Disclosed is a system and a related method for regulating a temperature in a shooting pot associated with an injection molding machine. The structure includes, amongst other things, a cooling circuit and thermocouple proximate a plunger entry end of the shooting pot as well as a cooling adjustment unit for controlling an amount of cooling provided by the cooling fluid. In operation a controller coupled with the cooling adjustment unit and the thermocouple controls the cooling adjustment unit based on a temperature reading associated with the thermocouple.