Well lucky me...

[M700]

Seems I lucked into a nice Obermeyer Palma barrel recently, cut and crowned by some fellow named Stu Harvey. Name wasn't familiar to me. Doggone thing has a dead-flat crown, instead of the usual rebated or 11 degree crown. I figured that someday I'd get it re-crowned and fit it to my Palma rifle..

Then along comes this article on 6mmBR.com about a guy shooting 1.153" at 600 yards. Bells go off in my head w/the mention of flat crowns and Stu Harvey... Doh!

Guess maybe when it's time to mount this barrel on my rifle, I'll just leave that crown alone and see how she shoots first - before I go messing with what might be a very good thing. A fellow can learn a lot if he reads and listens every now and again... I keep re-learning that one!

Regards, Guy

 

[WayneShaw]

I don't believe anyone can prove one type of crown is more accurate than another. Some people just like the looks of one type over another, but they don't shoot any better. The quality of how is it done is much more important.

 

[Hipshot]

I thought the crown was done for protection in case of a drop or something.

 

[WayneShaw]

From an accuracy standpoint, if done right they all work fine. Now, as far as protection, on a field gun, one may want a recessed crown to help against accidental dinging of the crown edge.

 

[Eddie Harren]

Back in 1996 the U.S. Secret Service armorers spent 2 weeks and a few thousand tax dollars on high speed photography and shadow graph photography to test which crown was optimum. The end result was, incoclusive. Reminded me of when the late Homer Culver asked me what kind of crown I used. When I replied 11 degree, he replied, "I've tried them all, from 90 degree to 45 degree and it don't make any difference". Homer could've saved the gov't. some time and money.