Waisted barrels

[Lkwebb]

Did you actually talk them into working or your scope? It's miracle if they stated back.

Not yet. I friend sent in a 40x just recently and they checked it over repurged the glass etc and sent it back to him.

 

[Clancy]

A bit of both. Some factory, some semi-custom. No custom action builds.

When you say "exceptionally well" are we talking you once shot a .2" 3-shot or 5-shot group, or are you taking an average group size of at least 30 shots (which is about the sample size you need to be statistically significant)?
Also, when doing that average you don't get to throw out "called shots". A poor shot is a poor shot.

FWIW, when I throw a number out there that is an average of around 100 shots. Obviously, some will be smaller, some will be larger.

Here is an example. Both of these groups were shot with my 6.5.06AI. As you can see on the second target, there is a shot that is outside the main group. I called that one as mirage was getting bad. So, would you say that rifle is a .3 gun or a .6 gun?

View attachment 1668477View attachment 1668478

I’d say that it’s a .45 gun if those are the only samples.

I’m talking a running average of 5 shot groups at .250. I have one that’s exceptional that will shoot .200 and one I call my “bad barrel” that’s in the high .2s to low .3s

These are over 50 or more 5 shot groups. Hunting and shooting are my only hobbies so I get to spend a lot of time behind a gun.

Average…. That means that there’s times the .200 gun will shoot a .0 and times it shoots a .3. It’s a 6 BR, so not quite like a 6.5-06 AI but it’s killed about 450 animals so it’s definitely a hunting rifle.

 

[DLT]

There’s been a train car load of barrels scrapped because of bad scopes.

Just curious as it made me think….. how do you tell if the scope is bad if you don’t have a hammer rifle or load to try it on ? I’m sure there are scopes that still track but won’t hold a dead on zero. Is that assumption right ?

 

[Evlshnngns]

Just curious as it made me think….. how do you tell if the scope is bad if you don’t have a hammer rifle or load to try it on ? I’m sure there are scopes that still track but won’t hold a dead on zero. Is that assumption right ?

I have a scope that double groups. Two touching high, three touching low, still shoots ~ 1 moa... Wasted some good barrel and components on that.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Just curious as it made me think….. how do you tell if the scope is bad if you don’t have a hammer rifle or load to try it on ? I’m sure there are scopes that still track but won’t hold a dead on zero. Is that assumption right ?

Years ago, a very well known shooter told me that he thought there was about .030 drift in every 36x Benchrest Scope made. Guys like Cecil Tucker made a name correcting this.
Keep in mind. In Short Range Benchrest, tracking is a non issue. All we care about is will the thing hold he same point of aim every time.
Through the years we went through frozen scopes with external adjustments and other “fixes to insure the thing was rock solid.
The manufacturers such as March got serious and the result is now we do have scopes that are solid in the keeping point of aim perfect.
Of course, in Long Range and Disciplines such as PRS, tracking is a big issue. It might be even more important than the scopes ability to hold POI shot after shot.
Years ago, Charlie Hood came up with a scope checker. It was tedious to use, and you had to be 100% sure that the scope you were checking it against was rock solid. But it did work.

Here is a picture of the Hood set up…

 

[Steve Donlon]

I’d say that it’s a .45 gun if those are the only samples.

I’m talking a running average of 5 shot groups at .250. I have one that’s exceptional that will shoot .200 and one I call my “bad barrel” that’s in the high .2s to low .3s

These are over 50 or more 5 shot groups. Hunting and shooting are my only hobbies so I get to spend a lot of time behind a gun.

Average…. That means that there’s times the .200 gun will shoot a .0 and times it shoots a .3. It’s a 6 BR, so not quite like a 6.5-06 AI but it’s killed about 450 animals so it’s definitely a hunting rifl

do you guys use your bench rifles for hunting or make a lightweight rifle chambered in 6 BR and use the same reloading practice but with hunting bullets? What were the 450 animals you shot with the 6 BR? I like my DD300 BLK Hunter for hunting that is why I'm asking.

 

[Steve Donlon]

I’m sorry I don’t know what you mean in the first part.

No the barrel scoped fine.

Sorry, I got you mixed up with tommeboy who said he only needed 100 rounds. I was thinking of both ccrider and tommeboy. MY bad.

 

[Clancy]

do you guys use your bench rifles for hunting or make a lightweight rifle chambered in 30BR and use the same reloading practice?

Lightweight stocks, custom action, Remington Varmint contour barrels, excellent glass…. And yea, extremely well tuned loads. 6 BR, BRA, GT, 6.5x47 and 6.5-284 for bigger game.

 

[jelenko]

would you say that rifle is a .3 gun or a .6 gun

If it's an honest call, I disregard the shot as part of the group but count it as something I need to work on.

 

[jelenko]

Just curious as it made me think….. how do you tell if the scope is bad if you don’t have a hammer rifle or load to try it on ? I’m sure there are scopes that still track but won’t hold a dead on zero. Is that assumption right ?

When I'm doubting a scope, I put another scope on to see how it shoots.
A key strategy for me in debugging things is to substitute with known good parts.

Same with a barrel - I'll try another barrel on the same rifle.

 

[Clancy]

do you guys use your bench rifles for hunting or make a lightweight rifle chambered in 6 BR and use the same reloading practice but with hunting bullets? What were the 450 animals you shot with the 6 BR? I like my DD300 BLK Hunter for hunting that is why I'm asking.

Mule deer, whitetail, antelope, coyotes, a handful of bobcats.

I’ve thought about building the kids a 300 BLK for hunting but I think it may be a 30 Grendel now that Hawkins has flush fit mags for it.

I’ll swap them over to 6BR once they learn to control their nerves- I’d rather have a .30 hole until then.

 

[Steve Donlon]

Mule deer, whitetail, antelope, coyotes, a handful of bobcats.

I’ve thought about building the kids a 300 BLK for hunting but I think it may be a 30 Grendel now that Hawkins has flush fit mags for it.

I’ll swap them over to 6BR once they learn to control their nerves- I’d rather have a .30 hole until then.

I don't know how much you have shot a 300blk with good bullets supersonic but they are underrated for there accuracy and ease of reloading and maintenance. Everyone needs a good semiauto rifle that is cheap to reload and fun to shoot. And is capable of hunting if you know how to get close enough. I'm shooting it more than any other rifle right now. It takes awhile for the barrel to get hot in the summer when it is hot out then cools off. 1500 rounds and no fire cracking. No copper fouling except the edge of the Gas port in the barrel. Cleans up faster than any other semiauto I have . Shot a 1" group @ 300 yards with Sierra 125gr MK bullets , 18.3grs, of 296 powder. What's not to like?

 

[Will Henry]

Not meaning to de-rail a thread, but when I first saw the title, I thought it was a thread about swamped barrels, just mis-named.
I once had a Lyman 25X which, as it turned out, would turn any .2 rifle into a .4 rifle, or worse. I fought with this scope for a while until a fellow shooter did me the favor of knocking my rifle off the bench and breaking the objective bell right off! I put my spare scope (an old 20x) on it and my groups shrank dramatically. The fellow who bumped the rifle and knocked it off was mortified. As it turned out, I should have paid him for the favor! WH

 

[bobcat93]

Hahaha..that a good question. Im gonna say what others have said. I think more barrels are trashed by over cleaning or improper cleaning
When im reloading and something isnt working. Its pretty east to trace the problem.
You kind of have to have a certain type of mind to reload..sickly obsessive..a reloader isnt gonna say..
Welp!..thats no good lets toss the barrel..
No they gunna scrub, and clean and go back to the press untill it just right.
(A REAL RELOADER DOESN'T MISS THE NODE DUDE!, THEY KEEP AT IT- UNTILL THEY FIND IT.)

 

[jelenko]

groups shrank dramatically.

Now that's serendipity.

 

[jackieschmidt]

do you guys use your bench rifles for hunting or make a lightweight rifle chambered in 6 BR and use the same reloading practice but with hunting bullets? What were the 450 animals you shot with the 6 BR? I like my DD300 BLK Hunter for hunting that is why I'm asking.

My best friend built a nice Remington 700 in 30BR. He shoots the 125 grn Barns Triple Shock out of a 1-18 twist barrel at about 3000 fps. It’s a great East Texas White Tail Rifle.