Tuner Weight

Pete Wass

Well-known member
I noticed this past Sunday a couple or three VFS rifles that had what appeared to be lighter weight tuners. Led me to wondering if, for the sake of saving weight, tuners could be lighter than most of the current crop. These tuners were positioned behind the muzzle a bit yet they only needed to be moved a small amount to change tune. Just wonderin.
 
Hmmmm....

You mean like this, Pete?

tunerbw.jpg
 
Even Smaller

I don't have a picture but they are made of brass or bronze and I don't recall the weight the owner told me but I think it is 6 oz. Got me to wondering if two or three oz with a bit more movement would do the job. I did see one like yours as well. I got to thinking how small the BOSS system is and what they do and - - - --
 
I noticed this past Sunday a couple or three VFS rifles that had what appeared to be lighter weight tuners. Led me to wondering if, for the sake of saving weight, tuners could be lighter than most of the current crop. These tuners were positioned behind the muzzle a bit yet they only needed to be moved a small amount to change tune. Just wonderin.
Pete, generally, if you want to tune the barrel, depending on barrel profile, you need about 10-12 ounces. If you want to assist in tuning the load a 3-5 ounce tuner will work.

Now, if a barrel is near its natural tune, a ight one will work but if it is out of natural tune it needs to be heavier.

They will all change the performance of the barrel.

George Kelbly and Paul Gotshall, years ago, put a 5# weight on a barrel. It mostly just lowered the POI.
 
I don't have a picture but they are made of brass or bronze and I don't recall the weight the owner told me but I think it is 6 oz. Got me to wondering if two or three oz with a bit more movement would do the job. I did see one like yours as well. I got to thinking how small the BOSS system is and what they do and - - - --

Is this the one you're thinking about, Pete? On Saturday, at the match in Richmond, we talked about it a little.

Borden_Tuner.jpg
 
Adrian
Your tuner looks exactly like Jim Bordens tuner.
Lynn

Lynn,

You are exactly right - This is a Borden Tuner. Jim did some R&D on them and I think this is the type he has released.

Adrian
 
Here is a picture of the muzzles of our new Borden Rifles. I'm not sure if you can count the difference in grooves but the barrel on the left is a Brux and the other is a Rock Creek. We spent the weekend before last with Jim and he got both rifles shooting the exact same load. It's nice to have just one powder setting, one seating die...

Adrian

ps the barrels aren't dirty, the picture is just out of focus

Borden_Tuner02.jpg
 
Yes Adrian

I didn't want to name the owners but wanted to begin a discussion about weight. Thanks for stepping forward with the pictures and info. Pete
 
Brass Tuners

Pete

These 4 ounce +/- tuners have been working fine for me. It takes more movement to make drastic shift in tune--but that is what I wanted as it gives a wider "window" of tune so that small changes in tuner position does not make large impact on POI or tune.

Jim
 
Pete

my tuners weigh an average 5 ounces, they also incorporate a "snubber".

What I do with my tuners is sort of what Jerry alludes to. I find the load that the "combination" likes, then I keep it in tune with the tuner..........jackie
 
Thanks Jim

Pete

These 4 ounce +/- tuners have been working fine for me. It takes more movement to make drastic shift in tune--but that is what I wanted as it gives a wider "window" of tune so that small changes in tuner position does not make large impact on POI or tune.

Jim

This seems very logical and the way to go to me. Good on you for doing this. Pete
 
Will you explain

my tuners weigh an average 5 ounces, they also incorporate a "snubber".

What I do with my tuners is sort of what Jerry alludes to. I find the load that the "combination" likes, then I keep it in tune with the tuner..........jackie

why you incorporated the snubber Jackie? Thanks, Pete
 
Pete

I can't give you any hard data as to why I came up with the 'snubber" concept.

But here is what I did. I first built the tuner without the rubber. I then figured out the untilization of that rubber marine bearing that I use.

When you tap the barrel with just the aluminum tuner, it sounds entirely different than if you tap it with the tuner that incorporates the snubber.

I think the Rifles have a wider tune window with the snubber. I don't get into arguments with other shooters about it, because I can't prove it.

But, I am sure not going to take them off.........jackie
 
A little more anecdotal tuner info:

Some time ago, Jackie gave me a pre snubber tuner. About that time Sims Vibration Lab. gave me a couple of prototype Deresonators that had larger IDs, that were designed to be used on larger diameter barrels. A friend and I fitted the tuner to a well worn barrel that I had had on my rifle since it (the barrel) was new. We turned steps on the barrel to remove the same amount of weight as the tuner plus the rubber piece weighed, approximately 5.25 oz. I did some testing which led me to believe that the barrel shot best with the rubber thing just behind the tuner threads, which are 2" long. I then shot a weekend long match, with the weirdest looking barrel, steps, deresonator and tuner. It seemed to me that the tune was broader, and that the barrel shot more true to the flags. The throat was so rough that a very small piece of steel came out on a patch after brushing. It shot better than it had before. It won its last match at 200 with a .291 at Visalia, against the usual field. This was not my usual performance.

Some time back, I persuaded Don Jackson to share his tuner experience on this board. Very briefly, he fitted simple tuners to a half dozen barrels that had been put aside after initial testing due to their not being competitively accurate. by fitting tuners, he improved the performance of 5 of the 6 by an average of .050, I believe.

Obviously no tuner can read a wind flag, but I believe that as part of a well (or accidentially well) executed system, they can improve raw accuracy.
 
.....the one I have on my gun weighs a tad less than 4 oz. and appears to work well. Steve

Steve, before I committed to fitting the Beggs unit to the barrel I posted a pic of, I experimented with adding small amounts of weight (1 oz. increments) to the barrel. The way I did it was pure Dakota dirt clod...but it showed me enough that it seemed reasonable to pursue it further.

Good shootin'. :) -Al
 
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