• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Tuner temperature tune range?

Hollow-Grind

Long story short, I have never used a tuner but plan to on my next barrel. Gun is a 6mmBr. I live in Canada and we can go from +40 to -40 in the spread of a year. I typically only shoot down to -20 Celsius or so.

The question is can a tuner alone compensate for a 80 degree Celsius temperature swings? I would love if it would vs changing power loads for temp. I only use Varget and 4895 and typically Berger 80 grain flat base.
 
Hollow-Grind said:
Long story short, I have never used a tuner but plan to on my next barrel. Gun is a 6mmBr. I live in Canada and we can go from +40 to -40 in the spread of a year. I typically only shoot down to -20 Celsius or so.

The question is can a tuner alone compensate for a 80 degree Celsius temperature swings? I would love if it would vs changing power loads for temp. I only use Varget and 4895 and typically Berger 80 grain flat base.
Click to expand...
The only true answer would be to put it to the test. Besides the 80 degree temp. swing there are other atmospheric conditions that affect the tune as well. Density Altitude is as equally important as temp. swings and in some cases even more so.
 
Bill Norris said:
The only true answer would be to put it to the test. Besides the 80 degree temp. swing there are other atmospheric conditions that affect the tune as well. Density Altitude is as equally important as temp. swings and in some cases even more so.
Click to expand...
I guess I should add in all atmosphere type condition changes vs temp alone. I do know da effects tune and we can get crazy humidity here.

This isn’t the typical will a certain bullet shoot in my barrel question but a question from those that have tested and seen results. Not dieing to thread for a tuner and buy a tuner if it can’t compensate enough For full swings of all conditions. Thanks for any input.
 
I do some 600/1000 tuning in the winter. NORTH DAKOTA.....CAN'T HELP IT!! I start with warm ammo KEPT WARM....usually left in a warm cooler in a running truck.. I usually shoot 10 plus rounds through the gun to get it good and warm/hot BEFORE I start to test. I don't stress too much about letting a round "cook" in the chamber a few extra seconds before firing. NOTHING about the external conditions will change your INTERNAL balistics if you keep temps warm/ hot and consistant temps . Your gun/ammo does not know the difference between June and December.

I haven't yet used a tuner, but if it is warm, the changes are the changes, no matter what the external conditions are. I can't see external temps would matter if the tuner/BBL is warm.

Now.....dressing for those temps is a MAJOR HINDERENCE to shooting in the winter. If you are all bundled up, you gun handling changes. If you are freezing cold, your gun handling changes. Obviously POI is different, but for load development, it doesn't matter if the groups are and inch high or low. That is EXTERNAL and will have nothing to do with group shape/size.

Just my .02

Tod
 
Hollow-Grind said:
Long story short, I have never used a tuner but plan to on my next barrel. Gun is a 6mmBr. I live in Canada and we can go from +40 to -40 in the spread of a year. I typically only shoot down to -20 Celsius or so.

The question is can a tuner alone compensate for a 80 degree Celsius temperature swings? I would love if it would vs changing power loads for temp. I only use Varget and 4895 and typically Berger 80 grain flat base.
Click to expand...
Man...there are several on here that love to hear about what tuners can and will do and there are some that are tired of hearing about tuners. All I can say is they are a tool that I will never again shoot without and that if those people had seen what I've seen with tuners, the subject would never get old to them either. They are a phenomenal tool and to answer your question, I've never seen a weather condition that a tuner couldn't correct for...if used properly....other than wind and shooter error. That's the key to any of them. I could go into detail as to why but it bores those that already know all they need to know. I'm not one of those people and they simply never cease to amaze me!

Tune repeats over and over from extrem in tune to extreme out of tune. So even if the condition and tuner adjustment takes you to a completely different vibrational node, it will still work, over any temp swing I've seen.

So yes, buy a tuner. Buy mine or buy someone else's...but buy a tuner. Get very good instruction on how to use it and learn it inside and out. Instruction is the key!! Let me say that again...Instruction is the key to using a tuner.

They're not difficult to use but only follow the instructions for the one you buy, from hopefully the maker, as they "should" know their tuner better than anyone.

Using one is really no different that using powder charge/seating depth to tune with. Just having some amount of weight on the end of the bbl does VERY SLIGHTLY widen the tune window as opposed to no tuner but I do not hang my hat on that small difference. I hang my hat on learning to read group shape relative to tuner setting, just like I did before I ever tried a tuner.

If you wish to discuss them in detail, I'm happy to do so by phone and I have a test that will take you from knowing zero about using one to being off to a very good start in a morning or afternnon of good conditions. PM me and I can send you my contact info. I do not export them directly but Reloading International stocks and sells my tuners. --Mike Ezell
 
gunsandgunsmithing said:
Man...there are several on here that love to hear about what tuners can and will do and there are some that are tired of hearing about tuners. All I can say is they are a tool that I will never again shoot without and that if those people had seen what I've seen with tuners, the subject would never get old to them either. They are a phenomenal tool and to answer your question, I've never seen a weather condition that a tuner couldn't correct for...if used properly....other than wind and shooter error. That's the key to any of them. I could go into detail as to why but it bores those that already know all they need to know. I'm not one of those people and they simply never cease to amaze me!

Tune repeats over and over from extrem in tune to extreme out of tune. So even if the condition and tuner adjustment takes you to a completely different vibrational node, it will still work, over any temp swing I've seen.

So yes, buy a tuner. Buy mine or buy someone else's...but buy a tuner. Get very good instruction on how to use it and learn it inside and out. Instruction is the key!! Let me say that again...Instruction is the key to using a tuner.

They're not difficult to use but only follow the instructions for the one you buy, from hopefully the maker, as they "should" know their tuner better than anyone.

Using one is really no different that using powder charge/seating depth to tune with. Just having some amount of weight on the end of the bbl does VERY SLIGHTLY widen the tune window as opposed to no tuner but I do not hang my hat on that small difference. I hang my hat on learning to read group shape relative to tuner setting, just like I did before I ever tried a tuner.

If you wish to discuss them in detail, I'm happy to do so by phone and I have a test that will take you from knowing zero about using one to being off to a very good start in a morning or afternnon of good conditions. PM me and I can send you my contact info. I do not export them directly but Reloading International stocks and sells my tuners. --Mike Ezell
Click to expand...
Hey Mike, I recently bought one of your tuners and am still learning how to play with it. I'm always amazed at how such small adjustment can make such a big difference.
Could you post some "rules of thumb" for adjusting the tuner for things like temperature, humidity, DA, etc?
 
Rick300 said:
Hey Mike, I recently bought one of your tuners and am still learning how to play with it. I'm always amazed at how such small adjustment can make such a big difference.
Could you post some "rules of thumb" for adjusting the tuner for things like temperature, humidity, DA, etc?
Click to expand...
Rick, tuners are much like wind flags. To learn them you must use them. Talking about them, reading about them is not the answer. Use them, you will learn and be better for it.
 
Rick300 said:
Hey Mike, I recently bought one of your tuners and am still learning how to play with it. I'm always amazed at how such small adjustment can make such a big difference.
Could you post some "rules of thumb" for adjusting the tuner for things like temperature, humidity, DA, etc?
Click to expand...
I'm happy to help. If you bought it from me, we very likely went over it in detail. I know it's a lot in a single phone call but you're welcome to call and we can go over it more..no problem.

That said, I'll post a tuner test target here. It shows you everything you need to use my tuner but it's important to do it exactly like this test target, no exceptions at all!
Right down to making your own target just like it.

It's all about group shapes. Virtually every single gun will print predictable group shapes from dotting up and for the next couple of marks. It'll go from dotting up, to straight vertical, to diagonal group up and to the right. When you see that succession at top or bottom of the sine wave when done, there ya have it. The group shapes and their position at near top or bottom validate one another to confirm your setting. The test tells you which way to go when you see those respective shapes later, too.

The test is solid freaking gold!!
 

Attachments

  • Resized_20230613_123859.jpeg
    Resized_20230613_123859.jpeg
    901.1 KB · Views: 181
Last edited:
Here's an example of the results sent to me before I made up that target(above)and took a pic of it for instruction purposes.

See the group shapes I described?
10,11 and 12 are textbook clear! In this example, I'd go back and shoot around the 2 setting as well, just to verify but 10 is a safe bet.

1703257473633.png
 
As for a range or rule of thumb...I don't get caught up in that much. Using a tuner is just like tuning with powder charge. Yes, there are days you'll have a pretty good idea that you'll need to come in or out a mark before you ever fire the gun, just like loading with powder! You'll know before you ever shoot that you'll need to go up or down on the charge before you even sit down..within reason. But I don't suggest getting married to setting the tuner by what you "think" before shooting, unless you have to for some reason. That's when good notes help more than anything.

This is not a one off fluke. I've literally seen well over a thousand of these test targets sent to me by other shooters and the same pattern is virtually always there. It's not random or coincidence.

See why I constantly tell people to move in tiny increments?
 
Last edited:
28 degrees the other day and getting a handle on a new
bullet and load before I hibernate for the winter. The pic
is of a window to look at further. The groups on either side
of these are pushing in the 4's changing from vertical to
horizontal to a buck shot pattern. Initially I was moving
the tuner every 2 spots. Once I found a likable window, I
did a repeat but with the in between numbers, and a clean
barrel.
 

Attachments

  • Lilja_SA284.JPG
    Lilja_SA284.JPG
    74.7 KB · Views: 53
You must log in or register to reply here.

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Classified Ads

Forum statistics

Threads
165,969
Messages
2,206,810
Members
79,233
Latest member
Cheeapet

Share This Page

Back
Top