mwezell
Mike Ezell
I've mentioned to several people on here that I'd announce any changes I make to my tuner design. I hope you'll all allow me to make this one announcement. I'd like to get word out to as many people as possible, here...where we Benchrest shooters reside.
When I started making tuners, the few that were commercially available, were mostly .900x32TPI, and making weight with a 10-1/2lb gun, was the exception, rather than the rule while using a tuner.
After years of using and testing different tuners, I felt there was more to be had from a tuner... and that this crowd would need proof from someone that actually DID the testing that proved them to be competitive before many would be willing to accept that they ACTUALLY DO WORK. You can't BS this crowd..so don't even try it! So, I decided to do my best at making what I think is a very good tuner design. I spent the time testing, both in a lab with an accelerometer and on the range, to do my best to bring good data regarding tuners to anyone that has wanted it.
Well...I feel certain in saying that we are beyond the "theory" stage with tuners. They have wins and records at all levels under their belt, including Bart's new 600 yard records with one. Long range, to me, was the last frontier for them to prove themselves. I've seen them on everything from air rifles to big boomers at all ranges, but Bart's records validate their use in long range, too.
I feel like there was one area that needed to be addressed with my tuners. That was just being able to use one in short range LV without physical size and weight problems. Weight has always been adjustable with my tuners but they physically needed a larger barrel than some LV barrels had to offer....you had to build around its dimensions at times.
That said, I made a change to the size of the tuner threads and overall size needed to use them. The old design is .900x32tpi, then .950@1.000 behind the muzzle.
The new one is threaded .875x32tpi and needs .900@1.000 behind the threads and is weight adjustable from a tad over 4ozs to 7oz.
After doing the testing, I'm convinced that there is a measurably significant benefit to having more than 4oz at the muzzle with most tuner designs, but there is still much to be gained at 4ozs. Testing proves to me that more weight an/or dampening is good, to a large degree, if you can stand it. From testing and without going into details, I decided that 7ozs was a "safe" compromise with most any barrel contour and stiffness.
That's it! I just wanted to let people know that the new LV tuner is available and that they still work very much like the old tuners. I'm always happy to talk tuners. I love it, really! I feel very strongly that it's only a matter of a few years until tuners are a standard part of any serious BR build. We're getting close, NOW!
Wilbur, if you have to take this down, I'll understand but I hope you'll let me use this as a way to get the word out. There's a lot of talk about tuners. I think rightfully so.
I hope the rest of you are shooting a match today!
Thanks!!!__Mike
When I started making tuners, the few that were commercially available, were mostly .900x32TPI, and making weight with a 10-1/2lb gun, was the exception, rather than the rule while using a tuner.
After years of using and testing different tuners, I felt there was more to be had from a tuner... and that this crowd would need proof from someone that actually DID the testing that proved them to be competitive before many would be willing to accept that they ACTUALLY DO WORK. You can't BS this crowd..so don't even try it! So, I decided to do my best at making what I think is a very good tuner design. I spent the time testing, both in a lab with an accelerometer and on the range, to do my best to bring good data regarding tuners to anyone that has wanted it.
Well...I feel certain in saying that we are beyond the "theory" stage with tuners. They have wins and records at all levels under their belt, including Bart's new 600 yard records with one. Long range, to me, was the last frontier for them to prove themselves. I've seen them on everything from air rifles to big boomers at all ranges, but Bart's records validate their use in long range, too.
I feel like there was one area that needed to be addressed with my tuners. That was just being able to use one in short range LV without physical size and weight problems. Weight has always been adjustable with my tuners but they physically needed a larger barrel than some LV barrels had to offer....you had to build around its dimensions at times.
That said, I made a change to the size of the tuner threads and overall size needed to use them. The old design is .900x32tpi, then .950@1.000 behind the muzzle.
The new one is threaded .875x32tpi and needs .900@1.000 behind the threads and is weight adjustable from a tad over 4ozs to 7oz.
After doing the testing, I'm convinced that there is a measurably significant benefit to having more than 4oz at the muzzle with most tuner designs, but there is still much to be gained at 4ozs. Testing proves to me that more weight an/or dampening is good, to a large degree, if you can stand it. From testing and without going into details, I decided that 7ozs was a "safe" compromise with most any barrel contour and stiffness.
That's it! I just wanted to let people know that the new LV tuner is available and that they still work very much like the old tuners. I'm always happy to talk tuners. I love it, really! I feel very strongly that it's only a matter of a few years until tuners are a standard part of any serious BR build. We're getting close, NOW!
Wilbur, if you have to take this down, I'll understand but I hope you'll let me use this as a way to get the word out. There's a lot of talk about tuners. I think rightfully so.
I hope the rest of you are shooting a match today!
Thanks!!!__Mike
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