Monitor Barrel Heat with Pocket Infrared Gauges
You never want to run the barrel of a precision rifle too hot. Excessive barrel heat kills accuracy, increases copper fouling, and can cause rapid barrel throat wear. Over the years people have devised various means to cool their barrels — from electric fans to dunking in tubs of ice water.
But how do you know if your barrel is too hot? Consider a “non-contact” thermometer that reads your barrel’s “infrared signature”. The RadioShack or Kintrex pocket-sized, non-contact IR thermometers are ideal for shooters at the range or in the prairie dog fields. Both are handy and inexpensive — costing roughly twenty-five bucks ($25.00) for each device.
Pen-Sized Thermometers
Just 3.2″ long, and weighing a mere 1.3 ounces, the waterproof RadioShack and Kintrex thermometers are small enough to carry in your pocket, and will easily stow in any range bag/box. The Kintrex unit measures from -67 to 428 °F (-55 to 220 °C), while the cheaper RadioShack model measures from -27 to 230º F (-33º to 110º C). Kintrex is a respected manufacturer that also makes larger hand-held IR thermometers for industrial and shop applications. A little infrared thermometer like this is a gadget that every serious shooter should have. Given the cost of replacing barrels these days, can you afford NOT to have a temp gauge for your match or varmint barrel?
TECH TIP — How to Get More Consistent Readings
When using IR Thermometers on shiny steel barrels, sometimes the polished surface throws off the beam, causing inconsistent readings. You can solve this problem by simply putting a piece of masking tape on the area where you take your reading. Some other folks use a grease pencil to create a non-reflective spot to read. Forum Member Jon B. says: “I used an Exergen infrared in the HVAC industry. Without the grease crayon they sold, you couldn’t get an accurate reading with shiny metals.”
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SCATT Company, based in Russia, produces an advanced marksmanship training aid that is now being used by many of the world’s top prone and position shooters. The SCATT system uses a gun-mounted infrared (IR) sensor that precisely tracks the movement of the rifle during the aiming process. This tracking data can then be displayed on a computer screen or special electronic targets. In development since 1991, the SCATT system was first employed by the Russian Federation shooting team. However, the SCATT technology was released commercially and is now being used by many other national teams including: USA, China, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland.
SCATT Training Systems employ an electronic optical sensor fixed to a gun’s barrel, frame, or the compressed air cylinder of an air gun. The shooter then aims at the electronic target. A trace of the point of aim can then be followed on a ‘real-time’ display screen. When the shooter pulls the gun’s trigger, the point of impact is then displayed on the screen. (This is dry-fire only — no projectiles are loaded). All results of training sessions can be recorded for later analysis. Russian research has shown that SCATT training is both effective and efficient. Using SCATT, beginning marksmen can acquire competitive skills two to three times more quickly than with conventional practice methods alone.
SCATT Shows How an Olympian Holds
The video below shows the aiming patterns of Olympic bronze medalist Miss Snježana Pejčić, a 10m Air Rifle shooter. The SCATT system records the air rifle’s muzzle motions as green traces while Snježana dials in her aim. Her final shot positions (and scores) are recorded when the large circle appears.
SCATT Company has dealers worldwide for its training systems, electronic targets, and shooting accessories. To order SCATT systems in the USA, contact:
Center Shot Sports
www.CenterShot.com
4300 Rogers Ave., Suite 20,
Box 213
Fort Smith, AR 72903
Phone: 479-262-2584
E-mail: info [at] centershot.com
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Here’s good news for owners of Shooting Chrony Chronographs — you can purchase a Chrony LED Lamp (CLL) upgrade kit that allows your Chrony to work indoors. In addition, the new LED illuminators will enhance outdoor performance in uneven or shaded lighting conditions. The CLL kit costs $87.95 and can be ordered directly from the Shooting Chrony Website, or from vendors such as MidwayUSA.com.
Why the LED Illuminator Kit Is Needed
Shooting Chronys are popular “entry-level” chronographs. They are inexpensive to purchase and they stow compactly with their signature “folding box” design. This Editor used a Shooting Chrony (Beta Master model) for a few years with generally good results. However, I quickly learned that the Shooting Chrony gave the most reliable readings in diffuse mid-morning light with mildly overcast skies (thin cloud layer). The unit did not like to work in the late afternoon with the sun at a low angle. Likewise, uneven, shady conditions caused problems. In summertime, the ultra-bright, noontime summer sun, directly overhead, seemed to “over-power” the diffusers, causing errors. So, I learned to do my speed tests only when conditions were most favorable for the Shooting Chrony. Now, admittedly, not all Shooting Chronys are so temperamental — I’ve seen a few that worked great in bright overhead sunlight. But most Shooting Chronys do seem to struggle with shady conditions or low-angle sunlight.
LED Lamp Kit Components and Accessories
To improve Shooting Chrony reliability in all light conditions, Shooting Chrony offers a $87.95 LED kit (Item #110) that comes with LED-equipped 14″ white diffusers mounted on 16″ wire support rods. The LEDs provide a constant, consistent light source, so you can shoot in the late afternoon and evenings. The kit includes a 120V/220V AC Adapter, output 12VDC @500mA. If AC power is not available, you can run the LED Lamp with an optional 12v dc “Power Station” battery pack (Item #111, $47.95), or you can draw 12v current through an available cigarette lighter-style adapter (Item #112, $10.00).
LED Kit Users Say It Works
We haven’t tested the LED kit ourselves yet, but here’s what one kit buyer had to say:
“If you shot in poor light, you are going to miss velocities no matter what chronograph you are using. You go to all the work of assembling your handloads, set up the chronograph, and then shoot at the target through the detectors… only to get ‘Err 2′ or ‘Err 9′ and use up most or all of the carefully assembled handloads without getting any velocity data. The Chrony LED Lamp assembly has been perfect. Bright sun/no clouds, hazy/cloudy, or shadows/shade makes no difference — all the readings come through without a single ‘Err X’ code. Current draw is also surprisingly low. With the C.L.L. on for five straight hours, the battery pack still shows a full charge.”
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Monitor Barrel Heat with Pocket InfraRed Gauges
You never want to run the barrel of a precision rifle too hot. Excessive barrel heat kills accuracy, increases copper fouling, and can cause rapid barrel throat wear. Over the years people have devised various means to cool their barrels — from electric fans to dunking in tubs of ice water.
But how do you know if your barrel is too hot? Consider a “non-contact” thermometer that reads your barrel’s “infrared signature”. The Kintrex or Actron pocket-sized, non-contact IR thermometers are ideal for shooters at the range or in the prairie dog fields. Both are handy and inexpensive — costing about twenty bucks (on sale).
Pen-Sized Kintrex
Just 3.2″ long, and weighing a mere 1.3 ounces, the waterproof Kintrex IRT0401 (IP67) is small enough to carry in your pocket, and will easily stow in any range bag/box. The unit measures from -67 to 428 °F (-55 to 220 °C). Kintrex is a respected manufacturer that also makes larger hand-held IR thermometers for industrial and shop applications. Priced at just $21.11 on Amazon.com, the tiny Kintrex is one gadget that every serious shooter should have. Given the cost of replacing barrels these days, can you afford NOT to have a temp gauge for your match or varmint barrel?
Actron PocketTherm for just $18.22
The compact Actron CP7875 PocketTherm Infrared Thermometer is on sale right now on Amazon.com for just $18.22. Roughly 4″ x 1.5″ in size, it is slightly larger than the Kintrex, but still small enough to carry in a pocket. It features an angled head and may be easier to hold than the Kintrex for some users. It works instantly with intuitive one-button operation, measuring temp ranges from -27º to 428º F (-33º to 220º C). Rated battery life is 20-25 hours. The backlit display is easy to read. However, you need to place the Actron PocketTherm close to the “target”. Most larger “industrial” spot thermometers (both laser and infrared), have beam ratios from 6:1 to 10:1, allowing them to measure a 1″ circle at 6″-10″. The CP7875 has a 1:1 ratio, so it measures a 10″ circle at 10″ distance. To get an accurate temp on a barrel, you must hold the thermometer within an inch or so. That’s not a big deal when measuring barrel heat, but the beam ratio may limit the usefulness of the PocketTherm for other tasks.
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SCATT Company has 
But how do you know if your barrel is too hot? Consider a “non-contact” thermometer that reads your barrel’s “infrared signature”. The Kintrex or Actron pocket-sized, non-contact IR thermometers are ideal for shooters at the range or in the prairie dog fields. Both are handy and inexpensive — costing about twenty bucks (on sale).
