Temperature problems?

[cdet69]

I was shooting my 222 Remington today and have noticed that the cases coming out showed some flattening of the head stamp. It was about 101 degrees and after shooting three rounds the barrel was becoming real hot. This is not normal for this rifle as it does not heat up very fast. The loads were 22.0 grns of H-322 with a Speer 50 grn TNT and 20 grains of H 4198 with Hornady 55 grain V-Max. Both were using CCI BR-4 primers. Yet factory ammo did not seem to show any problems which was Remington 50 grain psp. any ideas?

 

[35 Whelen]

According to the Hodgdon website, your load with the 50 gr. is slightly below maximum...but they tested with a Hornady bullet. Your 55 gr. load however is slightly over max...they used a Speer bullet.

H322 is a double-base powder and this type powder has a tendency to be temperature sensitive. I'd back off 1/2 gr. or so and try again. H4198 is a single-base powder which should be less temperature sensitive. If you worked these loads up in cooler temps, then shoot in 100° temps, you could definitely experience a rise in pressure.

I live in north Texas and 100+ degree temps are an everyday thing (So far we've had way over 50 days of 100+ degree temps ranging from 103° to 111°) I have a range here at my house and while I love to shoot, I don't even bother when temps are 90 and above. Heck, the heat from the sun alone is plenty to heat up a blued barrel.

35W

 

[dozernomore]

funny u should mention this,I was shooting my 204 last night with my 40gr v-max and a hefty load of h4895,I did 4 shot's,grouping was perfect,but they were a lil hard to remove,bolt a lil sticky,and similar temperatures,I did this load last summer,but never shot them in a heat wave before

 

[243winxb]

showed some flattening of the head stamp.

Not sure if this is a pressure sign?? I would look for other signs. At 101 degrees, there is no air cooling of the barrel. And if the sun was shining on it, this would make it even hotter. Good reading on Pressure and Signs here > http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=375160

 

[gamestalker]

I experienced a simular thing yesterday in tripple digit temparatures too. It has been unusually humid here in Tucson which makes it harder to cool the barrels down, even in the shade. Usually the shade is a nice comfortable place to be in Tucson during a 110 or warmer day, but this monsoon season we are in is producing some high humidity as well.
My RL22 loads that I've been loading and shooting for ever are deffinitly on the hot side, but not so much so that I experience any pressure issues. But yesterday my rounds were scrotching hot from the heat index alone, and then as the barrel began to warm up it began to produce some mild high pressure signs, not to mention my velocity went up noticably.
So I would either reduce the charge a bit, or maybe wait until you have better shooting weather to see if it's deffinitly the heat causing your higher than desired pressures.