New to me custom with a tuner question

[PaperSniper_]

I'm getting a used custom 22rf rifle. It has a tuner already installed. I have never used a tuner, and I'm only barely knowledgeable about how they work.

My question: Is a tuner designed to work with a particular barrel, or with particular ammo? I figure it's the former, but not sure. I do not know what ammo the previous owner used....but if he had it set up for say, Lapua Midas, and I want to start off with say, Eley Match, can I expect the tuner to be "doing its job"?

 

[drknite]

I could be wrong about this as I am relatively new. The tuner is used to tune the ammo to that barrel. It does not matter what brand of ammo is used. The barrel itself and the chamber will determine which ammo it prefers. That just requires some testing. If you are trying for precision stick with the better quality ammo. JMO. Someone will be along with more experience than me.

 

[Bill B]

Whenever a new barrel is installed, a tuner is placed on the barrel and the shooter will turn and adjust the tuner, using a variety of methods and techniques, until it shoots it's best. The shooter will typically use (if at all possible) a known lot of good ammo to adjust the tuner (or muzzle device as you will sometimes see it referred.) There are a number of different methods and theories about how to best tune a barrel, but a systematic method of trial and error, until you find the best spot is IMO as good as any. Once the rifle shows me it is tuned and I'm getting the results that I'm looking for, I leave it there and don't touch it again. The only reason to keep futzing with the tuner is if you failed to properly tune it in the first place.

Hopefully, your rifle will come to you tuned and all you will have to do is find some ammo it likes, that doesn't have flyers, and learn to shoot it. If you are a raw beginner and have no clue, see if you can have an experienced rimfire benchrest shooter (hopefully a real skilled one) shoot it with some known good ammo and let you know what they think. If it doesn't shoot well, offer the guy a six pack or bottle of his favorite beverage and ask if he would have a go at tuning it for you. Finding an experienced shooter to mentor you is your best way to learn this game.

If the rifle is properly tuned, the tuner will do it's job regardless of the brand of ammo used. That does not mean that your rifle will be able to shoot all brands of ammo equally well. Most shooters have there rifle set up (chambered) to shoot Eley with the EPS bullet. I would start there.