas rings. Along with cleaning procedures, this video explains how to inspect key components and how to function-test your AR before each shooting session.
4. AR-15 Dissassembly and Cleaning Guide
This video does a good job, with close-ups, showing how to remove the bolt carrier and clean the inside of the upper receiver. Then you can see how to work with various tools to clean the bolt, bolt carrier, and inside of chamber. We also recommend that you inspect the ejector recess and extractor recess. When we’ve inspected ARs that failed to cycle properly, we have often found nasty gunk (mixture of carbon, greasy lube, and brass particles) in these areas.
5. Basic AR-15 Quick and Easy Field Maintenance
In this NSSF-sponsored video, pro shooter Ryan Muller demonstrates basic, quick field maintenance of his AR-15. This would be for a quick cleaning and lubrication of the reciprocating parts. This covers rapid maintenance in the field. For full field-stripping and thorough cleaning, watch the previous videos.
Handy Mat for Cleaning AR Rifles
When working on an AR-15, it’s smart to have a pad that can absorb solvents and cushion your upper and lower. The $22.49 Real Avid Smart Mat is a good choice. This features printed take-down instructions and it has a handy parts tray on the right side. The mat rolls up for convenient storage. Click HERE to learn more.
Vital Inspections You Should Do After Disassembly
Last but not least, here are recommended inspections you should do every time you do a full field-strip and cleaning of your black rifle:
CZ-USA has released its new 600 Lux model, part of the CZ 600 series. With an $849.00 MSRP, this handsome rifle features a nice walnut stock, traditional ergonomics, and 60-degree bolt throw. Notably, each 600 Lux rifle comes with a sub-MOA guarantee. The 600 Lux features a dark nitrided barreled action with a very handsome oil-finished, select-grade walnut stock.
The stock’s comb geometry is optimized for use with both optics and the fiber-optic equipped iron sights while retaining the iconic look of the Bavarian-style comb. Fish-scale checkering and a decorative fore-end complete the look.
The 600 Lux is offered with four popular chamberings: .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum. The 600 Lux has a hammer-forged light (sporter) contour barrel with a suppressor-ready muzzle. Depending on the cartridge, barrels are available from 20 to 24 inches. The Lux features an oversized wooden bolt knob for improved control with gloved hands. There is controlled round feed, plus cocking indicator.
For enhanced reliability the CZ 600 Lux employs a short extractor, controlled-round-feed design. A patented, 2-position tang safety is intuitive to use and virtually silent. The detachable magazine allows quick reloads, and the magazine can be topped-up via the ejection port for convenience.
CZ 600 Lux Specifications:
Chambering: .223 Rem, .308 Win, .30-06, .300 Win Mag
Rate of Twist: 1:7, 1:10, 1:10, 1:10
Magazine Type: Detachable, with mag lock
Magazine Capacity: 5, 3 (.300 Win Mag)
Stock: Turkish walnut, Bavarian-style
Length of Pull: 14-inches
Sights: Iron rear and fiber-optic front
Scope Mount: Receiver drilled & tapped for Rem 700-type bases
Barrel: Cold hammer forged and threaded (suppressor-ready)
Barrel Length: 20-inches; 24-inches (.300 Win Mag)
Trigger: Single-stage, adjustable (4-positions)
Overall Length: 39.26″, 40.94″, 41.45″, 45.46″
Safety: Vertical, silent 2-Position
MSRP: $849.00
August is almost here, so we’re near the peak heat of summer. We are already seeing extremely hot conditions in many areas of the country. You never want your barrels to get too hot, which can happen more quickly in summertime. Accuracy suffers when barrels over-heat, and excessive heat is not good for barrel life. So how do you monitor your barrel’s temperature? You can check if the barrel is “warm to the touch” — but that method is not particularly precise. There is a better way — using temperature-sensitive strips. McMaster.com (an industrial supply house) offers stick-on temp strips with values from 86° F to 140° F. A pack of ten (10) of these horizontal strips (item 59535K13) costs $13.16. That’s a mere $1.32 per barrel for strips — cheap insurance for your precious barrels. For best barrel life, try to stay under 120 degrees F.
NOTE: On the McMaster.com website, you’ll need to scroll down to the multi-use “Temperature Indicating Labels”. Then click on the horizontal label and select item 59535K13, as shown below.
Forum member Nomad47 says: “I have temperature strips (bought at McMaster-Carr) on all my barrels. I try not to shoot when the barrel gets to 122 degrees or higher[.]” Here are photos of the McMaster-Carr temp strips on Nomad47’s customized Savage.
Bad things can happen if your barrel gets too hot. First, with some barrels, the point of impact (POI) will shift or “walk” as the barrel heats up excessively. Second, even if the POI doesn’t change, the groups can open up dramatically when the barrel gets too hot. Third, if the barrel is very hot, the chamber will transfer heat to your loaded cartridge, which can lead to pressure issues. Finally, there’s considerable evidence that hot barrels wear out faster. This is a very real concern, particularly for varmint shooters who may shoot hundreds of rounds in a day. For this reason, many varminters switch among various guns, never letting a particular barrel get too hot.
Neconos.com offers BAR-L Temp Strips that visually display heat readings from 86 to 140 degrees. Think of these strips as compact, unbreakable thermometers that monitor barrel heating.
Put a strip on the side of the barrel and the barrel’s temp will be indicated by a stripe that changes from black to green. There is also a “general purpose” strip that reads to 196 degrees (see bottom row). The Benchrest model strip (86°F to 140°F) is in the middle. These Bar-L temp strips cost $12.70 each, or $25.00 for a 3-pack.
NOTE: These strips can be permanently fixed to the barrel with the heavy-duty clear plastic tape strip provided with the BAR-L Temp strip.
Bore-snakes are very useful for some applications (primarily a hasty, interim wipe-down). In [my] experience they cannot replace a thorough cleaning with a proper rod and brushes. While the experiment cited here involves rimfire, it may help illustrate. Several years ago, the writer used his new, personal Anschutz to investigate the bore-snake issue. It had been fired ~350 rds with match ammo and had had 3 typical rod/brush cleanings. 
