So say I have a brand A and brand B barrel. Both chambered and crowned by the same smith with the same tools. Same length. Same twist. What makes one more accurate than the other?
So what makes a barrel accurate?
- Thread starter mheimer_45
- Start date
You mean precise instead of accurate.
Generally, correct and consistent internal bore/land/groove dimensions from one end to the other and a good internal surface finish.
Generally, correct and consistent internal bore/land/groove dimensions from one end to the other and a good internal surface finish.
Barrel A is more accurate if Shooter A is more accurate and so as with B if shooter B is more accurate than shooter A. Barrels arent accurate or not, shooters are.
A perfect barrel in my opinion would have the following qualities over it's entire length:
-Groove diameter exactly on caliber size.
-Bore diameter exactly on specified bore size.
-All grooves the same width.
-All lands the same width.
-Each groove the same depth.
-Each land the same profile.
-Each groove the same profile.
-Internal surface finish polished and consistent everywhere.
-Bore perfectly straight
-Bore perfectly centered in the contour
-Steel that is perfectly consistent and homogenous in composition with zero residual stress.
That's pretty much it. It's easy.
-Groove diameter exactly on caliber size.
-Bore diameter exactly on specified bore size.
-All grooves the same width.
-All lands the same width.
-Each groove the same depth.
-Each land the same profile.
-Each groove the same profile.
-Internal surface finish polished and consistent everywhere.
-Bore perfectly straight
-Bore perfectly centered in the contour
-Steel that is perfectly consistent and homogenous in composition with zero residual stress.
That's pretty much it. It's easy.
Thank you. I’ve stopped buying cheap barrels long ago. I was just curious to as why. I’m a mechanic by trade. It’s in my dna to know how things work.
So if I walk into barrel A makers shop and hand him two different pieces of steel and tell him to turn them into barrels will they both be equal?
I'm sure his post assumed quality steel was chosen by the manufacturer. So, if both pieces were of suitable quality, the odds they both shoot very close is going to be pretty good.
Then there's also the happenstance with the owner of the rifle/barrel. Did they not take as much time when loading for one as the other. Did they happen to not be shooting as well most of the time they used on barrel over the other (random chance in life is much, much higher than people realize).....etc etc.
There's no way to quantify, but I suspect a lot of "not as good barrels" were do to many other things not related to the actual barrel. We just don't have the ability (or the need) to document everything. So the common denominator is the barrel.
You could have the same barrel blanks, sent to the same smith and have one more accurate than the other.
Generally speaking if you stick with Bartlein, Brux, Krieger etc and a reputable smith both should shoot excellent
Doesn’t mean they’ll both like the same ammo though
Generally speaking if you stick with Bartlein, Brux, Krieger etc and a reputable smith both should shoot excellent
Doesn’t mean they’ll both like the same ammo though
So speaking of ammo I’ve had barrel A chambered by smith 1 and wouldn’t shoot smk’s less than 1.5moa but loved hornady ELD’s. Got mad because I’ve got a lot of smk’s so ordered barrel B from the same smith and she shoot’s .75 with smk’s. Why?
Back when I used to shoot center fire bench rest I was getting about 1200 rounds before I lost confidence in it ( groups opened, velocity became harder to get, ect). I would order 6 or so barrels from my smith, all the “same” hoping to get 3-4 “hummers “. Of course this was 25-30 years ago but sometimes there is just magic in a barrel.
