I've only worked on precision with ARs in heavy barrels. I recently bought a Benelli Lupo which SHOULD be super accurate. I just started loading for it, but I'm starting to wonder how much I should be letting the barrel cool between groups. I've managed to get one round into sub MOA, but the second time through it turns to junk. I'll typically shoot 3 or 4 five round groups, all different loadings (as in everything the same except powder charge). Then I go get my target, change it out (100y), then get back to it. Let's say each shot is about 45 seconds apart. That's a guesstimate. I load each one, one at a time. (As in I don't keep anything in the magazine.) Take my time, breathe, etc, then fire. Nothing is rapid fire.
My initial thought is that my barrel is heating up a lot quicker than my ARs that had much heavier barrels. Maybe I need to wait a lot longer? I'm looking to repeat my successes, but when I shoot one group (of the same loading) at .6MOA, then the next is 1.5, it confuses the hell out of me. Is this simply an issue of the barrel getting hot? When I say "hot", I touch the barrel and say, "Yeah that's nice and warm". It's never an "ouch!" moment.
My initial thought is that my barrel is heating up a lot quicker than my ARs that had much heavier barrels. Maybe I need to wait a lot longer? I'm looking to repeat my successes, but when I shoot one group (of the same loading) at .6MOA, then the next is 1.5, it confuses the hell out of me. Is this simply an issue of the barrel getting hot? When I say "hot", I touch the barrel and say, "Yeah that's nice and warm". It's never an "ouch!" moment.