How do top shooters handle their barrels?

F

feffer

Member
First how do they choose and set up their barrels?

Considering that not all barrels possible winners, and that even hummer barrels have a limited top accuracy potential, the top tier shooters must be good at selecting competitive barrels with a minimum number of shots. What sort of strategies are used? Are new barrels first screwed into UNL rifles and tested that way? Or just put on the gun they will be used on?

A secondary question: how are these barrels "broken in." Years ago, we did the one shot and clean thing, but is that still how it's done?
 
No 2 have ever done the same and a lv taper barrel doesnt fit in a railgun so its testing as its gonna be used. Some folks abandon em in the first 25 shots and some burn thru 250rds giving it all the chances it can have. Barrel break in is another story. Ive done it in the past and lots of folks used to do it. I think some still do its just all in what makes you feel good in the end- like a voodoo ritual
 
Dusty Stevens said:
No 2 have ever done the same and a lv taper barrel doesnt fit in a railgun so its testing as its gonna be used. Some folks abandon em in the first 25 shots and some burn thru 250rds giving it all the chances it can have. Barrel break in is another story. Ive done it in the past and lots of folks used to do it. I think some still do its just all in what makes you feel good in the end- like a voodoo ritual
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I'm done with following the herd, did my best when I didn't know anything and believed in voodoo. lol
 
Would much rather bring a couple of dead wolves, or at least photos of them. A friend and I are heading to Alberta for a week or so about that time to hunt wolves. Probably will not be back until around the 21st or so. If the shoot is that weekend it will be tough to make. !!! Just looked and found it on MGGOA website. Could March 28-29, 2015 be right ??? That is a week later than what I remember to be usual. !!!
 
CharlieH said:
And bring a couple of live chickens.
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I hope you two are going to have a chicken shoot not a chicken choking!!

On the barrel issue and if cost is not a deterrent, TB's method is probably the most sound. He takes his basic load and if that barrel doesn't shoot that load he tosses it. Think about that for a moment. A basic load that has proven to win many HOF points and a particular barrel doesn't like it? That barrel has to have something out of place....so, toss it!
 
Question for Jerry

Do you know where TB tosses the barrels he doesn't like?
Back to the vendor or resells to friends?
Centerfire
 
Centerfire said:
Do you know where TB tosses the barrels he doesn't like?
Back to the vendor or resells to friends?
Centerfire
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He tosses them across my fence...no, I wish he did.

At one time he was selling them. A TB rejected barrel at one time was a desired purchase. At one time they did not go back to a vendor nor the gunsmith. IIRC, in his book he said something about going back later and retesting them and finding a few that he gave a second chance.

I got somewhere that he doesn't order as many now. He used to order like about 20 total for he and Faye each season.
 
Several years ago, myself and my friend Mark Luksic bought a couple of Tony's barrels for $50 each. We ended up $50 in the hole - each. The barrels simply would not win. It was a good experience for a couple of new guys. We learned right then and there that there were good and bad barrels. 50 bucks each ain't a bad price for that knowledge.

BTW - they all look the same.....
 
Wilbur said:
Several years ago, myself and my friend Mark Luksic bought a couple of Tony's barrels for $50 each. We ended up $50 in the hole - each. The barrels simply would not win. It was a good experience for a couple of new guys. We learned right then and there that there were good and bad barrels. 50 bucks each ain't a bad price for that knowledge.

BTW - they all look the same.....
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Was it the barrels or the inexperience of the shooters?

Not all shooters are winners ya' know!
 
JerrySharrett said:
IIRC, in his book he said something about going back later and retesting them and finding a few that he gave a second chance.
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My recollection is that he said that he had to take a month off work for an injury, and spent that month extensively retesting his reject pile without finding a single barrel worth taking even to a small tournament (0.250 agg capability by his criteria).

Not a heartening prospect, is it?
 
Wilbur said:
Several years ago, myself and my friend Mark Luksic bought a couple of Tony's barrels for $50 each. We ended up $50 in the hole - each. The barrels simply would not win. It was a good experience for a couple of new guys. We learned right then and there that there were good and bad barrels. 50 bucks each ain't a bad price for that knowledge.

BTW - they all look the same.....
Click to expand...
Wilbur, I keep coming back to this site just to read your posts. It was a good thing I had swallowed my coffee before I read this one. Thanks Wilbur
To all the new guys in the sport, Wilbur is one of the ones to listen to and has a sense of humor all at the same time.
 
Rumor has it that one of the top Benchrest Shooters in the World, possibly the best, has dozens and dozens of barrels in his shop. He meticulously checks each blank, ascertaining the barrels capabilities by a criteria that he has developed.

Does it work. His success in Competition says yes.

The pile of "rejects" is not encouraging to those that think all barrels are created equal.
 
tobybradshaw said:
My recollection is that he said that he had to take a month off work for an injury, and spent that month extensively retesting his reject pile without finding a single barrel worth taking even to a small tournament (0.250 agg capability by his criteria).

Not a heartening prospect, is it?
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Toby you are correct in that he did not find a worthy barrel in this reject pile. But, somewhere he told a story about retesting and re accepting one or some. It must not have been this same year?
 
No, it is not "heartening" at all. My hat is off to those that have the time and money to find something that will win year after year.
 
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