What exactly is "Tuning" ?

[Wolfdog91]

So the more I learn about bench rest type shooting and reloading the more I keep hearing this term "tuning" but I don't think I've ever really seen it explained. Like I was listing to one of Eric Cortina's videos and he was talking about how easy the 300wsm is to tune. What exactly does it entail? Or is it a different thing for everyone?

 

[BoydAllen]

Experimenting with different loads to find the best accuracy…best done methodically changing one variable at a time

 

[DaveTooley]

I'm old school. I start with a warm powder charge and vary seating depth. As I seat the bullet deeper pressure drops so I may up the powder charge. If that doesn't work I switch bullets. It can be a simple process.

 

[Todd Earhart]

Exit timing of the bullet.
Todd

 

[Beiruty]

Shooting some, and wasting your time and components for fun.

 

[Orr89rocz]

To me its like the car world, you tune an engine of fuel and spark timing, mainly. For a rifle, fuel is powder and timing is seating depth. Change powder and seat depth to bring a bullet into the best accuracy possible.

Probably more variables you can play with, like barrel harmonics with a barrel device aka “tuner”. Some guys play with action screw torque. Guess anything that can impact a bullets point of impact is a variable you can tune

 

[Clancy]

Any change of any component on the rifle or in the ammunition could be called tuning. I don’t mean like a scope change, but something like varying action screw torque would qualify.

Assuming a well oiled machine (the rifle), tuning is largely about seating depth, powder charge, primer choice, neck tension, amount and type of sizing, etc.

 

[RegionRat]

There isn't one definition for the words "tune" or "tuning" in the dictionary, so unlikely we would agree on just one for ballistics either. That said...

One could apply the concept that if group performance is called harmonic, meaning it oscillates in magnitude or phase due to some adjustable parameter, then anything you adjust to change or improve the group or phase could be called "tuning".

For example, the bedding stock screws may affect harmonics, so if applying various torque levels causes the group to cycle in and out, then even that could be called tuning.

If for example moving a weight along the length of the barrel causes the group size to move up and down, then that could be called tuning.

By the same token, if adjusting any variable in the brass prep, powder charge, or seating depth, affects the group size, then it would be fair to call that tuning as well.

So the words are vague and can be very generalized, up to and including anything that affects the group phase or magnitude. However, when we say the context is "load tuning", then it would only apply to the ammunition rather than the gun.

 

[JMayo]

Taming of the whipping of the barrel when fired.
My shortest answer.

 

[Stanley]

WolfDog - this website might help in your quest for accuracy and precision.

Connect the Dots, Benchrest, Hunting, Precision, Accuracy, Stanley, Jason

The mission of Connect the Dots is to share proven accuracy and precision guidelines learned in competition in a way hunters can use in the field.

www.ctdshooting.com

Lots of information about tuning, including a blog written by Dr. Keith Sharp. https://www.ctdshooting.com/post/th...ion-between-muzzle-angle-and-bullet-exit-time Dr. Sharp is a retired engineering professor from the University of Louisville.

I hope the information can be of use to you.
Jason Stanley

 

[Ccrider]

A gun has a maximum potential for accuracy. Take the human factors out of the equation and tuning is preparing the cartridge that shoots at the guns highest potential.
Correct bullet selection, powder, charge weight, brass, neck tension, and seating depth all are in play when tuning. How one goes about tuning os a different question.

 

[Ned Ludd]

The term "tuning" comes from the movie, "Dark City". As described under Abilities at the following link, “Tune” is a specific name of the psychokinetic power that the Strangers use to control reality itself at will.

Stranger (Dark City)

The Strangers are an endangered parasitic alien species, that abducted humans and brought them to a city-like space station, experimenting on them in an attempt to prolong their life. The exact origins and biological nature of the Strangers are unknown, such as the name, location and ecology of...

aliens.fandom.com

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I think tuning is timing. Anything we do that affects where the bullet is in relation to the muzzle, or the other way around!!..is timing..err..tuning. With traditional tuning methods, we alter in bore time and with tuners, we alter where the bbl is with a given in bore time. Both work.

 

[6bra1k]

tuning is what you decide.
what do you expect from a rifle and how much work/money are you willing spend getting there.
lots of levels of "accuracy"
family plinking rifle
varmint rifle
short range br
hunting rifle
fclass
long range br.
each requires their own steps and precision.
use of a "tuner" is just one of many steps

 

[mikecr]

To me, tuning is calibrating for 3 gun nodes:
Powder -where SD/ES are low
Barrel -where bullet release is of consistent direction
System -where gun/system vibration and recoil torquing and flex are consistent and supporting to the barrel node

Some item changes affecting tune are not really tuning, but prerequisite to results.
The right primer, optimum bullet seating, bag sand type, a scope holding true to zero, shot timing, etc.

I'm sure it could be suggested that the shooting itself can be tuned. The shooting mind.

 

[markm87]

Lately the tail has been wagging the dog for me and I've been tuning loads to these crazy hot CCI 41 primers. I can't back the powder charge off enough to mellow these things out.

 

[Tarmacshooter]

You tune the system. You start methodically changing one thing at a time for the load. You tune everything from the load, to the setup to the shooter.

 

[WayneShaw]

Sent you a PM.

 

[jackieschmidt]

My definition of a competitive tune is when the only thing that will keep a bullet from taking the exact same path as the one before is the conditions you are shooting through within the capabilities of your combination.

you arrive at this by removing any variables that can cause inconsistency in ignition, and then taking advantage of the things you can change. The more common are powder charge, seating depth and neck tension.

Adding some type of external tuning device to the barrel helps enhance these, but in it’s self is not a cure all.

I kinda follow Dave’s example In Post #3.

 

[PracticalTactical]

tun·ing
/ˈto͞oniNG/

A process of consuming ammunition and firearm components in a futile effort to produce an almost negligible improvement in ballistic performance or accuracy that was designed primarily to improve the gross sales for the manufacturers of said components.

See also: Marketing 101, Conspiracy theories.