Barrel question

J

Jhart

Guest
This might be a stupid question but i just got to ask..

How do you know when your new barrel is a turd??

I just purchased a new barrel (gain twist )and i cant get the dang thing to shoot, i've done all the correct break-in
tried 2 different powders (133- imr 8208) 3 different bullets, loads range from 28-32gr and seating depth
from 20 thou off to full jam nothing is working..

I got a few ideas from a fellow shooter i'm going to try tomorrow.... Anybody else have any ideas..

This barrel is about 50 rounds short of being a nice shiny garden tool.

Thanks
Jim Hart
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Barrel Question

A lot of barrels get a bad rapp from Mistakes by the smith.
Check that first, The crown and how straight the chamber is. after that it could be barrel harmonics. { Internal stresses} One thing that might kelp is a chryo treatment It that fails it definately is a bad barrel
Just my nickels worth and i hope it helps.
 
Barrel performance is like scope performance is like bedding.

If you think it's wrong, it is wrong & you have to change. The expression used hereabouts is that you've mind f***ed yourself.
 
Gerry said:
A lot of barrels get a bad rapp from Mistakes by the smith.

Check that first, The crown and how straight the chamber is. after that it could be barrel harmonics. { Internal stresses} One thing that might kelp is a chryo treatment It that fails it definately is a bad barrel
Just my nickels worth and i hope it helps.
Click to expand...

All of the below suggestions are assuming the chambering is a 6mm PPC and you are shooting custom made benchrest quality bullets.


Gerry is correct in that many otherwise good barrels are screwed up by gunsmiths that do not put the care in chambering required for benchrest. There are hundreds of "gunsmiths" out there that build wonderful rifles for hunting but their chambering accuracy is not up to what is required for precision benchrest.

Other things to consider, get the barrel borescoped carefully looking for copper and check the chamber freebore and leade for concentricity with the barrel bore.

Next, with your V133, load several rounds with 29.2 grains. Then in groups of 3 loads, seat the bullets on the first load so that marks on the bullet that are 1/4 as tall as they are wide. Then seat, in groups of 3, moving the bullets deeper by 0.003" and out by 0.003" from there till you have moved the bullet seating about 0.015" each way. Given good conditions and good flags, if you do not find a load that puts the three shots in a group less than about 0.180" the barrel itself may be bad.

My next step would be to slug the barrel, pushing soft lead slugs through while feeling for tight or loose spots.
 
Last edited:
Jim,

What is the temperature where you are shooting, and what is the final twist of the barrel you are using? With a gain twist, sometimes if it is cut off at the wrong place, it could end up with a slower twist than intended. Combine that with cold temperatures and long boat tail bullets and you may be on the wrong side of bullet stability. I would suggest getting some really short bullets, made on the .750 jacket and giving them a try. Start out with 2 different seating depths; one jamed into the lands hard and the other with about .030 jump. If one of these combinations does not show some promise, it may be tomatoe stake season.

Best of luck,
Larry
 
Barrel Question

Theres only two brands that i know of with gain twists.
If the gain is 15 to 14 or 14 to 13 1/4 type it should shoot.
There are other things to check out also Cases, bullets seating depth,
Primers. etc.
If all is well with those, as Jerry sherritt said it should shoot with the loads he recomended.
Check that scope too. Especially the rings and mounts.
I had one that drove me nuts for a while, Turned out that the smith didn't tighten down the scope mounts{blocks}
Good luck with this. just a few more reflections on your problems.
I hope they go away soon.
 
Look at the bright side...

If you put the barrel on an identical action this is shooting well, you'd be able to narrow it down to something about the barrel.

If you don't have such an action, this is a great excuse to do so!

I'm saving this one to use on my wife next fall. :D

Greg J.
 
Thanks guys

Ill try some of your ideas a soon as the wind dies down around here.
It is a ppc this will be my 4th year shooting comp.I thought i had this tuning
thing down pat guess NOT.
AS for a scope or a bedding problem im sure its not that case, when i spin on
the old barrel it starts acting right thats why im leaning more toward the barrel.
The bullets that im shooting are a 7 3/4 to a 7 ogive my lead is .075
i know it sounds like alot but it has alway worked great in the past.

thanks again
Jim Hart
 
you have solved the problem...

when you change the bbl. and the problem goes away...then the problem is layin over on the work bench.....use it for a paper weight/tomato stake/etc....I try to have a go-to bbl. and scope and action stock combo...I have chased bad scopes all over the map....thought it was the load...thought it was ME!!! (no way,hahah) ....there are Hummer bbls and BUMMER bbls....I think you have one of the latter....I have had two Hummers...one 35 yrs ago when I was too young and dum to know what to do with it ,,,and one a cupla yrs ago when I am too old to get the good out of it...!!!!!!.....what a life....wouldnt change a thing....I think I will prop up my feet and look out at the snow and reflect on life.....Roger

PS,,,dont ever put that bad bbl on an action "ever agin"....it is a waste of components and the most valuable thing of all --YOUR TIME...
 
Jim

First of all, you never did say what kind of groups you are shooting. If you are shooting ones and small twos but you think you should be shooting zeros, that is one thing. On the other hand, if it's grouping in the threes and fours, that another thing. And, certainly as important, what kind of groups are you getting? Nice round ones? 4 and 1? patterns?

Everybody has given their ideas of good things to try. Ask a friend to shoot it and see what happens. As a last resort, you can try cutting off anywhere from 1/4 to 1 inch, in increments. After you've removed a full inch or two and it still doesn't want to shoot, you probably have a bummer rather than a hummer. It happens.

ray
 
groups

the best group that i have been able to muster out of this barrel is a .339
5 shot group at 100 yards, the biggest being a .623

The groups are better when the barrel is cold.

I call it 2 grouping, 1 or 2 shots always go high to the left out of almost every group. (after the barrel warms up.)

i have a couple other thing i want to try before i drive it into the ground.

unless one of you guys want to buy it.:D:D
Jim
 
Buy It

Jim

Remember that barrel i sold to our departed friend Gene Priebe for $50 at Oak Hills? I found out after he passed away he came back and won the grand with that barrel at a later match and kicked my a$$.

If you've tried all kinds of powder charges and seating depths and they don't work, it's junk. I bought several barrels of a certain brand a few years ago and spent several months figuring out they were all POS DOA

You know what you're doing. Stick with your instincts. But then again 15 twist doesn't work the best in cold weather, i hear.

Later
Dave
 
Barrel Question

075 is not that bad. They work too.
I have had several over the years .
 
torque

I always use a torque wrench when i put a barrel on 75 to 80 pounds.

as for the maker of the barrel i rather not say people tend to get pissy about that. ill send you a pm and let you know tony.

The twist on it is a 14.25 to 13.5 or something like that..

Ill take it out this weekend try it again i guess.
If all else failes at least i have a NEW fire form barrel..

Jim
 
Well Jim...

Jhart said:
I always use a torque wrench when i put a barrel on 75 to 80 pounds.

as for the maker of the barrel i rather not say people tend to get pissy about that. ill send you a pm and let you know tony.

The twist on it is a 14.25 to 13.5 or something like that..

Ill take it out this weekend try it again i guess.
If all else failes at least i have a NEW fire form barrel..

Jim
Click to expand...

Well Jim, take heart. You seem to be a seasoned shooter that knows what he's about. If further tests prove your assumption is right about this barrel then realize this barrel is not junk...you've just purchased an over priced "fire forming" barrel.:rolleyes: Move on to another.

virg
 
Jim

Nothing is more frustrating than installing a brand new barrel only to find that it just will not shoot up to standards. Well, one thing can be more frustrating, that being, giving it to another shooter and he comes back and wins with it.:D

I have chambered barrels that I could not wait to get to the range, only to have them be mediocre. I gave up long time ago trying to figure out why one barrel will shoot competitive aggs, and another, for all purposes being identicle, will not.

I don't waste a lot of good bullets on a barrel that is not going to cut it. If it isn't showing promise after about 50 rounds, (after break in), I fall out of love real quick.

You seem to know what you are doing. Aside from something being mechanically wrong with the Rifle or Scope, I say, set it aside, give it to a friend, and move on.

I ask that because normally, when we talk about a barrel that just won't cut it, that means it is stuck in aboiut a mid to high "two" agging capbility. No matter what we do, it just won't tighten up.. When one is shooting as bad as you indicate, that almost leads one to believe something else is amiss......jackie
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top