Barrel Tuners for NRA F/TR competition

[Steve Blair]

Monte, read my post above. The tuner is the same diameter as the barrel and adds no weight. [br]
As for reliability and repeatability; I put my #1 barrel back on the .300 WSM Thursday night and went to the range Friday to check the tuner setting. Same load that I had used before Raton, the last time the barrel was installed. Started with the tuner at the same setting, noted on the target as 0. It was the best setting in the series, just as it had been two months ago.

 

[memilanuk]

Huh. Guess I missed that bit. I also am curious what that looks like; don't think I've ever heard of such a critter. I take it there is a threaded tenon for the tuner body to thread onto... is there a visible gap when the tuner is adjusted outwards? ???

Pics, man, pics.

 

[BoydAllen]

A little simple tuner math: If you add a tuner to a rifle that is already at its maximum weight, weight has to be removed to compensate, so the tuner does not increase the weight of the rifle beyond what the rules allow. I have done this very thing, and the rifle shot better as a result.

 

[Steve Blair]

Here's a pic of Erik's tuner installed on my .300 WSM. It is secured with two set screws. There are twenty-five marks around the periphery with numbers every five. The tuner is almost invisible when installed and works very well. Contact Erik if you want to try one.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

About how long is that tuner?

Aaron

 

[Erik Cortina]

About how long is that tuner?

Aaron

2"

 

[rickiesrevenge]

Thanks

 

[aj300mag]

Monte, read my post above. The tuner is the same diameter as the barrel and adds no weight. [br]
As for reliability and repeatability; I put my #1 barrel back on the .300 WSM Thursday night and went to the range Friday to check the tuner setting. Same load that I had used before Raton, the last time the barrel was installed. Started with the tuner at the same setting, noted on the target as 0. It was the best setting in the series, just as it had been two months ago.

Let me get this straight, this target is from a barrel that you shot at your home range, set the tuner and then removed the barrel. You re-installed the barrel and shot it with the same ammo you originally set the tuner with when you returned from Raton?


Did you test the barrel you used at Raton at home with the ammo you intended to use at Raton and how much did you have to adjust the tuner once you arrived at Ration?

It is a good looking tuner, better than some of those that appear to be threaded thick over-sized washers...

 

[Steve Blair]

This is barrel #1 (Brux) that I tested and tuned prior to Raton. Barrel #2 (Krieger) was also tested and tuned with the same load. Both shot equally well but I took barrel #2 because it had ~300 rounds on it compared to #1 with ~900. When I returned, I shot and won a MR Regional with leftover ammo. I then removed #2 and reinstalled #1. I loaded 35 rounds of the same load and went to a local range to check zero and tuner setting. It performed best at the same setting it had previously. [br]
I did not change the tuner setting at Raton. This particular load has a very broad window and was tested in similar temperatures to those I expected at Raton. The only difference was altitude and it had no effect on accuracy. In both cases, the tuner settings were within one turn from fully tightened. [br]
Appearance is the only reason I've never shot a tuner before. I knew they worked, but was unwilling to install a big, ugly lump on the end of my barrel. Erik had the idea for this, tested it and, when it worked, I had him install one for me. I see no reason not to have one. If you have a barrel where low ES, center of the node and accuracy coincide, great! What a tuner allows is to alter barrel harmonics to bring accuracy into line with the the first two when they do not coincide naturally. It is not a substitute for developing the best possible load, using all available means. If your load is not tolerant, the tuner will require constant fiddling to maintain best accuracy.

 

[BoydAllen]

Erik,
What is the thread for your tuner, and what is its OD? Have you noticed much horizontal point of impact movement as adjustments are made?
Boyd

 

[aj300mag]

This is barrel #1 (Brux) that I tested and tuned prior to Raton. Barrel #2 (Krieger) was also tested and tuned with the same load. Both shot equally well but I took barrel #2 because it had ~300 rounds on it compared to #1 with ~900. When I returned, I shot and won a MR Regional with leftover ammo. I then removed #2 and reinstalled #1. I loaded 35 rounds of the same load and went to a local range to check zero and tuner setting. It performed best at the same setting it had previously. [br]
I did not change the tuner setting at Raton. This particular load has a very broad window and was tested in similar temperatures to those I expected at Raton. The only difference was altitude and it had no effect on accuracy. In both cases, the tuner settings were within one turn from fully tightened. [br]
Appearance is the only reason I've never shot a tuner before. I knew they worked, but was unwilling to install a big, ugly lump on the end of my barrel. Erik had the idea for this, tested it and, when it worked, I had him install one for me. I see no reason not to have one. If you have a barrel where low ES, center of the node and accuracy coincide, great! What a tuner allows is to alter barrel harmonics to bring accuracy into line with the the first two when they do not coincide naturally. It is not a substitute for developing the best possible load, using all available means. If your load is not tolerant, the tuner will require constant fiddling to maintain best accuracy.

Thanks for the comprehensive report Steve!

 

[4xforfun]

All,


Since a barrel tuner does not reduce muzzle jump or recoil in any way, it seems like it should be allowed. Certainly seems like a much easier way to do load development than changing powder charges.

Every tuner on the planet reduces recoil. That's pure physics.

??? How?

It adds weight to the rifle....more weight = less recoil. Physics.

 

[Erik Cortina]

All,


Since a barrel tuner does not reduce muzzle jump or recoil in any way, it seems like it should be allowed. Certainly seems like a much easier way to do load development than changing powder charges.

Every tuner on the planet reduces recoil. That's pure physics.

??? How?

It adds weight to the rifle....more weight = less recoil. Physics.

Not every tuner out there adds weight to the rifle.

 

[4xforfun]

All,


Since a barrel tuner does not reduce muzzle jump or recoil in any way, it seems like it should be allowed. Certainly seems like a much easier way to do load development than changing powder charges.

Every tuner on the planet reduces recoil. That's pure physics.

??? How?

It adds weight to the rifle....more weight = less recoil. Physics.

Not every tuner out there adds weight to the rifle.

So....how does a tuner that doesn't add any weight to a rifle actiually tune a rifle?

 

[Laurie]

It looks really good Erik. Like Steve, big clunky things stuck on the end of the barrel have never appealed to me, but I'm very tempted here.

I wonder if the recoil reduction issue goes back to the Browning BOSS system which was also a muzzle brake with holes all over the sleeve. I had an A-Bolt Synthetic in 7mm-08 Rem with one of these devices many years back and the noise it made was terrible. I don't know if it actually reduced the recoil much as I was only shooting 140s to 168s at low velocities, and I soon took the BOSS sleeve off to reduce the noise and muzzle blast. According to the Winchester / Browning catalogue, there was a solid non-brake sleeve available for 'range use', but I never heard of one reaching us in the UK.

That's a very interesting, and I'm sure valid point that Steve makes about the tuner needing retuning if the load is finicky and can go 'off tune' under varying conditions, but not so if the load is a good tolerant one. Makes perfect sense, but I hadn't considered it until now.

It was good to see you briefly at Raton.

 

[Laurie]

So....how does a tuner that doesn't add any weight to a rifle actiually tune a rifle?

by changing the length of the barrel and hence its harmonics / vibration pattern as pressure peaks in the chamber and the bullet moves along the barrel.

 

[aj300mag]

It looks really good Erik. Like Steve, big clunky things stuck on the end of the barrel have never appealed to me, but I'm very tempted here.

I wonder if the recoil reduction issue goes back to the Browning BOSS system which was also a muzzle brake with holes all over the sleeve. I had an A-Bolt Synthetic in 7mm-08 Rem with one of these devices many years back and the noise it made was terrible. I don't know if it actually reduced the recoil much as I was only shooting 140s to 168s at low velocities, and I soon took the BOSS sleeve off to reduce the noise and muzzle blast. According to the Winchester / Browning catalogue, there was a solid non-brake sleeve available for 'range use', but I never heard of one reaching us in the UK.

That's a very interesting, and I'm sure valid point that Steve makes about the tuner needing retuning if the load is finicky and can go 'off tune' under varying conditions, but not so if the load is a good tolerant one. Makes perfect sense, but I hadn't considered it until now.

It was good to see you briefly at Raton.

Laurie when I bought my 7 mag it was supplied with both versions, the muzzle brake and the CR (conventional recoil) BOSS. The muzzle brake definitely reduced recoil. The CR BOSS had a bigger diameter body...

 

[4xforfun]

Here's a pic of Erik's tuner installed on my .300 WSM. It is secured with two set screws. There are twenty-five marks around the periphery with numbers every five. The tuner is almost invisible when installed and works very well. Contact Erik if you want to try one.

So..that piece that is "exactly the same diameter as your bbl" is made of what, exactly?? Air. Maybe Hydrogen...that could actually make the gun lighter.

No..it's made of steel...or aluminum.....and that adds weight!! Added weight reduces recoil.

 

[aj300mag]

Here's a pic of Erik's tuner installed on my .300 WSM. It is secured with two set screws. There are twenty-five marks around the periphery with numbers every five. The tuner is almost invisible when installed and works very well. Contact Erik if you want to try one.

So..that piece that is "exactly the same diameter as your bbl" is made of what, exactly?? Air. Maybe Hydrogen...that could actually make the gun lighter.

No..it's made of steel...or aluminum.....and that adds weight!! Added weight reduces recoil.

The barrel diameter is turned down and threaded to accept the tuner. Benchrest or F-Class rifles have weight restrictions we have to abide with. If someone wanted to add a 6oz tuner to their barrel the additional 6oz's WILL have to be removed from the rifle somewhere else...

The gun cannot gain weight.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Here's a pic of Erik's tuner installed on my .300 WSM. It is secured with two set screws. There are twenty-five marks around the periphery with numbers every five. The tuner is almost invisible when installed and works very well. Contact Erik if you want to try one.

So..that piece that is "exactly the same diameter as your bbl" is made of what, exactly?? Air. Maybe Hydrogen...that could actually make the gun lighter.

No..it's made of steel...or aluminum.....and that adds weight!! Added weight reduces recoil.

You should have quit while you were ahead. Yet, you decided to keep posting and arguing something that you have absolutely no idea about how it works. I would suggest you quit now.