Paul (Yo)
As I said in my originol post on your web site, when I read what was said about the discussion concerning tuners on this site, it read like I first said, that we were a bunch of bubbling idiots who stumbled around in the dark untill we happened to find a light switch. Regardless of what the originol poster intended, that is the way it read. No amount of editing, or re-write, can change that.
That is the problem with many contributors who might have good ideas, but cannot seem to convey them in the written word without coming accross as crass and crude. It is difficult to carry on a cordial debate about any subject when the persons you are having discussions with can't stand to be around you.
That is how many posters come accross. Regardless of how they may be in person, they have a fatal flaw in their writing style that renders their arguments to mute status because of this very point.
I would venture a guess that if took a pole of shooters who know me personally, they would tell you that I am the exact same in person as what you read in my post. First, I like to talk, A lot. Well, more than a lot. It is a flaw that serves me well in some areas, (business), but can be an annoyance when manifested in group settings that revolve around general discussion. Since I am 60 years old, and have suffered from this malady my entire life, I doubt I will improve in the near future.
Another item that posters should be wary of is dealing in absolutes. Bill Calfee has come on this Web Site many times and made statements that were in every sense, absolutes. "sooner or later, Centerfire Benchrest will see the light and come around to my way of thinking". That, of course, is a para-phrase, but think how asinign it sounds to seasoned shooters, especially when it is coming from a one who doesn't even participate in Benchrest. Seasoned shooters, who are already shooting, (agging at), a level that he just might be ignorant of.
And that is just one example. This entire "stopped muzzle" concept that is being touted as a fact, and for some applications, it might be. But the demands of 100-200 yard benchrest are such that the concept borders more on wishfull thinking than ballistic fact. Once again, it is probably due to ignorance of the concepts.
I chalk a lot of this up to ignorance. (incidentally, that is not a derogatory term. It simply means lack of knowledge). As I have said before, I would look pretty foolish trying to tell 1000 yard, F-Class, High Power, and Rim Fire shooters how to improve their discipline. Because that is not what I do. Many so called "gurus" in the firearms industry have the same problem with Benchrest. The simple fact is,they do not have a clue, or understand the concept, of what it takes to be competitive. They seem to think that we are a bunch of old fuddys living in a bygone era, and refuse to get with the 21st century concepts of shooting. Nothing could be further from the truth. They do not have a clue about the constant experimentation and thought that goes on. I suppose my favorite one is "but you all shoot the same cartridge". What they fail to recognize is we make subtle changes within that basic concept, ringing out every last tid-bit of accuracy.
A good example is when I decided to go with a "zero" freebore when using the combination of a .237 4-groove Krieger, N133 powder, and the Bruno 00 Boat Tail Bullet. I sensed that the with the older, and longer freebore, the characteristics of this combination had moved the pressure curve too far up the barrel, causing a very narrow tuning window. Bringing back the freebore, hense lowering the overall, (effective), powder capacity of the chamber, seemed to be a way to get the pressure spike back toward the bolt face. I think it worked. How do I confirm this. By the only way a person with my limited education can. At the range, looking over the flags, and shooting aggs. I reviewed my aggs over the past three years, and last year was the best, (as in most consistant), aggs I have ever shot. I might not have won as many matches as the year before,, but that is because the Competition gets tougher every year. You do your best. If you get beat, well, you just get beat.
And, I think what I am about to say is worth repeating. This web-site is recognized as the site where shooters can come and get real, down to earth information concerning extreme accuracy, especially when it conserns 100-200 yard Competitive Shooting.. They know that the information that is given is proven in Competition, where the demands are such that nothing can be left to chance. We owe it to the shooters, who are willing to spend their hard earned money based on what is read on this Forum, to guard this privilege vigorously. We do this by asking that who ever comes on this site making bold pronouncements, or trying to push a product or service, to be ready to back it up with real world results that pretain to 100-200 yard Benchrest.
I personally do not think that is asking too much.........jackie