barrel tuner
- Thread starter OctaRon1
- Start date
Yes, they are most popular with rimfire, and only a few see service on a centerfire. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, with a centerfire you can easily adjust the velocity of your loads and change the barrel time (time the bullet is in the barrel). With a rimfire using quality target ammo, there is very little variation in available muzzle velocity loads. They are usually just subsonic at about 1070 fps. This means you need to adjust the barrel to the ammo, instead of adjusting the ammo to the barrel. Competition shooters however may go to the extent of selecting batches of their favorite ammo based on the batch muzzle velocity though.
Second the barrel time of a rimfire is longer than a centerfire, so there is more opportunity for the tuner to have an effect. They tend to be more effective in a rimfire especially one with a longer heavy barrel.
The basis of their effectiveness lies in timing the bullet exit to barrel movement. You want the bullet to exit when the barrel is moving up. Slower than average bullets exit later with the barrel pointing higher to compensate for their lower velocity. Fast bullets exit sooner with the barrel pointing lower to compensate for their higher velocity. When you adjust the position and weight of the tuner you change the barrel movement and timing.
No, they do not have a huge effect, but to a target shooter in competition shooting at the limit of the best ammo it can make the difference between winning and losing.
Ron AKA gives a very good explanation. It is well-worth keeping in mind that a barrel tuner will not make a notable or significant difference on a sporter rifle in casual bench shooting. The greatest improvement to accuracy accrues from practicing consistent and proper shooting technique and by using the best cost-effective ammunition you can get.
They must work because I was leading the CZ factory class on RFC.
When I published a picture of the rifle with a tuner I was moved to modified although the barrel was still factory.
Didn't make any difference as I lead that class too.
They will not make bad ammo much better.
It will tune match ammo so that it is better suited to your rifle.
A lot of testing is required and you would be wise to test a number of different lots without the tuner, buy lots of the best lot then install the tuner and find its optimum. That might take a brick . . .
If they don't work then one should take a look at pictures of the ARA nationals.
When I published a picture of the rifle with a tuner I was moved to modified although the barrel was still factory.
Didn't make any difference as I lead that class too.
They will not make bad ammo much better.
It will tune match ammo so that it is better suited to your rifle.
A lot of testing is required and you would be wise to test a number of different lots without the tuner, buy lots of the best lot then install the tuner and find its optimum. That might take a brick . . .
If they don't work then one should take a look at pictures of the ARA nationals.
The effectiveness is variable and relative. As was stated in another post, good target grade ammunition matched to the barrel's chamber and consistent shot execution is as or more important.
From my own experience half a bullet to a full bullet width off group size can be realized at 50m.
