Barrel Tuners for .22lr

steveNChunter · February 7, 2014, 08:01 PM

Does anyone here use a barrel tuner on their .22lr benchrest rifle?

Do they really help?

If so who makes the best one for the $$?

I've already read all the technical mumbo jumbo about how they work, I'm just wondering what kind of actual results people have had.

Thinking about putting one on a CZ 455

PVL · February 8, 2014, 12:16 AM

Barrel tuners are used on .22 benchrest guns more than anything else, there are several brands of them out there.

Since one cannot reload .22lr and there are only a few brands of match ammunition, which are not always available, a barrel tuner is the most practical and effective thing one can use to match up barrel and load for the best accuracy.

An alternative to barrel tuners which no manufacturer has offered yet would be a series of match loads with slightly different loads in specific increments. For this to work well, five or ten different loadings of the same case and bullet would have to be manufactured. - Unlikely to happen at best.

An old trick was to take a bit off of the length of the barrel, test for accuracy with a chosen loading, then take a bit more off to see if accuracy improves. The problem with this of course is that sooner or later you will pass the "sweet spot" and the next bit of barrel length removed will worsen, not improve accuracy.

Since nobody has come up with an easier, quicker and more effective way to match load and barrel, the tuners are very popular among rimfire benchresters.

One thing I noted while looking at the different brands is that they seem kinda pricey to me. It's just a movable weight on the end of the barrel, when it comes down to it. - I do not see any particular reason that they have to be pricey, but the same thing can be said about adjustable shooting rests, which also trend to being overly complicated and expensive, for what they do.

I guess that's part of the fun, fooling around with complicated, nicely machined gadgets, etc..

Bart B. · February 8, 2014, 12:21 PM

A lot of smallbore position shooters use them, too. Often seen in NRA and international competition.

They work, too, making the muzzle whip angle near the top on its upswing as bullets exit so slower velocity bullets leave at a higher angle and strike the target at the same place as faster bullets leaving sooner. This phenomenom is oft times called positive compensation. Works with some high power match rifles, too.

Best one for the money is a piece of steel duct taped to the barrel. I've seen such things work perfectly, just don't enter it in a beauty contest.

PS: Rural folks in the Siberian wastelands used to grind up wooden match heads, make a thick watery paste and push it into the rims of fired .22 rimfire cases then let it dry. Later, put in some black powder and seat a round lead ball in them. Fed their families with small game taken with such ammo. A case would last for 5 or 6 firings if indexed so the firing pin struck a non-indented part of the rim.

steveNChunter · February 8, 2014, 04:04 PM

Ok, so they work.

Who makes a good one?

Do they happen to make any that come threaded for 1/2x28 threaded barrels?

Bart B. · February 8, 2014, 05:58 PM

Search "Rifle barrel tuners"

http://benchrest.com/showthread.php?...ot-NEWBIE-quot

You'll need match ammo to set one at the right place with the least amount of ammo. Eley Ultimate or RWS R50 are good. Shoot at least 25 shots per test group.

steveNChunter · February 8, 2014, 07:45 PM

I have a brick of Eley Match (black box) that I'll be using. I have done some Googling and found that same article you posted a link to. It mentions Hoehn and Harrell barrel tuners, which appear to be the same product. The only one I have actually found for sale is the Harrell for $150. I guess I'll just end up getting that one if I don't find any others to compare it to.

reynolds357 · February 8, 2014, 08:07 PM

I have one on one of my Kimbers and one of my Anschutz. It helps the Kimber a bit, but the Anschutz is so accurate I can hurt its accuracy with the tuner if I try, but I have never helped its accurcay. I dont know who made them. One of my gunsmith friends who is a rimfire specialist put both of them on.

MarkDozier · February 8, 2014, 09:53 PM

I use a tuning fork and trim the barrel until i get the right pitch. Be sure to check after you crown the barrel.

PVL · February 8, 2014, 10:58 PM

I designed, but never built a tuner threaded for the AR15.

Somebody ought to do that, it would sell.

Bart B. · February 8, 2014, 11:22 PM

Some folks have used tuners on high power barrels, but it's easier to tune your ammo's bullets to leave just before the muzzle axis is up to its greatest angle to get best accuracy at some range.

Microgunner · February 8, 2014, 11:22 PM

I've got a Fudd tuner on one rifle. It helps but adds considerable weight at the muzzle making the rifle very unbalanced for off hand shooting.
Only good for bench rest shooting now but that's it's intended purpose anyway.

Bart B. · February 9, 2014, 08:54 AM

Mark, if you use a tuning fork and trim the barrel until you get the right pitch, what's the tuning fork's frequency?

And do you use a harmonic of the fork or just its resonant one to match your barrel to?

Picher · February 9, 2014, 12:57 PM

I have a Hohen tuner on my Rem 40X, rimfire benchrest rifle and had a Fudd on my Win 52C.

You need to mike the barrel near the muzzle. The tuner is then reamed to fit by the manufacturer and attached by a split collet with screws to tighten the fit.

I try to find the ammo that shoots best in the rifle without the tuner, then install it. There are lots of personal methods to tune one, but when a sweet spot is found it should be one that prints just short of the highest POI of the groups. That's the point where the barrel is near it's maximum vertical travel, but a bit short of it. That position usually best allows for some velocity variations.

Tuners work best with less than heavy bull-barrels. I've added weight to mine to increase effectiveness, using a strip of lead flashing.

(At least one gunsmith drills from the muzzle end to tune sporter benchrest rifles, since adjustable tuners aren't allowed in that class. Don't try it unless you have precision equipment.)

February 7, 2014, 08:01 PM	#1
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	Barrel Tuners for .22lr Does anyone here use a barrel tuner on their .22lr benchrest rifle? Do they really help? If so who makes the best one for the $$? I've already read all the technical mumbo jumbo about how they work, I'm just wondering what kind of actual results people have had. Thinking about putting one on a CZ 455 __________________ DEO VINDICE

February 8, 2014, 12:21 PM	#3
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	A lot of smallbore position shooters use them, too. Often seen in NRA and international competition. They work, too, making the muzzle whip angle near the top on its upswing as bullets exit so slower velocity bullets leave at a higher angle and strike the target at the same place as faster bullets leaving sooner. This phenomenom is oft times called positive compensation. Works with some high power match rifles, too. Best one for the money is a piece of steel duct taped to the barrel. I've seen such things work perfectly, just don't enter it in a beauty contest. PS: Rural folks in the Siberian wastelands used to grind up wooden match heads, make a thick watery paste and push it into the rims of fired .22 rimfire cases then let it dry. Later, put in some black powder and seat a round lead ball in them. Fed their families with small game taken with such ammo. A case would last for 5 or 6 firings if indexed so the firing pin struck a non-indented part of the rim. Last edited by Bart B.; February 8, 2014 at 01:22 PM.

February 8, 2014, 04:04 PM	#4
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	Ok, so they work. Who makes a good one? Do they happen to make any that come threaded for 1/2x28 threaded barrels? __________________ DEO VINDICE

February 8, 2014, 05:58 PM	#5
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Search "Rifle barrel tuners" http://benchrest.com/showthread.php?...ot-NEWBIE-quot You'll need match ammo to set one at the right place with the least amount of ammo. Eley Ultimate or RWS R50 are good. Shoot at least 25 shots per test group. Last edited by Bart B.; February 8, 2014 at 06:05 PM.

February 8, 2014, 07:45 PM	#6
steveNChunter Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns Posts: 1,520	I have a brick of Eley Match (black box) that I'll be using. I have done some Googling and found that same article you posted a link to. It mentions Hoehn and Harrell barrel tuners, which appear to be the same product. The only one I have actually found for sale is the Harrell for $150. I guess I'll just end up getting that one if I don't find any others to compare it to. __________________ DEO VINDICE

February 8, 2014, 12:16 AM	#2
PVL Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2013 Posts: 169	Barrel tuners are used on .22 benchrest guns more than anything else, there are several brands of them out there. Since one cannot reload .22lr and there are only a few brands of match ammunition, which are not always available, a barrel tuner is the most practical and effective thing one can use to match up barrel and load for the best accuracy. An alternative to barrel tuners which no manufacturer has offered yet would be a series of match loads with slightly different loads in specific increments. For this to work well, five or ten different loadings of the same case and bullet would have to be manufactured. - Unlikely to happen at best. An old trick was to take a bit off of the length of the barrel, test for accuracy with a chosen loading, then take a bit more off to see if accuracy improves. The problem with this of course is that sooner or later you will pass the "sweet spot" and the next bit of barrel length removed will worsen, not improve accuracy. Since nobody has come up with an easier, quicker and more effective way to match load and barrel, the tuners are very popular among rimfire benchresters. One thing I noted while looking at the different brands is that they seem kinda pricey to me. It's just a movable weight on the end of the barrel, when it comes down to it. - I do not see any particular reason that they have to be pricey, but the same thing can be said about adjustable shooting rests, which also trend to being overly complicated and expensive, for what they do. I guess that's part of the fun, fooling around with complicated, nicely machined gadgets, etc..

February 8, 2014, 08:07 PM	#7
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	I have one on one of my Kimbers and one of my Anschutz. It helps the Kimber a bit, but the Anschutz is so accurate I can hurt its accuracy with the tuner if I try, but I have never helped its accurcay. I dont know who made them. One of my gunsmith friends who is a rimfire specialist put both of them on.

February 8, 2014, 09:53 PM	#8
MarkDozier Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2010 Posts: 363	I use a tuning fork and trim the barrel until i get the right pitch. Be sure to check after you crown the barrel.

February 8, 2014, 10:58 PM	#9
PVL Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2013 Posts: 169	I designed, but never built a tuner threaded for the AR15. Somebody ought to do that, it would sell.

February 8, 2014, 11:22 PM	#10
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Some folks have used tuners on high power barrels, but it's easier to tune your ammo's bullets to leave just before the muzzle axis is up to its greatest angle to get best accuracy at some range.

February 8, 2014, 11:22 PM	#11
Microgunner Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,324	I've got a Fudd tuner on one rifle. It helps but adds considerable weight at the muzzle making the rifle very unbalanced for off hand shooting. Only good for bench rest shooting now but that's it's intended purpose anyway. __________________ *Proud NRA Benefactor Member*

February 9, 2014, 08:54 AM	#12
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Mark, if you use a tuning fork and trim the barrel until you get the right pitch, what's the tuning fork's frequency? And do you use a harmonic of the fork or just its resonant one to match your barrel to?

February 9, 2014, 12:57 PM	#13
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	I have a Hohen tuner on my Rem 40X, rimfire benchrest rifle and had a Fudd on my Win 52C. You need to mike the barrel near the muzzle. The tuner is then reamed to fit by the manufacturer and attached by a split collet with screws to tighten the fit. I try to find the ammo that shoots best in the rifle without the tuner, then install it. There are lots of personal methods to tune one, but when a sweet spot is found it should be one that prints just short of the highest POI of the groups. That's the point where the barrel is near it's maximum vertical travel, but a bit short of it. That position usually best allows for some velocity variations. Tuners work best with less than heavy bull-barrels. I've added weight to mine to increase effectiveness, using a strip of lead flashing. (At least one gunsmith drills from the muzzle end to tune sporter benchrest rifles, since adjustable tuners aren't allowed in that class. Don't try it unless you have precision equipment.)