Re: The Barrel Tuning Devices

[royinidaho]

There are strange things going or who's coming up with the strangest idea.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/tuning-devices-28604/

Here's what the guy up the road is doing:

1) Build a recoil lug that has a bit of an edge all the way around the barrel sufficient to butt an aluminum tube to it.

2) Size the muzzle brake with a diameter the same as the recoil lug and cut a ledge on it so the tube supported.

3) Machine the aluminum tubing to the correct length. Jury is still out on exact length.

4) Slip the tube over the barrel, I guess its ok if it touches the barrel at the recoil lug.

5) Install the brake ensuring the tube is supported on the machined ledge and tighten the brake against the tube to the proper torque. Jury is still out on the proper torque.

On a 300 RUM sporter the system is reported to reduce 500 yard groups from 5" to 3". This is with no load development whatever. Just loaded a reasonable sounding load and did the test.

And I thought I came up with some weird stuff. But who am I to say, this may be the next big fad........

 

[BillR]

Barrel tensioner tubes have been around quite a while and are a bit spendy to build and do work. Do some reading on Benchrest central about the barrel tuners the guys are working on right now and you will really be suprised. Some guys are claiming that with differant loads the guns will still shoot to the same hole.
Bill Calfie is the one that got it all started on rimfires and is now getting the centerfire guys to look real hard at it also. Really kind of neat what their doing.

 

[Captn C]

I was watching a hunting show the other day and the host (can't remeber the show) and a thing that looked like a limb saver type thing slid down the barrel. It stopped about 2" short of the forend?!?!!?

Any one know what that was?

 

[rocky_lange]

I don't know the exact product name, but the "limbsaver" like device workes on the same principle as it does on a bow. It dampens the vibration of the barrel.

All of us handloaders know that some loads shoot better than others. A well developed load will have very little vertical stringing. Why? As the gun goes bang and the bullet travels down the barrel, the barrel vibrates (think tuning fork). The barrel travels the same speed in its vibation/up and down travel. But, at the top and bottom of that travel when the direction changes from up to down or vice versa, the distabce it travels is smaller. So what does that mean????

If you find the right load/bullet veolcity to have the bullet exit the end of the barrel at the top or bottom of the vibation, the barrel is moving less = less vertical stringing. If the bullets exits during the movement between top or bottom of the vibration and there is a variation in velocity by even a few FPS, then the end of the barrel will be in a different POA and hence vertical stringing.

Tuners and dampeners are by design supposed to decrease the amount of vibration/travel of the barrels POA.

Am I saying everyone should run out and buy a tuner? No. If you are a benchrest competetor and want to try to shave a few thousanths of an inch or so off you aggs, sure, try it. If you are a hunter, you may never see a noticable difference. Go over to the forums at benchrest dot com and look up the very heated debates about the effectiveness of tuners and you can see that there is no yes/no answer. Some swear by them, others won't waste their time and energy on them.

If barrel vibration is a concern, forget about your long barrels. Buy a 20-22" heavy barrel and don't look back. They will be more accurate, but yes, they will lose the precious muzzle velocities needed for long range hunting in the larger calibers.

Rocky

 

[Lightvarmint]

You get basically the same result by adjusting the seating depth so the bullet exits the barrel on a min or max node. No rocket science there.

Browning claims to be the inventor and has the patent on the barrel tuners I believe. The Boss system has been around longer than the first 22RF barrel tuner. Cause I know the guys who started messing with the tuners initially.

You can even take factory loaded ammo and adjust the seating depth and it will shoot on par with the best hand loads. I do it for my friends and they all have factory guns shooting factory loaded ammo (tuned by me) and to date every gun will shoot under .375 at 100 yards. Actually, all shot under .3 except for one finicky 338 RUM and it only shot .375. That is way better than most of the custom gun guys on this website guarantee on a $3000 rifle with handloads most of the time.

Tuners originated with RF since you could not adjust the loaded round. If you can adjust the loaded round, tuners are less necessary. However, they will significantly tame an ill-shooting barrel.

It is fun to have several lots of ammo and the associated tuner settings for them and shoot tiny groups with different lots of ammo by just turning to a different tuner setting.

James