6BR EC Tuner Results

[perazziguy]

I like you and have nothing but respect and good things to say for you but I honestly think you're undervaluing what a tuner can do. Simply put, they fix tune issues. So, while they will not necessarily force your bbl to shoot just any bullet or powder to the full potential of the rifle, they very much can correct tune. I've done similar to what I think the op did many times. That being, change a single load component and tune it in with nothing but the tuner. Many, many times. Sometimes tune was close and other times not but never more than a few marks away on the tuner. Few beingvrelative to different makes and styles but almost without exception, over literally thousands of tuner sales and tests, 4-5 marks on my cf tuner is extreme in to extreme out of tune. So lots of people move them too far at a time, skipping over sweet spots and all important groups shapes that literally tell you what to do to the tuner when they happen.

I might be misinterpreting what you're saying but as I understand it, I have to agree with what I believe he is describing to have seen too.

Shoot well!

Basically, I can't screw a tuner on my rifle and expect it to be a world beater. It still takes tuning and knowing how much and which direction to turn.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Basically, I can't screw a tuner on my rifle and expect it to be a world beater. It still takes tuning and knowing how much and which direction to turn.

Absolutely, yes. Just like, ya can't expect to tune a rifle by powder charge or seating without some guide or experience. The two are so similar that it's crazy to look at tuners as voodoo but powder charge isn't. Nothing mystical or magical either way. I'd say 95+% of tuning comes down to optimizing bullet exit with bbl position....or timing. Nothing crazy here. It's just tuning. Ya gotta start by knowing values. Most people wouldn't expect to tune a rifle by changing powder charge 5 full grains at a time so why would some people expect to need to move tuners in full revolutions, for example? Sure, if you don't blow it up first, ya might stumble upon a sweet spot like that with powder charge. Same goes for tuners but you're not gonna blow anything up...just get frustrated moving in huge increments. I said it before but I will again...Step number one, either way..ya gotta know the value on target of whatever changes you make, be it tuner or powder, etc. Now, how do you know that? I go over it with every tuner order, in great detail and only by phone so I can answer questions...or, you can figure it out on your own if the maker doesn't do the same.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Is this really that complicated?

No it is not that complicated but that seems to be difficult for you to accept. Does a good load require a back story of why one chose a certain powder and/or bullet along with their struggle to shoot small? It is very possible that the load could use some tweaking but if the shooter is happy with it why judge. When I shot f-class I would spend much too much time trying to develop a load instead of get out to shoot and learn to read the wind. Nowadays I quit using bushing dies, quit expanding necks and now I load about 500 rounds at a time and focus on shooting a bunch instead of loading a bunch. Not trying to be argumentative but just trying to explain that some shooters do it differently and can end up with satisfactory results that THEY are happy with. I load to be able to shoot because that is what I enjoy, not so much spending days in the reloading room, hope you can understand.

 

[Ccrider]

No it is not that complicated but that seems to be difficult for you to accept. Does a good load require a back story of why one chose a certain powder and/or bullet along with their struggle to shoot small? It is very possible that the load could use some tweaking but if the shooter is happy with it why judge. When I shot f-class I would spend much too much time trying to develop a load instead of get out to shoot and learn to read the wind. Nowadays I quit using bushing dies, quit expanding necks and now I load about 500 rounds at a time and focus on shooting a bunch instead of loading a bunch. Not trying to be argumentative but just trying to explain that some shooters do it differently and can end up with satisfactory results that THEY are happy with. I load to be able to shoot because that is what I enjoy, not so much spending days in the reloading room, hope you can understand.

I am not refusing accept anything. I said if it works for you great!
I have pointed out that you failed to fully explain your process. I think that when we post, we have consider that all skill levels may read what we post.

Again, as a result of our discourse, you’ve added more important information that I think new reloaders need to hear. You said that you had already determined that the load that you switched to with the Berger was a “good” load. Presumably, that is because you “worked up” the Berger load before switching to it. While this may seem like another unimportant detail to someone that has been shooting a while, it is important information for someone who has not and, especially if they have not used a tuner.

What I know is that new shooters, for the most part, are looking for the magic answer and the shortcuts. I don’t think that having a 6br barrel chambered, screwing on a tuner shooting ann untested load and twisting the tuner is a fair representation of how to learn to shoot small groups. You left a lots of information about how you got to the point where you began your tuner adjustments. Specifically, that you worked up a load with the Berger bullets before making tuner adjustments.

I might be misinterpreting what you're saying but as I understand it, I have to agree with what I believe he is describing to have seen too.

Hey Mike,
We haven’t talked in a while. Hope all is well with you.

I don’t take issue with anything that he has described to have seen. While he is comfortable to assume I don’t know about shooting a 6br, I have never questioned his account of what he posted. In fact, before seeing this thread, I had read enough of his post to know that he is seasoned. I have found many of his post to be informative. If he read back, he would see that my first post on this site years ago was seeking help with my first 6br. Thankfully, none of the guidance I got was, go get a tuner put on your barrel etc. Instead, the responses I got indirectly instructed me to learn methodically how to tune the six BR.

My only point is that we should make sure that the uninformed understand that there are some important steps that should be taken in tuning a load before turning the tuner. The process is expedited, when we are dealing with a bullet and a load that we know in a barrel that we know. I don’t think it’s fair to leave out these vital tuning steps, assuming that the reader will know that you did them before adjusting your tuner.

 

[Ccrider]

Basically, I can't screw a tuner on my rifle and expect it to be a world beater. It still takes tuning and knowing how much and which direction to turn.

This is really all I was getting at. I shoot locally with some real fine shooters that have tuners on their rifles at our 525 yard match. They know what they’re doing but turning the tuner on loads that are well tuned is still sometimes an exercise in the dark, especially at that distance. One of the guys at my last local match was shooting a 6br. When he made the right tuner adjustment, it was amazing how much smaller the gun shot.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

I have no dog in this hunt, but from what l’ve seen/heard at both matches and shooting the range people now days won’t the easy button to push. And maybe a tuner is but what I understand it just another part of a load development and getting in tune. But you can’t skip the hours shooting and load development a tuner just give you another “tool” to hopefully help you get there.

 

[Ccrider]

I have no dog in this hunt, but from what l’ve seen/heard at both matches and shooting the range people now days won’t the easy button to push. And maybe a tuner is but what I understand it just another part of a load development and getting in tune. But you can’t skip the hours shooting and load development a tuner just give you another “tool” to hopefully help you get there.

My experience too. Just part of a lots in the younger generation. I don’t criticize and simply explain to them that there is a learning process that I just started. I let them shoot and make sure they hit the target. Always see a big smile after a couple of shots.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I have no dog in this hunt, but from what l’ve seen/heard at both matches and shooting the range people now days won’t the easy button to push. And maybe a tuner is but what I understand it just another part of a load development and getting in tune. But you can’t skip the hours shooting and load development a tuner just give you another “tool” to hopefully help you get there.

Just as a rule, I use a tuner to maintain tune more than finding a tune...but it can work both ways. As I said before though, tuners can only give you the potential of the components and rifle. They won't make your bbl love a bullet that it hates, for example. With experience, you learn to recognize a "competitive tune." That's where a tuner can really speed things along. I frequently start with a known good load for a given chamber then tweak the tuner. I can find what that load is worth in that gun in a matter of a few minutes in good conditions like that. The search for endless zero groups can go on forever but when I find something that gives me consistent low to mid teens, I'm done.

If I'm starting out from scratch, say a new wildcat for example..I'll spend a good bit of time doing standard load work before banking on the tuner. Different ball of wax then. But so many times, a known good load for a known chamber, just works and is typically only a few marks away on my tuner. Different stokes for different folks but this is why I disagree that tuners add a variable or make things harder. Just the opposite if dealing with a known chamber and loads. It's super easy once you get your head wrapped around YOUR tuner. I'll link a post I made on here a few years ago. It's a good example of what I mean and how easy it can be.

Sight in a scope and tune a rifle in under two minutes!

Tuner story...

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...

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