Cryogenics

[butchlambert]

I never had any of those barrels so I can not make a comment either way with them, but with Brux was the main one I tested the most found it does stop the walking as the heat up. They clean easier, why I don't have a clue. To me the hold point of impact is a real gain at long range especially in heavy where you can run 20 shots down there in a short period of time. Don't expect it to make a hummer out of one, any small gain makes it worth it...... jim

I'm so glad that you are happy. That's all that's necessary. I have had many done and at different stages, rough blank, drilled and reamed blank, rifled blank, contoured blank, and completed ready to install barrel. I tried real hard to find the advantage and couldn't find it to help other than machinability. I was fortunate to have a true professional cryo company to help me. We even did the "mouthpieces" of musical instruments for my Nephew. He did think it helped, but how would I know. I am not a musical person.

 

[Barlow]

A friend of mine had his 22-250 AI match rifle barrel (Brux) cryo treated last fall. He has some serious health issues, and has only fired it three rounds since he got it back together. He said with the same load it went from 1/2" to 1/4" at 100. I know three shots don't mean much. We plan on doing some shooting when the weather cooperates. I'll be interested in the results. Barlow

 

[butchlambert]

Stan, I agree, this thread is sure fun. Probably going to be some zeros shot next.

 

[BoydAllen]

There has been an assertion about rail guns and cryoed barrels. I have a friend who is in the record book of both the IBS and NBRSA for his rail shooting and I am pretty sure that he does not have his barrels cryoed. There are probably two reasons for this. He shoots Kriegers, which have been cryoed before they were drilled, and years ago he sent in three good shooting barrels during the first cryo fad, in hopes that their useful lives might be extended. Unfortunately, after they were done, one outstanding barrel a Chanlynn (cut rifled) could no longer produce competitive accuracy.

 

[BoydAllen]

Here is your sign an I hope Mr ohara reads this because I think he might have a story to share an I don't mind if he's willing to eleborate.

Stan,
Everything that I have posted has been factual. None of it has bee conjecture or guess. I did not say that shooters have not seen gains. Have you any technical information that shows that cryo stress relieves 416 in the same manner that heat does? You can keep your sign. Again, I did not say that no gains have been seen, just that what has taken place may be misnamed. Not all changes in steel may be correctly called stress relief. We went through this years ago. A lot of respected guys looked at the fact that barrels machined better and cleaned better, and in some cases shot better and concluded stress relief. As I mentioned there is a means of non-destructively determining if a piece of steel has unrelieved stress.

 

[Brians356]

Deathstar, Blackstar, barrels were electro polished inside, but not cryo'ed.

I can attest to that. I bought a #9 contour SS700 barrel from BlackStar and had an R700 SA hunter built behind it in 250 Ackley Improved 40-deg. After the build I sent the barreled action intact to 300 Below to be treated as a unit. I have no way of knowing if the cryo improved it - never shot it prior to. Also never sent any bare copper jackets down the tube, only molys. FWIW it's the most consistently accurate (and easiest to clean) rifle I own, but I only ever used it on varmints (87-gr TNTs) and Pronghorns (100-gr BTs) to dramatic effect, not for competition. I'd add "YMMV" here, but one is unlikely to find another BlackStar barrel to cast your lot with.
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[Dusty Stevens]

You never know what folks have stuck back brian. Br shooters buy a bunch of barrels at a time and sometimes when going thru a box of them its not worth the trouble to chamber any more of them leaving unchambered blanks laying around untouched for years

 

[JimPag]

There has been an assertion about rail guns and cryoed barrels. I have a friend who is in the record book of both the IBS and NBRSA for his rail shooting and I am pretty sure that he does not have his barrels cryoed. There are probably two reasons for this. He shoots Kriegers, which have been cryoed before they were drilled, and years ago he sent in three good shooting barrels during the first cryo fad, in hopes that their useful lives might be extended. Unfortunately, after they were done, one outstanding barrel a Chanlynn (cut rifled) could no longer produce competitive accuracy.

Boyd. The one person that I talked to at 300 below told me that even though a barrel has been treated before, when you chamber a barrel it induces stress back in the steel and therefore should be cryoed again. His words not mine. I have sent in over a dozen barrels to be cryoed at 300 below in IL. Honestly the only thing that I have noticed about it is that the barrels clean easier. I've sent in brand new barrels in after chambering and barrels that have has over 2K on them and I noticed how much easier it was to clean the older barrels. After reading countless articles, IMO cryoing has very little benefit for the type of stainless that is used in benchrest rifle barrels. I know a guy back in my home state of Mass who sends his teeth of all his excavators out to be cryoed. He claims that his teeth last five times longer if they have been cryoed, again different type of steel. Honestly I stopped sending barrels out to be cryoed anymore.

 

[jamesdmock]

I can't find any reference to cryo on Krieger's website. Where do you get your information?

That said, I like Krieger barrels and use a lot of them, but you don't have to have a physics degree to run a barrel company.

--Jerry

Krieger once cryoed their barrels twice...once before machining and again after machining. They were told by the holders of the cryo patent to cease and decease or they would be sued. Krieger stopped the second treatment (or at least they quit advertising it). They continue to treat their steel before machining since it is not a barrel at that time. This is not hearsay but came from John Krieger when I interviewed him for PS magazine. Good shooting...James

 

[carlsbad]

Krieger makes good barrels.

 

[JimPag]

Krieger makes good barrels.

Every barrel maker makes good barrels. Just some are better than others. Not talking about the brands, just the barrels. Just the luck of the draw as to what degree it's capable of shooting.

 

[carlsbad]

I like krieger barrels.

 

[Stan Taylor]

Would anyone like to take a guess which ones I like.LOL PS I like good ones I ain't prejudice.

 

[moondog]

There has been an assertion about rail guns and cryoed barrels. I have a friend who is in the record book of both the IBS and NBRSA for his rail shooting and I am pretty sure that he does not have his barrels cryoed. There are probably two reasons for this. He shoots Kriegers, which have been cryoed before they were drilled, and years ago he sent in three good shooting barrels during the first cryo fad, in hopes that their useful lives might be extended. Unfortunately, after they were done, one outstanding barrel a Chanlynn (cut rifled) could no longer produce competitive accuracy.

Nice to see Marks name mentioned here. He is a friend of mine in Lyons Co. and has been doing Barrels
for a long time. He's good friends with "Boots" too. I know he lets his barrel blanks go through a
freeze, thaw cycle outside for MANY years before he spins em up. Vudoo? I don't know, but they shoot!
I try to keep a few of his on the shelf at all times.

 

[pirate ammo]

Would anyone like to take a guess which ones I like.LOL PS I like good ones I ain't prejudice.

my favorite,,any a bullet will pass through,,I'm not picky but of course I don't compete

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Nice to see Marks name mentioned here. He is a friend of mine in Lyons Co. and has been doing Barrels
for a long time. He's good friends with "Boots" too. I know he lets his barrel blanks go through a
freeze, thaw cycle outside for MANY years before he spins em up. Vudoo? I don't know, but they shoot!
I try to keep a few of his on the shelf at all times.

I would have to scrub dirt daubers out of mine if i left em outside

 

[Brians356]

You never know what folks have stuck back brian. Br shooters buy a bunch of barrels at a time and sometimes when going thru a box of them its not worth the trouble to chamber any more of them leaving unchambered blanks laying around untouched for years

Perhaps. But I doubt BlackStars were bought in bunches much. Their star shone but dimly from the outset, as I recall.
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[Dusty Stevens]

Perhaps. But I doubt BlackStars were bought in bunches much. Their star shone but dimly from the outset, as I recall.
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oh no they sold a ton. I remember the reamer troubles people had and they were surprised somebody would try to chamber at like 250rpm- they said this steel requires at least 2500rpm and I forget what SFM they recommended. it was fast for a cnc machine though.

 

[Brians356]

oh no they sold a ton. I remember the reamer troubles people had and they were surprised somebody would try to chamber at like 250rpm- they said this steel requires at least 2500rpm and I forget what SFM they recommended. it was fast for a cnc machine though.

Oh, sure, they sold some barrels, but a ton? Seriously? Would you say BlackStar barrels enjoyed a good reputation in accuracy shooting circles? Or, as you presumably recall, were they priced particularly low compared to others? Or, were they particularly easy to chamber? (These are the only reasons I can think of for why gunsmiths or avid competitors would actually stockpile them. Unless many people buy barrels in bulk based only on snazzy marketing. )
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[Dusty Stevens]

Oh, sure, they sold some barrels, but a ton? Seriously? Would you say BlackStar barrels enjoyed a good reputation in accuracy shooting circles? Or, as you presumably recall, were they priced particularly low compared to others? Or, were they particularly easy to chamber? (These are the only reasons I can think of for why gunsmiths or avid competitors would actually stockpile them. Unless many people buy barrels in bulk based only on snazzy marketing. )
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none of the above. when something new comes out accuracy gunsmiths usually buy a bunch of whatever it is. none that I know of orders one barrel they get like 25. no they didnt enjoy even a little bit of fame but one reason they didnt was the top shooters already tried them out before most ever even heard of them. always gotta be informed to be able to let customers know whats goin on- gotta be a trendsetter or be left behind.