Feedback From The Tunnel In West Texas

Gene Beggs

Active member
During the past several days we have concentrated on the 220 Beggs cartridge with the .250 neck. Most previous testing has been with the no-turn .257 neck which has always shot terrific. The intent here was to determine whether or not anything could be gained by going to tight necks.

With the .250 neck, several configurations were tried including step-necks, fitted-necks and various thickness and bushing combinations. All resulted in good accuracy, but nothing proved more accurate than the no-turn version. Most benchrest shooters will feel more confident with tight-neck chambers, but I assure you, those who choose the no-turn version will be at no disadvantage whatsoever.

The 6mm version of the cartridge performs best with Hodgdon's H4198 Extreme, but the 220 has proven it will shoot well with just about anything you put in it including N133, H322, Benchmark, 8208, Norma 200 etc. It is the most trouble-free, user friendly cartridge I have ever worked with and will compete heads-up with anything. It's also very easy on the shoulder.

The tuner? Many have asked why I didn't use 32 tpi, 40 tpi or whatever. Why did I use 28 tpi? Because it results in exactly one revolution range. That's right, the Beggs tuner goes from one node to the next in exactly one turn. You never change the load, you don't worry about which range you are at, which side of the Mississippi you're on, phase of the moon or whatever. You can preload at home or load at the range; all tuning is done with the tuner, and it's so easy!

Regardless of conditions, the most you can possible be out of tune is one half turn. That's right; if your rifle is completely out of tune, a half turn of the tuner in either direction will dial it right in. With either the 220 or 6mm, two bullet holes of verticle indicate a completely out of tune condition; one bullet hole of verticle indicates a quarter turn out of tune. If you're showing two bullet holes of verticle, the choice is simple; a half turn in either direction, but what if you're only showing one bullet hole verticle? That means you need only a quarter turn adjustment, "But which way??" you ask. Very simple; a quarter turn in EITHER direction will tell you what you need to know. If you go the correct way, the rifle will "Put 'em in a dot!" If you go the wrong way, it will open the verticle to two bullet holes in which case you will simply make a half turn in the opposite direction and "voila" you're there! Now do you understand why I chose 28 tpi for my tuner?

Looking forward to seeing you at the matches this year.

Gene Beggs
 
Gene,

brilliant!

Is barrel contour or lenghth/weight critical to your tuner?
 
Gene,

brilliant!

Is barrel contour or lenghth/weight critical to your tuner?

No, not at all. Results have been the same on every barrel I have installed it on. I have used both LV and HV barrels in lengths from 21 inches to as long as 27 inches and all behave exactly the same.

Gene Beggs
 
Steel Guitars

Guys, about this tuner thing and how they work. The best analogy I can think of is a steel guitar. If you have ever played one or been around someone who has, you know that the musician holds a small, round, steel bar in his left hand and picks the strings with his right. As the steel is moved fore and aft on the strings the tone (vibration frequency) rises and falls. This is exactly how a barrel tuner works; it raises and lowers the vibration frequency. Let me ask you this,

"In the case of the small, round, steel bar the musician uses; would it matter how much it weighed?"

The answer is NO, within reason, of course.

It would not matter whether the 'steel' weighed three ounces or sixteen ounces, the tone produced would be the same, but the heavier weight would be a pita for the musician. The same is true for the rifleman. A tuner that weighs four ounces is a heck of a lot easier to deal with than one that weighs a pound, and a tuner that can be quickly and easily adjusted at the bench using two 5/32 inch stainless steel bars is about as quick and easy as it gets. If the shooter has only to place this tuner in one of four positions of the clock, 12, 3, 6 or 9, that makes it about as simple as it gets; huh?

If the tuner is placed entirely behind the muzzle, it has little or no affect on balance and cannot interfere in any way with muzzle blast.

One last thing. Everyone agrees, the tuner must be rigidly attached to the barrel. Some have asked why I use four radial holes in the OD of the tuners and two 5/32 tommy bars to loosen and tighten. Some prefer knurled collars and tighten by hand. The answer to this will become obvious when you try it. If you have arthritis in your hands and fingers, the knurls become even more of a problem. The two little tommy bars make this job quick, simple, secure, and painless.

Look me up at the matches this year. I'll be happy to provide one on one instruction on how to use a tuner, FREE! How's that?

Later,

Gene Beggs
 
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