Barrel tuning question

[joneb]

I can see how barrel harmonics effect POI, but what is the best way to control and manipulate these vibrations and which is most effective and repeatable? Is it a tuner brake or a chunk of rubber? I don't know but I have a feeling I'm about to find out, I will start with the rubber and go from there. I have a feeling the dampening should start before the bullet exits the barrel.

 

[joneb]

Thanks for posting this, I knew there was a correlation in velocity and barrel harmonics.
My Marlin 30-30 seems to prefer the old Remington Core-lokt in 170 grain.
I'm trying to find the sweet spot somewhere between 2000 fps- 2300 with my reloads.

I have a old Marlin that did this, https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?account/th-attachment-manager/834901/view

 

[Varminterror]

I was initially sold on barrel tuners a long time ago - convinced by rimfire shooters who swore by the paradigm, "we can't tune our ammo, so we tune our barrels instead." Using my first tuner, I quickly became disheartened that I wasn't able to consistently shoot the advantage out of my tuners - it always felt like I was chasing my tail. But I went back and forth, off and on with tuners over ~20 years, and throughout, I never really felt as though I was seeing decisive, conclusive advantage or demonstrating true control over harmonics with tuners... I did repeated testing with a few different tuners over the years, but never really could nail down true control - I'd run a tuning string, then run it again, and it would feel like I was chasing my tail - or some days I'd leave it alone and it would hold together all day, or other days I might run the tuner, feel like I found a sweet spot, then end up falling apart... So I was largely content that I just couldn't shoot the difference, so even though I kinda believed they SHOULD work, I really couldn't prove that they DID work... When tuners started making headway into PRS ~3-4 years ago, I wasn't one to jump on the bandwagon because I was very, very happy with how my 105 Hybrids fly through Bartlein barrels, but I've largely left well enough alone...

BUT... Luckily for us... we have a few groups out there who have done extensive testing of various tuners, and take it for what it is - two massive datasets based on structured hypotheses and nearly-exhaustive volume of testing to confirm statistical differentiation and validity of the results towards the conclusions drawn...

Here's Hornady's podcast reviewing their results in testing tuners:



A link to a podcast video from Applied Ballistics (results also published in Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting Vol 3) which offer VERY similar conclusions:

Applied Ballistics Podcast #55 Tuner Testing

Adding weight to the end of barrels does seem to have a notable, repeatable, and differentiable influence. Slightly moving the weight in or out as we might by turning a tuner or sliding the Limbsaver doinker around on the barrel doesn't appear to actually do anything more than trick shooters into putting confidence into coincidence.

It's fine to be skeptical, but it is proven science.

So by and large, the “proven science” is that tuners don’t do what is claimed and believed by many. Statistical analysis of high sample volume tests show that the dudes convincing themselves they shoot smaller BECAUSE of tuners are more likely shooting smaller IN SPITE of tuners.