Tuner story...

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I posted this story on another site but thought others may find it interesting and am posting here, too.

The story is based on a rifle I bought last year, which had another maker's tuner on it when I got it. This tuner uses a slightly smaller thread diameter than mine, so rather than cutting an inch of new barrel off, I shot with it, as is.

Here goes...

I've been working with tuners for several years now...won't go back to shooting without one.

I bought the gun a bukys tuner was on, last year. I had built the gun for a friend and he didn't shoot it hardly at all. He wanted to try a Bukys on this gun and except for the tuner, he let me build the rifle as if I were building a gun for myself.

Anyway, first time out with the rifle was at a match. I went pre-loaded with an unkown rifle, unknown load, another maker's tuner and put the scope on the night before the match.

When I got to the match I had not fired the gun and the scope was off considerably, but was on paper with my first shot so, I fired one round on target and adjusted the reticle to the bullet hole.

Then I went to my sighter and fired a 3 shot group. The gun was COMPLETELY out of tune. The 3 shot group was near 1/2".. HUGE!

I made an adjustment based on experience with tuners in the past and fired another 3 shot group....Now the tune was close. I made one more small adjustment and did the same thing..another 3 shot group, and this one was small, maybe a low .1.

I had gone from a gun that was just on paper, completely out of tune, with an unknown gun an unknown load, and someone else's tuner on the gun, to a very competitive tune.

Here comes the good part...I did this in under 2 minutes, during my 3 minute warm-up per UBR!!

That, my friends, is what tuners do!

If you have any doubts about tuners and their use, call me. I love this stuff and am happy to share my experiences with tuners. Yes, I prefer my own tuner for various reasons but for the most part, they all work on the same principle and the above story is a very classic example of that. Feel free to post your own experiences with tuners.

--Mike Ezell

 

[Tim Singleton]

A story of mine. Couple weeks ago at the Riverbend ga group match I had a gun that was an ok gun. When we went to 200 yds I had a little to much vertical the gun was shooting ok but just a touch to much vertical big 4s and little 5s which are pretty good but not good enough to win that day. I made a couple powder adjustments and just couldn't get it out.
I usually only adjust the tuner once during initial load work up and then adjust powder as needed. That wasn't working so I thought nothing to loose can't win anyway so I made a slight tuner adjustment and next target was a .335 if I had the confidence in my knowledge to make the correct tuner adjustment and had done it sooner ??
Anyway I will devote more of my practice in the future to learning my tuners better

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

A story of mine. Couple weeks ago at the Riverbend ga group match I had a gun that was an ok gun. When we went to 200 yds I had a little to much vertical the gun was shooting ok but just a touch to much vertical big 4s and little 5s which are pretty good but not good enough to win that day. I made a couple powder adjustments and just couldn't get it out.
I usually only adjust the tuner once during initial load work up and then adjust powder as needed. That wasn't working so I thought nothing to loose can't win anyway so I made a slight tuner adjustment and next target was a .335 if I had the confidence in my knowledge to make the correct tuner adjustment and had done it sooner ??
Anyway I will devote more of my practice in the future to learning my tuners better

That may or may not have been the tuner, Tim..but it won't hurt to test.

Honestly though..my opinion and experience is that a tuner does NOT bring a "perfectly tuned" rifle into a "better than perfect tune." I really believe that one of two other things happened..Either you just shot better on the last group you weren't tuned to the hilt with powder charge and seating depth.

IME, there is validity to anyone that claims their gun shot just as small without a tuner, as with one. I do believe that...and yes, I sell tuners. But, I have no real evidence that tells me conclusively that tuners improve upon the "BEST" tune. Rather, they DO let you get whatever potential a gun and load combination have, from it, as well as keeping it in that optimal state of tune longer..and being able to adjust to it, if/when needed. Agg'ing ability would be another way to put it.

How many times have we all seen guns that we know are capable of winning a given match, not be in tune and shoot poorly. Or read on the forums, statements to the effect that only a few guns are actually in tune during a match?

A tuner can bring you into tune, all day long!

BTW, I'm not saying you're wrong...Obviously, my point is that "perfectly tuned, is perfectly tuned"..Be it by load or by tuner. You could well have improved the tune with the tuner.

I go pre-loaded and tune the gun, now. I very firmly believe we are well beyond the "theory stage" with tuners.
They do work and are so simple to use, it's unreal that anyone still shoots BR without one.

 

[BradY]

Mike

I'm not a benchrest shooter but with your tune, will it hold at other distances too? Or is it specifically set for one distance and generally requires a tweak for further out? I worry that in my game- f class, that it is possible to do this at short range 300m matches but when going back to 900m it wont hold and we are only tricking the gun into shooting at one distance.

 

[johnmyers]

Once you start using a tuner with a PPC you will not believe the difference it can make. It does exactly like Mike explained

 

[Cloudrepair]

Can i ask
How much thread do i need on the muzzle for proper adjustment of a tuner? It will be on a 6.5x47L about 27.75 long

 

[Caleb85]

i was thinking that I wanted to run a tuner on my f open rifle but didn't know much about them, I still have your card mike, I may be giving you a call soon!

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Mike

I'm not a benchrest shooter but with your tune, will it hold at other distances too? Or is it specifically set for one distance and generally requires a tweak for further out? I worry that in my game- f class, that it is possible to do this at short range 300m matches but when going back to 900m it wont hold and we are only tricking the gun into shooting at one distance.

I'm not sure what you mean by "tricking" a gun into shooting. That said, I'm not sure how tuning for different yardage would be significantly different with a tuner vs tuning by traditional methods.
Positive Compensation is a topic of its own, if that's what you're referring to.
More directly, a good tune at short range does translate to being very close at longer ranges too, but you may well need to tweak the tuner a small amount. If indeed positive compensation is real, there is no way you can be in absolutely perfect tune at two yardages. Knowing how to tune at 300 for a 1000 yard match will have a learning curve but it should be a short one, if you practice at both yardages, with a tuner. I hope that answers your question without delving into the theory of positive compensation. I'd be happy to talk more with you about pc, by phone.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Can i ask
How much thread do i need on the muzzle for proper adjustment of a tuner? It will be on a 6.5x47L about 27.75 long

I can more directly answer that based on MY tuner. With it, there are typically about 4 sweet spots in EVERY revolution....so, 1 thread would be sufficient, strictly speaking of course.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

i was thinking that I wanted to run a tuner on my f open rifle but didn't know much about them, I still have your card mike, I may be giving you a call soon!

Feel free to call me tomorrow. I'd be happy to talk with you.

 

[Cloudrepair]

I can more directly answer that based on MY tuner. With it, there are typically about 4 sweet spots in EVERY revolution....so, 1 thread would be sufficient, strictly speaking of course.

So I could get away with a tuner on my break thread or you think I need more thread then that like maybe a 1"maybe 2" of threads

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

So I could get away with a tuner on my break thread or you think I need more thread then that like maybe a 1"maybe 2" of threads

You'll need an adapter made.

 

[Cloudrepair]

You'll need an adapter made.

I would be doing my own work so no need for an adapter.
Just wanting to know how much thread i would need.
I'm going to make my own tuner also.
Thanks

 

[Tim Singleton]

Thats an area for you to experiment
The Bukys tuner I usually thread around .750" to .800" sometimes 1" long

 

[Cloudrepair]

Thats an area for you to experiment
The Bukys tuner I usually thread around .750" to .800" sometimes 1" long

Thanks that gives me some starting point

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I would be doing my own work so no need for an adapter.
Just wanting to know how much thread i would need.
I'm going to make my own tuner also.
Thanks

Sorry cloud...I incorrectly assumed you were referring to using one of my tuners. If you can do the work, I'm sure you'll figure something out. There's certainly more than one way to skin a cat. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Cloudrepair]

Sorry cloud...I incorrectly assumed you were referring to using one of my tuners. If you can do the work, I'm sure you'll figure something out. There's certainly more than one way to skin a cat. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Do you have a pic and dimensions of your tuners ?
I had thought of getting one from someone I will probably need to just make my own because I have been planing on one with a .8125-32 thread

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Do you have a pic and dimensions of your tuners ?
I had thought of getting one from someone I will probably need to just make my own because I have been planing on one with a .8125-32 thread

 

[DT]

If barrel is .900 at the muzzle, what threading is required for the tuner?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

If barrel is .900 at the muzzle, what threading is required for the tuner?

Mine are .875x32tpi. You need a minimum of .900@1.000" behind the muzzle, too.
This works for MOST LV contours, and all HV and heavier contours.