20” CF Creed: how bad will this suck for a 2-day PRS match?

[earthquake]

I’m shooting only 1 match this year, Guardian at Cameo in August. I am hosting 2 new shooters and letting them use my rifles, both 6.5 Creed. I originally planned on chambering another so we’d all have similar data since there’s 1 (my) Kestrel between the three of us.

But I don’t want to drop almost a G-note on yet another 6.5 for one match, so I got to thinking, fuck it, what about using a 20” Proof CF barrel I’ve had lying around unused forever? It looks cool as hell suppressed in my MDT anyway.

How bad is this going to suck at a 2-day PRS style match? Is it going to heat up too much too quick? It’s going to be hot as balls in Grand Junction in August. If the difference is too much between the other two 26” tubes, I would have to run 2 separate profiles anyway so I may as well shoot my Dasher. What day the Hide?

 

[diverdon]

At least one of the new shooters you're generously hosting will crap out, so you'll have that rifle.

 

[KnowNothing256]

You can cool a barrel off quite quickly by placing a wet towel on the barrel. Helps if there’s low humidity, which there would be at that match.

Hope that helps!

 

[1911Shootist]

You can expect it to be ~100-150 fps slower, and average ~1.5 moa 10 shot groups if it’s anything like mine and the others I’ve seen in action. They can do 10-12 rounds without getting too hot, but I’d consider forced cooling, keeping it in the shade, &/or the wet towel method (just don’t expect it to cool as fast as steel, carbon composite is a great insulator.)

 

[earthquake]

Cool, thanks. Looks like I’ll try and get a barrel fan and keep a wet towel with me.

 

[JustSendit]

I hammer 10rds groups sub MOA with *a lot of my CF barrels some have been so/so. I think it’s just worth testing.

Your biggest issue is stability at PRS matches with practically weighted rifles. I can group the same with a lighter rifle it just takes longer to regain stability and press when I am comfortable that I’ve got acceptable wobble.

Side by side with my 22lbs PRS rifle vs a 13lbs CF, I am consistently 10-15 sec slower running a PRS barricade as I am waiting for that 2moa’ish stability. I also just drop a few stupid shots with the light rifle I wouldn’t with the heavy just because I am not target focused. Recoil with 6cm, I mean, it’s not much but with the lighter rifle it’s enough that it’s worth reducing power a few X.

Prone and modified prone, no worries, I believe I run light and heavy very similarly here.

I don’t think you’ll win but with good fundamentals I’d say you could crack top 20% and beat many rifles that are built for the purposes. Maybe that depends on how many barricade vs prone/mod prone stages. Either way, you have a built in excuse to do poorly… it’s why I shot TAC I gloat when I beat all the 6s and then say obviously I did bad cause #308.

Edit: also I thought carbon barrels were better at dissipation… like I am pretty sure they are. My Sendro Proof CF barrels do not give off more mirage than my steel competition barrels. That’s my real comparison, otherwise, proof says CF > Steel for heat dissipation.