Does a gunsmith know when a barrel will shoot?

[adk hunter]

Thank you Alex for your insight.

 

[FEENIX]

1/4 or 1/2 inch 3 shot groups aren't very impressive

If you have one you are trying to get rid of, I'd gladly take the P O S rifle off your hands, esp. the 1/4" ones.

 

[Muddyboots]

Craig
Thats a good one, but this should be in the Humor section.

Len,
Nope, not me! Though agree pretty funny!

 

[ntsqd]

When I worked at a racing engines machine shop the owner would occasionally remark "This one is going to make power". They all made power, but some made more/better power than others. They were all within the shop's tight set of specs, but some just had the planets aligned when they were machined. I asked him how he could tell and he handed me the barring-over tool. "Spin that one"; I did. "Spin this one": I did. It was obvious. 'That' one was easier to spin over than 'This' one. Those that were better had micro-nuances, some beyond our control, that allowed them to spin over with less internal friction than the engine next to it machined at the same time, by the same guys. Of course they want all of their engines to be like 'That' one, so considerable time and effort went into analyzing how it was just enough different and how to make them all like that.

I have seen nothing in firearms that makes me think that those similar sets of copacetic tolerances don't exist in them as well. Some will shoot better than others, and it isn't the parts chosen or the money spent. It is that this particular set of parts work extremely well together.

 

[Mikecr]

In the big shooting world, most people cannot load develop to a barrel's potential.
There would need to be a bunch of qualifiers on that for a known result.
XX brass, powder, primer, bullet, at YY range, off ZZ resting(sand, heavy sand, bipod, etc), and temperature range.

There are not many who do it, but I hold the highest respect for gun builders who shoot their builds and show you directly what they get from it. Quarter Minute Magnums comes to mind. Awesome business model.

As far as looking at a barrel for best attributes, I doubt anyone knows what will assure fantastic -vs- average.
But if anyone does, go ahead & think I'm crazy for this; I believe Loather Walther would know. I think they're the only barrel maker capable of the measure, and of actually reproducing it.
They just have no reason to do it.

 

[memtb]

Besides being competent and confident, is there something in the process of barrel lets a smith know if a barrel is going to be a 1/4" gun or a 1" gun?

Only if he knows the "end user"!

Heck my rifle is a consistent 3/8" rifle……until I fire the second shot! memtb

 

[cjholler]

Find a good smith, who stands behind their work, most will have wait times. you're paying for attention to detail. When they're dialing in, ie a 3 jaw vs 4 jaw and Using the Gordy gritter method. If you don't chamber that often then this can take awhile. Most of the time the limiting factor is the nut behind the trigger. But I am by no means an expert this is my opinion and what I know from smithing for a little.

 

[VinceMule]

Most hamstring themselves by never using any kind of wind flag or indicator during load development. Put a flag 15' from the muzzle, off center of the bore line to the left for a right handed shooter. If you shoot with both eyes open, you will see an image of the flag in the scope while the cross hair is on the target, brain has been tricked.
This trick can save you a lot of time and money while developing loads.

 

[Muddybuddy]

So everyone knows, I had no ulterior motive in posting this. I just had a custom gun delivered that's shooting 1/2" while fire forming so I wasn't trying to see anybody up!

 

[skipglo]

Besides being competent and confident, is there something in the process of barrel lets a smith know if a barrel is going to be a 1/4" gun or a 1" gun?

Yes well.....if it's a .25 cal....he will know it's a 1/4" gun...338 is well.....a .338" gun....50 cal is 1/2" gun and so on and so on! You can use this with confidence!!!

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Good Hand loading "practices" like, picking THE Bullet to Match the Twist and Knowing HOW to, "Tune" a Bullet, can bring out, the very BEST in, a Hunting Rifles, "capability".
THEN, Shooting Multiple, 5 shot group's at, 200- 300 yards, WILL "Prove", IF, you've actually Found, a "Good Load" and have, a GOOD, Rifle or,.. NOT !
1/4 MOA Rifles become, 1/2 MOA or, WORSE rifles at,.. 200 Plus, yards for, 5 or, 10 shot, Group's,.. sometimes !
Having, a TOP Quality Barrel and a GOOD Smith,.. is nice, for starters, tho !

 

[Bob Wright]

Yes, the 6.5 Creedmore is a guaranteed one 6.5 size hole at 1 mile over 1000 rounds by a guy with 12 cups of coffee. So I heard at a campfire, allegedly involving liquor.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Yes, the 6.5 Creedmore is a guaranteed one 6.5 size hole at 1 mile over 1000 rounds by a guy with 12 cups of coffee. So I heard at a campfire, allegedly involving liquor.

..... until the 2nd shot is fired.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

You guys, would BE, very surprised to see what, Hornady 130 Grain, ELD-M's, Hand Loaded, out of an accurate, 6.5 Creedmoor, Rifle.. CAN,. Do !
10 years ago, I too was, a Creedmoor "Basher",.. THEN,.. I Bought, One !
I've learned to, shut my Mouth about, bashing,.. 6.5 Creed's,.. SINCE !
Watch Texas Plinking 1,000 Yard, Steel Challenge, on YouTube Session,.. #3 episode, #3 ( a young Lady named, Courtney,.. AMAZING !! ).