Hi Ron -
Before any recommendations can be made - you need to look at what results you're producing with the rig you have - the ammo you're using and under what conditions are you shooting. I'm certainly no expert, I'm not a champion and never will be but I do my best and my results are the product of a rapid learning curve called rimfire.
So - deciding whether you need a tuner is a simple one. If you are shooting competitively - look down the line and you'll notice that virtually every competitior whether shooting a factory rifle or a 'special', has a tuner attached. There is your answer because clearly - they're not doing it to copycat - there's a reason behind the use of a tuner (check out Bill Calfee's articles) and clearly - they work.
Last week is a prime example - on a day with fluky winds - my first detail started badly showing egg-shaped stringing at 45 deg so I though "bugger" - as you do - and figured that since I've wrecked any chance of even a reasonable score in this detail - I needed (well - I was guessing that I needed) to play with the tuner because I'd moved up to a brick of slightly faster ammo (Eley Match). I wound it out half a turn - fired five and the stringing came up and in - veeerry interesting !!
I fired another quick five and it grouped the same so I knew that the tuner was the culprit. And who said Tuner's don't work ?? I then wound the tuner another half turn out, fired another five and up it came again - this time markedly so. I was sooo happy... Another five rounds perhaps covering a ten cent piece to again demonstrate grouping consistency and then another quarter turn - and then magically, it just came 'in' shooting slightly low and right (targeting POA at the centre bull but POI due to wind). Needless to say - I didn't touch the scope.
So - next detail - I shot ten quick warmers below the target sheet watching the POI movement come in (always fascinating) - and watching (and waiting for) the wind for every shot. I then shot five sighters on the bottom and there was some minor stringing so I wound the tuner out again, a bit less than a quarter turn this time. I then fired one shot the centre sighter - with a POA at 10 o'clock just above the ten ring and bingo - right in the middle - an 'X'. Man that's a good feeling.
I thought - "hey - this is a learning excercise" and if nothing else on a windy day - I need to do this... I need to learn... I shot a 200 x 14 for the detail. Tuner's do work !!
While on the subject of lessons and for what it's worth - the second lesson for the weekend was equally interesting. Started the third detail and after the warmers were shot - it started dropping low and right but I'm talking more than an inch at 4 to 5 o'clock. Bugger !!... I stopped and thought for a moment... Two things happened - I noticed that I'm getting unburned powder residue on the cases as they eject and I also remembered some of our club members always clean between details.
I stood up - shoved a dry patch through - black as... put two more dry patches through and sat down again.
I shot the next three - smack bang in the middle - each an 'X'... proof positive...
So - two really valuable lessons learned today but to answer your question - yes mate - tuners do work however... if you're just out 'bunny busting' - keep your money in your pocket.
Cheers from downunder.
